There is a good chance that inside your mobile phone is a miniscule amount of a metal that started its journey buried in the earth of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where a war is currently raging. It may even be directly connected to the M23 rebel group that made global headlines this week.

The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group was threatening another key town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday (February 7, 2025) as the United Nations warned that the risk of violence spreading regionally had “never been higher”.

The United Nations has called for efforts to prevent the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from spreading across the region.

Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered the military to begin preparing to withdraw from their peacekeeping mission in the volatile eastern Democratic of Congo. The Malawian troops are part of the southern African regional bloc's military mission (SAMIDRC) deployed to DR Congo to help tackle armed groups.

More than 700 people have been killed and 2,800 injured in just five days since fighting escalated in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between January 26-30, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters Friday.

Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered defense forces to begin preparations for a withdrawal of its troops from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a statement said on Wednesday. The Malawi troops are part of a contingent of soldiers from the Southern African regional bloc deployed in Congo to help it tackle armed insurgents.