International Studies faculty Jason Stearns interviewed by global media regarding conflict in DRC

At the end of January 2025, the M23 rebellion, with backing from Rwanda, took control of the town of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. SFU International Studies associate professor Jason Stearns, who has been working on the region for over two decades, has followed the situation closely and has provided analysis and commentary to a variety of international media outlets, in addition to briefing US, Congolese, and European officials.

Stearns is the author of The War That Doesn't Say Its Name: The Unending Conflict in the Congo and the founder of Congo Research Group based in New York University's Center on International Cooperation.

Stearns recently published a critical op-ed in The Financial Times regarding the escalation of conflict in the eastern DRC titled “Rwanda’s troublemaking in DRC would be easy to stop”.  Read the full story here | PDF

In his op-ed for Le Monde, DRC: 'This is our war, not some distant, irrational outbreak of violence in Africa', Stearns, highlights how the lack of international response to the crisis in the DRC is part of trend of fraying multilateralism and humanitarianism in the world.

The escalation in the eastern Congo could spill over and destabilize governments in the region, argues Jason Stearns in an Foreign Policy op-ed with Kristof Titeca, "Rwanda’s Attack on Congo Could Plunge Africa Into War".

See a list of his other media appearances below.

• New Left Review, March 20: Causes of War
• Time, March 19: How Rwanda and Congo Can Forge a Lasting Peace
• The Times, March 10: US open to minerals-for-security deal with DRC, says state department
• Al Jazeera, March 3: What’s happening in DR Congo?
• BBC, February 22: Avancée du M23 à l'est de la RDC : "Comment allons-nous survivre ?"
• Deutsche Welle, February 17: (FR) "The international community can still act" 
• Bloomberg, February 11: Congo War Fallout Raises Risks for Heavily Indebted Rwanda  
• Bloomberg TV, February 10: Stearns on Ceasefire Calls in Eastern DRC War
• Deutsche Welle, February 9: M23 rebels' takeover of mineral-rich cities in eastern DR Congo backed by Rwanda, Burundi
• Deutsche Welle (radio): DW News Africa with Christine Mhundwa, 6 February 2025 (interviewed)
• BBC online news story, February 8: Who's pulling the strings in the DR Congo crisis? (cited)
• SBS News Australia (TV), February 7: What is happening in the DRC?
• L’Express: "Goma a été un test terrible..." : en RDC, la revanche de Paul Kagame (cited)
• Monocle Podcast, February 1: What is Rwanda doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo? (interviewed)
• NBC News, February 1: There are bodies in the streets in the DRC as rebel group's sweep reignites decades old conflict
• La Croix, January 30: Guerre à l’est de la RDC : les Occidentaux sont-ils trop complaisants vis-à-vis du Rwanda ? (cited)
• BBC World Service (radio), January 30 : News Hour
• Financial Times (cited), January 30: South Africa warns Rwanda of ‘declaration of war’ after assault in DRC
• La Presse, January 29: L’est du pays s’enlise
• BBC World Service (radio) January 29: News Hour
• BBC Focus on Africa (radio), January 29: Who are the M23?  (interviewed) 
• RTE (radio), January 29:  Morning Ireland (interviewed)
• Reuters, January 28: Congo fighting: Rise of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels harder to stop this time (cited)
• The Washington Post, January 27: Rwandan-backed rebels clash with Congolese forces over control of Goma
• Financial Times (op-ed), January 26: Rwanda’s troublemaking in DRC would be easy to stop
• NBC News (TV) January 25:  Armed rebels close in on major city in Congo (interviewed)
• Reuters: Thousands uprooted as Congo M23 rebels near Goma in major advance (cited)
• BBC World Service (radio) January 23: News Hour