Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has vowed “a vigorous and coordinated response” against a rebel alliance that has besieged swaths of the nation’s mineral-rich east and forced hundreds of local troops and foreign mercenaries to surrender.

A potential Ebola outbreak has been reported in the DRC, at a time when the Trump administration has paused communication with the WHO.

South Africa often uses its diplomatic heft to position itself as defender of the "global south" on the world stage, but the deaths of 13 of its soldiers in eastern Congo fighting have exposed an inability to project hard power in its own backyard.

Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has vowed to restore government authority in the east, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized much of the city of Goma and are reportedly advancing south to seize more territory.

This introduction lays a foundation for the discussion of the East African Community and the battle for the soul of the DR Congo. However, it may be necessary to note that the Congolese hold very strong views that some countries in the East African Community are responsible for the armed rebellion in the eastern part of their country.

A week after the first of 13 South African soldiers were killed by M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President and Commander-in-Chief Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a statement on the situation,

President Félix Tshisekedi did not attend the recent EAC summit hosted by President William Ruto to discuss the worsening security crisis in eastern DRC.

The conflict comes amid rising global tensions after Donald Trump’s election, especially between Washington and Beijing, over control of strategic minerals like those present in the Congo.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold an extraordinary summit in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, on Thursday

General Rudzani Maphwanya of the SANDF reveals that the M23 militia in the DRC has sustained significant casualties during a fierce battle with South African, Malawian, and Tanzanian forces, resulting in the deaths of 13 South African soldiers and three Malawian soldiers.

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