Tshisekedi and Burundi Chief Forge Deadly Alliance Against Kigali

President Félix Tshisekedi is hosting Burundi's leader Évariste Ndayishimiye in Kinshasa this week. The two-day visit focuses on security in the volatile east. It comes after Tshisekedi's recent talks in the United States and growing American pressure on Rwanda.

Mr Ndayishimiye, who also chairs the African Union, brings both military partnership and diplomatic weight. Burundi's troops have fought alongside Congolese forces against M23 rebels. Kinshasa hopes the meeting will tighten regional ties at a sensitive time.

In a speech to Congolese living in the US, President Tshisekedi said the army was putting "heavy pressure" on its enemies. He expressed confidence that eastern areas would soon return to full government control. His words reflect Kinshasa's belief that momentum is building, especially around Minembwe in South Kivu.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has set a clear deadline. He expects Rwandan troops to begin leaving eastern DRC by mid-July. Mr Rubio noted some progress after American sanctions but said the pace was "not moving fast enough". He warned against any attempt to simply re-dress Rwandan soldiers as M23 fighters.

On the ground the situation remains fluid. In North Kivu, M23 still holds swathes of Masisi and Rutshuru amid regular clashes and drone strikes. Further south, government forces, local militias and Burundian troops are pressing around Minembwe and have forced some rebel retreats earlier this year.

This is to say the coming weeks could bring a messy change rather than a clean breakthrough. Rwanda may pull back some forces to meet the American timeline, allowing M23 to shift to stronger positions. Fighting would ease in places like South Kivu but continue at a lower level.

A full withdrawal looks unlikely in the short term. Deep mistrust between the parties runs high. Without stronger international monitoring, any gains on paper could prove temporary.

For ordinary Congolese in the east, the human cost remains enormous. Fresh fighting always brings new displacement and hardship. Diplomats in Kinshasa and Washington now watch closely to see whether words this month turn into real movement on the front lines.