Members’ Question Time: DRC – What does the fall of Goma mean for regional and continental stability?
19
February 2025 — 1:00PM TO 1:45PM
Anonymous (not verified)
12 February 2025
Online
Join us and ask our Great Lakes expert, Ben Shepherd, anything about the latest developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Submit your questions in advance.
Join us and ask our Great Lakes expert, Ben Shepherd, anything about the latest developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Submit your questions in advance.
The M23’s capture of Goma marked a significant turning point in the decades-long conflict in eastern DRC, with repercussions across the continent. At least seven African national armies are currently involved: Burundian and Ugandan troops are operating alongside the Congolese armed forces, while South African and Malawian soldiers lost their lives in the siege of Goma as part of a multilateral Southern African Development Community mission that also includes Tanzanian forces.
Meanwhile, the UN Panel of Experts has reported Rwandan support for the M23 and its military presence in the region – claims that President Paul Kagame has consistently denied. Efforts by Angola and Kenya to mediate have so far failed to safeguard the DRC’s territorial integrity, and Kinshasa’s stability appears at its most fragile since President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi’s first election.
Ben Shepherd will offer expert analysis on the factors behind the siege of Goma, the motivations of regional actors, and the risk of further escalation, situating the crisis within the broader history of conflict in the Great Lakes Region.
Submit your questions to Ben Shepherd in advance of the event. Your questions will drive the conversation.
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Source: Chathamhouse Events