The government of the DRC and the leaders of the March 23rd Movement (M23) rebels are on the cusp of signing an important peace agreement brokered by members of the African Union (AU), particularly Uganda. The M23 rebels recently ceased military operations following an intense campaign by the DRC forces and the introduction of a beefed up UN ‘intervention brigade’. If the peace deal goes through, it could be a catalyst for greater security in...

The security situation has improved markedly in Cote D’Ivoire since the political crisis in 2010, which caused the economy to slump into recession in 2011. Greater political stability and an improved security situation have been welcomed by the African Development Bank which is on track to return its regional headquarters to Abidjan in 2014. The government is hopeful that it can maintain stability and reassert the country as a strategic staging...

Foreign firms are competing for access to gold deposits in war torn Sudan. Mining companies are hopeful that Sudan holds a large amount of untapped gold reserves, while the government is desperate to find new revenue streams following the secession of South Sudan in 2011, which led to the loss of around three quarters of its oil reserves and a fifth of its population. Gold exports reached US$2.2bn last year and the government recently issued a...