In recent days, the DRC government has expressed interest in launching new peace talks in Kinshasa, bringing together Congolese from different groups, with Angola serving as mediator.
To facilitate this, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi has visited Angola three times since December 14, 2025, meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço to discuss how the process will proceed.
Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya explained that the planned Kinshasa talks will differ from previous meetings held in Washington, D.C., in the United States, and in Doha, Qatar.
'In Washington, the talks involved us and Rwanda, the father. In Doha, the talks involved us and M23, the son,' he claimed in an allegation that Rwanda has repeatedly refuted.
Sources indicate that representatives of AFC/M23 are expected to participate in the new Kinshasa talks, raising questions about whether the Doha talks will lose relevance.
The DRC government has called for the new talks while continuing to ignore the Doha process. In December 2025, Qatar invited the DRC to two meetings aimed at monitoring compliance with the ceasefire, but the government declined to attend.
On January 11, 2026, Minister Nduhungirehe responded to Muyaya’s comments, saying the DRC government itself is the 'father,' while the FDLR terrorist group is the 'son.' He described the new talks as a tactic to gain additional leverage, a strategy known as 'forum shopping.'
Nduhungirehe emphasised that lasting peace in the DRC depends on genuine political will and that political talks complementing those held in Doha and Washington would be welcomed.
“When the father (Congolese government), the son (FDLR genocidaires), and the evil spirit (genocide ideology) attempt yet another ‘forum shopping’ in three years, as a delaying manoeuvre, we simply recall that salvation will first come from Kinshasa’s political will to apply the current peace processes in good faith,” Minister Nduhungirehe stated, adding “Any national political dialogue, which would be complementary to these processes, would then be welcome.”
The AFC/M23 coalition has asked the Angolan president for clarification regarding the new talks, seeking to know whether Qatar will participate, what role it will play, and whether the decisions made during the Doha talks will be honoured.
President Félix Tshisekedi has visited Angola three times since December 14, 2025, meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço to discuss how the Kinshasa talks will proceed.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, says the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is attempting to delay peace talks with the AFC/M23 rebel coalition.
“The government has returned to the national capital,” Idris said in a speech to a crowd following his arrival in Bahri, north of Khartoum.
He pledged to improve basic services, particularly in the health and education sectors, and to rebuild hospitals and rehabilitate schools and universities, foremost among them the University of Khartoum.
The prime minister added that 2026 would be “the year of peace in Sudan,” pointing to plans for reconstruction and development, as well as efforts to improve the economic situation by increasing gross national product, reducing inflation, and stabilizing the exchange rate of the national currency.
The government’s return is part of official efforts to restore administrative functions and public services to the capital, following announcements in recent months of gradual plans to reinstate state institutions, alongside a relative improvement in security conditions in some areas, despite persistent security and humanitarian challenges in several parts of the country.
Khartoum witnessed fierce battles that caused widespread damage to government institutions, infrastructure, and basic services.
The Sudanese government relocated to Port Sudan in late April 2023, days after fighting broke out in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The move took place gradually, with the headquarters of the Sovereign Council, the Council of Ministers, and several ministries and sovereign institutions transferred to Port Sudan, which later became a temporary seat for managing state affairs amid deteriorating security conditions in Khartoum.
In May 2025, the SAF declared Khartoum State cleared of RSF forces, paving the way for the city to gradually reclaim public spaces and resume normal life.
The conflict has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, both inside Sudan and across its borders.
Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan (in the vehicle), chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council and commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), departs from the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 26, 2025. Al-Burhan declared from inside the Presidential Palace in Khartoum on March 24, 2025 that “Khartoum is free,” referring to the end of the Rapid Support Forces’ control over the capital, according to Sudan TV.
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Indonesia announced on Saturday that it was temporarily blocking access to Grok, citing serious concerns over the production of sexualized deepfakes. A day later, Malaysia followed suit, saying it had suspended access to the chatbot while regulators assess whether adequate safeguards are in place.
'The government views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity and the security of citizens in the digital space,' Indonesia’s minister of communications and digital affairs, Meutya Hafid, said in a statement. Indonesian authorities have also reportedly summoned representatives of X, the social media platform owned by Musk that is closely integrated with Grok, to discuss the issue.
In Malaysia, the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said the temporary block followed repeated misuse of Grok to generate 'obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive, and non-consensual manipulated images,' including content involving women and minors. The regulator said it had previously issued notices to X Corp and xAI on Jan. 3 and Jan. 8, demanding technical protection measures that were not sufficiently implemented.
'This temporary ban is imposed as a reasonable precautionary measure while the legislative and regulatory process is still ongoing,' the MCMC said, adding that access to Grok would remain restricted until effective safeguards, particularly to protect women and children, are in place.
The actions by Malaysia and Indonesia represent the most aggressive response so far to a controversy that has drawn attention from regulators worldwide. In recent weeks, Grok has generated sexualized AI images, sometimes depicting violence, when prompted by users on X. X and xAI are part of the same corporate group.
Elsewhere, India’s IT ministry has ordered xAI to take steps to prevent Grok from producing obscene content, while the European Commission has instructed the company to preserve documents related to the chatbot, potentially paving the way for a formal investigation. In the United Kingdom, media regulator Ofcom has said it will conduct a swift assessment to determine whether there are compliance issues that warrant action, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer voicing support for regulatory intervention.
In the United States, however, the Trump administration has remained largely silent on the issue, even as Democratic senators have urged Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores. Musk, a major Trump donor who previously led the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, has pushed back against criticism, writing in one post that regulators 'want any excuse for censorship.'
xAI initially issued an apology via the Grok account, acknowledging that certain posts violated ethical standards and potentially U.S. laws related to child sexual abuse material. While the company later restricted AI image generation to paying X subscribers, the standalone Grok app reportedly continued to allow unrestricted image generation, prompting further backlash.
Malaysia and Indonesia have moved to block access to Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, after the tool generated a surge of sexually explicit images, including non-consensual depictions of real people. The decisions mark the first formal national bans on the application, amid growing global scrutiny of AI-generated sexual content.
The announcement was made during the official visit of Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, to the Sultanate of Oman. The event was attended by senior officials from both countries, including Oman’s Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali; Rwanda’s Minister of State for Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Owehenganyi; Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire; and Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Yusuf Murangwa.
Speaking at the ceremony, Owehenganyi said Rwanda’s vision is centred on expanding direct air connectivity to facilitate international cooperation and position Kigali as a key hub for aviation, economic and social activities.
The planned Muscatâ”Kigali route is expected to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations between Rwanda and Oman, while enhancing Rwanda’s access to the Middle East and other international markets. Rwanda has emerged as one of East Africa’s fastest-growing destinations for tourism and business travel, particularly in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector.
According to Oman Air, the new route will offer travellers greater choice and improved connectivity between Africa and the Middle East, while also providing access to the airline’s wider network across India, Asia, the Pacific and Europe. Oman Air has been expanding its destination network during 2025 and plans further growth in 2026, including new routes to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Besides the direct flight, the four MoUs signed during Nduhungirehe’s visit cover logistics services, including inland port development and supply chain operations; development cooperation between the Rwanda Development Board and Oman Airports Management Company, with planned investments around the Bugesera Airport District; and ICT and innovation, covering data hosting, cloud services, and data centre development.
Rwanda signed an MoU with Oman to operationalise direct flights between Muscat and Kigali with Oman Air, expected to start in June.
Speaking at a rally in Arua City on Friday, Museveni lauded Trump for 'kicking out immigrants' and urged Ugandans to focus on national development rather than seeking opportunities abroad.
'Africanism. Love Africa. Why? Because you need it,' Museveni said. 'I like Mr. Trump so much myself. He has said, 'Don’t come here now to America.’ I say thank you so much for chasing those wanderers. What are they going to do in America?”
“I love Trump for chasing you, people who don’t care about their country, they go all over the place,” he added.
Museveni used the example of Trump’s deportation measures to emphasise African self-reliance.
'This teaches you that you build your own capacity, within Uganda, within Africa. Love Uganda, love Africa,' he said, highlighting that national markets and domestic production are critical for wealth creation.
Trump’s mass deportation program, which began upon his inauguration on January 20, 2025, has been described by the administration as the largest in U.S. history. The program combines formal deportations with 'self-deportations,' facilitated in part through the repurposed CBP One app, renamed 'CBP Home', which offers voluntary migrants cash incentives to leave.
By December 2025, the Department of Homeland Security reported over 2.5 million people had left the U.S., including more than 600,000 formal deportations and nearly 1.9 million self-deportations.
In addition to enforcement actions, Uganda was recently added to an expanded U.S. visa bond program requiring some travelers to post refundable deposits of up to $15,000 for certain visa applications. The initiative is part of the U.S. government’s efforts to reduce visa overstays and enforce stricter immigration controls.
President Yoweri Museveni has praised his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, for his strict immigration enforcement, calling it a lesson for Africans to build their own countries.
The refugee agency reported on Friday that 25 of the deaths were caused by a cholera outbreak, while six others resulted from anaemia and malnutrition-related complications. Authorities are still investigating the causes of the remaining deaths, with the UN working alongside local officials and humanitarian partners to gather more information.
More than 100,000 people have sought refuge in Burundi since December, when fighting between the Congolese army and M23 rebels intensified in the border town of Uvira. Many of the displaced are living in makeshift shelters with limited access to food, clean water, and basic services.
Children and women, including pregnant women, are particularly vulnerable, with roughly half of those displaced under the age of 18. Overcrowding in refugee sites has also increased the risk of outbreaks of cholera, measles, and malaria, UN officials warned.
Jean Jacques Purusi, governor of South Kivu province where Uvira is located, described the situation as 'misery' and 'a crisis completely forgotten by the international community and media.'
The Burundian government confirmed that the number of Congolese refugees exceeded the capacity of nearby camps. Feeding them was a challenge, and many were affected by cholera outbreaks caused by poor sanitation.
Although UNHCR confirmed 53 deaths, other sources were even more alarming. The CPCC, a community-based NGO, reported that 105 Congolese refugees had died in camps in Burundi over the past two weeks, mostly due to lack of food and medical care.
On January 5, 2026, the organisation’s director, Ahadi Bya Masu, told Radio Okapi that some refugees had also been attacked by criminals while in the camps in Burundi, resulting in additional deaths.
At least 53 Congolese refugees who fled escalating fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have died in neighbouring Burundi, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The tour began in Volcanoes National Park, where IShowSpeed, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., came face to face with Rwanda’s famed mountain gorillas. The 20-year-old content creator documented the experience on social media, visibly excited. He later described Rwanda as one of the most beautiful countries he had ever visited.
'All my life, I kid you not, this has to be one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to,' he said.
The tour began in Volcanoes National Park, where IShowSpeed came face to face with Rwanda’s famed mountain gorillas.
Back in Kigali, the atmosphere shifted dramatically at Amahoro Stadium, where IShowSpeed made a surprise motorcycle entrance during a women’s football match between Rayon Sports WFC and Indahangarwa WFC. Thousands of fans erupted into chants of his name, creating scenes more commonly associated with national leaders than internet personalities.
Inside the stadium, he took part in traditional Rwandan dance and drumming performances, entertained the crowd with Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature 'Siuuu' celebration, and posed for countless selfies. 'Amahoro Stadium is the best stadium in Africa,' he told his livestream audience. The appearance drew national attention and was widely covered by local media.
At Amahoro Stadium, IShowSpeed participated in traditional Rwandan dance and drumming performances.
The tour continued at BK Arena, where IShowSpeed participated in a basketball challenge with local players, demonstrating his competitive energy beyond the digital realm.
Later, he made a stop at the magnificent Zaria Court, where a large crowd had gathered for a fan meet-up. Here, the lighter and more humorous moments of the tour took centre stage. A fan presented IShowSpeed with a customised cake featuring his face, which he famously bit into mouth-first.
Another supporter arrived with Speed’s name shaved into his hair and merchandise bearing his face, though the name was humorously misspelt. He was also presented with a custom painting from a local artist. During the visit, he wowed fans with backflip stunts, leaving a lasting impression on those who had waited hours to meet him.
Beyond the city’s central attractions, much of the livestream’s impact came from spontaneous encounters across Kigali and its outskirts. At a ranch just outside the city, IShowSpeed milked a cow for the first time and even drank the fresh milk.
Later, while driving through Kigali, fans repeatedly stopped his convoy, including one emotional encounter in which a supporter broke down in tears upon meeting him. Speed comforted the fan, a moment many viewers called the most wholesome of the entire stream.
IShowSpeed warmly embraces a die-hard fan during his tour in Kigali.
After the broadcast, IShowSpeed shared that security had alerted him to a 16-year-old boy who had been riding a bicycle behind the convoy for more than three and a half hours, despite the bike repeatedly breaking down, just to meet him. Realising how far the teen had gone left Speed genuinely shocked, and he gave him a special, heartfelt greeting in return.
🚨WATCH: iShowSpeed explains after the stream ended that security had told him to notice a kid in Rwanda who’d been riding behind them for three and a half hours on a bike that kept breaking down, just to meet him.
Other memorable moments included a local challenge in which Speed was asked to pull two motorbikes while their riders tried to drive away. Against expectations, he succeeded, earning cheers from the crowd.
🚨WATCH: iShowSpeed is challenged by a local in Rwanda to a strength test â” pulling two motorbikes while the riders try to drive away.
Against all expectations, Speed actually manages to do it, leaving everyone stunned pic.twitter.com/yS3Up9PqCA
Throughout the day, he also spoke candidly about the demands of his tour. Running on just four hours of sleep, he admitted it was tough but said his mental state was improving. He publicly thanked his team for their tireless work behind the scenes, even as some viewers complained the Africa tour felt rushed. Despite that, the numbers were undeniable: in Rwanda alone, the livestream drew over 4.1 million viewers in just a few hours.
The Rwanda visit concluded in Biryogo, Nyamirambo, where IShowSpeed fully immersed himself in local cuisine. He sampled pilau, ugali made from cassava, traditional sombe, and grilled brochettes, praising the food and visibly enjoying the experience.
From gorilla trekking and stadium ovations to cow milking on the city’s outskirts and emotional encounters with fans, IShowSpeed told his followers that he hopes to return for a longer stay, saying he would like to come back ‘for a week, just for a vacation.
IShowSpeed’s visit to Rwanda is part of his broader project, 'Speed Does Africa Tour,' which he launched on December 21, 2025. The tour sees him livestreaming and sharing experiences from different African countries, showcasing culture, people, and tourism to his global audience.
IshowSpeed was warmly received in Rwanda.
He broadcast his stunts and engagement with fans to over 47 million followers.
IshowSpeed took part in a Rwandan traditional dance.
He also entertained the crowd with Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature 'Siuuu' celebration.
“Today, at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, U.S. Central Command forces, alongside partner forces, conducted large-scale strikes against multiple ISIS targets across Syria,” the command posted on X.
The command said these strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched and announced on December 19 in response to a deadly IS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13. In the attack, a lone IS terrorist carried out an ambush, killing two U.S. soldiers and one U.S. civilian interpreter.
The strikes are “part of our ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks, and protect American and partner forces in the region,” U.S. Central Command said, adding that U.S. and coalition forces “remain resolute in pursuing terrorists who seek to harm the United States.”
The U.S. Central Command said these strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched and announced on December 19 in response to a deadly IS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria, on December 13.
This data comes from the latest Rwanda Statistical Yearbook.
In 2024, Rwandans accounted for 30% of all visitors to the three main national parks: Akagera, Volcanoes, and Nyungwe.
By comparison, visits by foreign residents in Rwanda grew more gradually, from 3,142 in 2008 to 8,491 in 2024, representing 6% of total visitors.
International visitors from abroad continued to dominate, making up 64% of the total (96,271 visitors) in 2024, from 70% (30,151 visitors) in 2008.
Overall, visits to Rwanda’s national parks have grown dramatically over the past two decades. Total visitors have increased more than sixfold since the mid-2000s, driven by conservation successes, improved infrastructure, and targeted promotion of domestic tourism.
Akagera National Park has seen particularly strong growth, with visitor numbers rising from 11,239 in 2005, when it attracted 47% of all park visitors to 67,661 in 2024.
In 2005, Akagera was the most visited park, followed closely by Volcanoes National Park (44%) and Nyungwe National Park (10%).
Akagera National Park recorded over 56,000 visitors in 2024.
