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  Electoral officials in Rwanda have announced that President Paul Kagame has won 99% of the vote in provisional results from Monday’s presidential election. This outcome, with 79% of ballots counted, was expected given Kagame’s long-standing leadership. His rivals, Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana, received less than 1% of the vote combined, mirroring the 2017 election results. Final results are due by July 27. Kagame, in power since the 1994 genocide, faced minimal opposition as several prominent critics were barred from running. Voter turnout appeared high, with 9.5 million of Rwanda’s 14 million people registered to vote. Jean Claude Nkurunziza, a first-time voter, expressed support for Kagame, citing his leadership. Despite criticism of authoritarianism, Kagame is credited with Rwanda’s post-genocide development. In 2015, a referendum removed a two-term limit, allowing Kagame to potentially remain in power until 2034. He cited public demand for his continued leadership. ...

The rebels, M23 have reached Bambo in the north of Goma, in DR Congo and started a new offensive. This has led to the panic-stricken residents fleeing in fright.M23 militants started a fresh push in the north of Goma, and clashes with pro-government armed groups became intense in the south. This increase in violence is a matter of deep concerns, and peacekeepers present in the region are unable to do anything about it.  They used mortar fire and automatic weapon rounds in the outskirts of southern Bambo. After which shells struck the town center, inducing panic among the residents. They have started fleeing with whatever belongings they have managed to gather to save their lives.  Many militant groups  including the M23 have managed to get control over many territories in North Kivu province since 2021. The presence of these groups increases the challenges that the local authorities face and have led to the continued instability.