Can External Pressure Bring Peace to the DRC?

Interview with Liam Karr — 28:50

This week, Kelly and Tristan cover the recent rounds of summit diplomacy between Presidents Trump and Putin and subsequent meetings with European leaders, the recent moves in Somaliland's quest for recognition, and the new settlements in the West Bank approved by Israel's finance minister.

Kelly is then joined by Liam Karr of the Critical Threats Project for an update on the DRC-Rwanda peace process.

Liam Karr is the Africa Team Lead at the Critical Threats Projects at the American Enterprise Institute. His team uses open-source intelligence to closely map the status of various conflicts from the Sahel and West Africa through to Sudan and the current conflict between Rwanda-backed rebels, known as M23, and the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

See more of Liam's work at the Critical Threats Project here: https://www.criticalthreats.org/team/liam-karr

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. 

Recorded on August 26, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown