Continuing the tradition of L’Afrique des grands lacs: Annuaire, this companion volume to Conjonctures de l’Afrique centrale (Paris, L’Harmattan) offers a survey of political developments in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda over the course of 2021. Burundi has witnessed a relative normalisation after years of instability and international isolation. President Évariste Ndayishimiye, elected in 2020, has succeeded in imposing a break with the past. Despite resistance to change, political and economic governance have improved, while the issue of transitional justice remains polarising. In the DRC, after the apparent loss of Kabila’s FCC in 2020, President Félix Tshisekedi was able to consolidate his position, but he fails to fulfil his promises. Nevertheless, he has achieved the return of the DRC to the international and regional scenes. Despite the state of siege and Ugandan military support, the security situation in the east remains unresolved. Rwanda continues to be politically and militarily active in the region and beyond. Domestically, the regime succeeds in keeping the lid on the pot, by controlling both intra-regime tensions and wider popular resentment. This is achieved through repression inside and outside the country. Despite the tensions that accompanied the January 2021 presidential election in Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni has recreated a semblance of normalcy, but his rule remains authoritarian, and human rights violations are widespread. Although this does not happen uncontested, Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, seems to be positioning himself as the “natural” successor for the 2026 polls. While relations at the regional level remain ambiguous, they seem to be improving, especially between Uganda and Rwanda.