AfricaNow! Jun. 25, 2025 DR Congo-Rwanda Agreement Contextualized

AfricaNow! June 25, 2025 DR Congo-Rwanda Agreement Contextualized

Topic and Guest: Last week on June 20 was World Refugee Day. Due to the continued external destabilization of the country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has nearly 7 million people have been displaced persons, and since the late 1990s over 6 million have been killed in the country due to conflict. Recently we have seen the Rwandan-backed armed group M23 control towns in the eastern part of the DRC. The DRC and Rwanda are scheduled to formally sign a peace agreement in Washington, DC to end the conflict in eastern DRC. Kambale Musavuli dissects and contextualizes the proposed agreement--history of the conflict; the real nature of the agreement; the missing issue of justice for Congolese people in the agreement; the continued external destabilization by the U.S. and other western countries; the continued neo-colonial role of multinational corporations who are exploiting the DRC’s vast resources; the massive loss of life and more.

Kambale Musavuli is Analyst, at the Center for Research on the Congo-Kinshasa and is former National Spokesperson for the Friends of the Congo. He is a human rights advocate and is one of the leading political and cultural Congolese voices.

MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--“NATI KONGO” BY BOUKAN GINEN commemorating Caribbean American Heritage Month; break--“SUN GODDESS (LIVE)” BY EARTH, WIND & FIRE celebrating the Summer Solstice June 20 here in the Northern Hemisphere and commemorating Black Music Month/African American Music Month; sign-off--“SUMMER MADDNESS” BY KOOL & THE GANG commemorating Black Music Month/African American Music Month & beginning of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere; closing--“FREE CONGO” BY GRADUR FEAT. NINHO, JOSMAN, YOUSSOUPHA, KALASH CRIMINEL & DAMSO.

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Originally broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM, Washington, DC. Tune into AfricaNow! live on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area or visit www.wpfwfm.org on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00PM (U.S. Eastern).

Photos by AfricaNow! of protests at Rwanda Embassy in Washington, DC in February and March 2025.