Looking back at 2025, we witnessed a year that was defined by escalating conflicts. The AFC/M23’s capture of the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in early 2025 directly impacted our team, partners, and activities focused on peace and natural resource governance. The rebel group’s territorial advance and the resulting violence – both with the Congolese army and against civilians – reinforced the need for in-depth analysis. IPIS leveraged its expertise in conflict mapping and mineral resource governance to shed light on the complex interplay between natural resources and conflict. Our research highlighted the diverse drivers of violence and their lasting consequences for peace, providing actionable insights to NGOs, embassies, international agencies, and media outlets.
IPIS also studied the vectors for peace in West Africa, examining the role of policies related to pastoralism and large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly in Benin and Niger. Additionally, we gave importance to the study of overlooked crises, such as the insecurity and humanitarian fallout from the Mobondo crisis in western DRC.
Based on these insights from different countries and as geopolitical fragmentation intensified marked by the start of Donald Trump’s second term, IPIS in collaboration with Search for Common Ground, facilitated peace-oriented dialogue between Belgian civil society and government actors. In a context of rising defense spending and shrinking development budgets, we made the case for peace and an emphasized the need for an integrated approach between diplomacy, development cooperation and defense with dialogue as a key element of positive impact.
The emergence of “minerals for peace” arguments further highlighted the interconnections within IPIS’s research domains. In December 2025, inspired by discussions between Ukraine and the United States, Presidents Tshisekedi and Trump signed a mineral-oriented strategic partnership alongside the Washington Peace Agreement between the DRC and Rwanda. Securing critical raw materials, essential for the energy transition and the defense sector’s demands, became a pressing global issue. IPIS’s research on coltan and cobalt in the DRC, and bauxite in Guinea, coupled with lessons from the extraction of traditional minerals such as gold and diamonds, provided essential insights to ensure raw material strategies remain align with human rights and environmental sustainability.
To foster conflict-sensitive and responsible policies, IPIS continued its work on business and human rights, advocating for transparency and accountability, particularly in the extractive sector. In Tanzania, post-election violence in 2025 reinforced the importance of supporting civil society in its push for greater transparency and in its engagement with extractive industry actors.
Despite budget cuts impacting development cooperation, IPIS remains committed to independent, high-quality, and impact-driven analysis, capacity-enhancement, and policy advice to support actors who want to realize durable peace, sustainable development, and the fulfilment of human rights.
This annual report gives an overview of all research projects, capacity enhancement initiatives, and outreach activities conducted by IPIS in 2025.
