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Tag: Congo

  • Rwandan Minister sanctioned for alleged role in conflict in Congo

    Rwandan Minister sanctioned for alleged role in conflict in Congo

    On Thursday, the U.S. took action by imposing sanctions on a Rwandan minister, James Kabarebe, over his alleged involvement in the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

    Kabarebe, Rwanda’s Minister for Regional Integration, is accused of aiding the M23 rebel group, which has been fighting the Congolese army and capturing critical territories, including two major cities.

    Alongside Kabarebe, the U.S. also sanctioned Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, a spokesperson for the M23 rebels, as well as two companies connected to him that are registered in France and the United Kingdom.

    The M23 rebels are one of many armed factions vying for control over eastern Congo’s vast mineral resources. The group’s rapid expansion has seen them take control of Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, in just three weeks. On Sunday, they also captured Bukavu, the second-largest city in the region.

    The U.S. government has urged Rwanda to cease its support for the M23 and to withdraw its troops from Congo. U.N. experts estimate that around 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are currently deployed in the region.

    “The leaders of Rwanda to end their support for M23” and withdraw all Rwandan troops from Congo. U.N. experts say there are about 4,000 troops from Rwanda in Congo.

    A statement from U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called for both Congo and Rwanda to ensure accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses in the conflict.

    Kabarebe, a retired military officer, is said to be involved in the M23 rebels’ management of mineral resources taken from eastern Congo, including overseeing their export.

    Bradley T. Smith, acting undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury, emphasized that these sanctions are part of efforts to hold responsible those in positions of power, such as Kabarebe and Kanyuka, for their roles in the ongoing violence.

    “Today’s action underscores our intent to hold accountable key officials and leaders like Kabarebe and Kanyuka,” said Bradley T. Smith, an acting undersecretary of the Treasury.

    Since the M23 offensive began on January 26, more than 700 lives have been lost, and nearly 3,000 people have been injured in Goma and surrounding areas.

  • DR Congo calls on Arsenal, PSG others to end ‘blood-stained’ Visit Rwanda sponsorship deals

    DR Congo calls on Arsenal, PSG others to end ‘blood-stained’ Visit Rwanda sponsorship deals

    Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has urged top European football clubs Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to sever their sponsorship ties with Visit Rwanda, condemning the deals amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the region.

    The call comes as M23 rebels seized control of Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, and the United Nations refugee agency reports that over 400,000 people have been displaced this year.

    UN experts have accused the Rwandan army of effectively controlling M23 operations.

    DRC’s Foreign Minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, sent letters to the clubs’ executives, questioning the ethics of continuing the sponsorships.

    She raised concerns that Visit Rwanda’s funding could be linked to the illegal extraction of minerals from DRC’s occupied territories, with the minerals smuggled across the border to Rwanda for export.

    In her letter to Arsenal, Kayikwamba Wagner stated that Rwanda’s responsibility in the ongoing conflict has become undeniable, following a UN report revealing the deployment of 4,000 Rwandan troops in DRC.

    “It is time Arsenal ended its blood-stained sponsorship deals with this oppressor nation. If not for your own consciences, then the clubs should do it for the victims of Rwandan aggression,” she wrote.

    Arsenal, PSG, Bayern Munich and Visit Rwanda have been contacted for comment.

    Why are the Visit Rwanda deals controversial?

    The Visit Rwanda campaign has successfully raised the East African country’s profile but Rwanda’s government has been accused of investing in sport to enhance its global image – a strategy labelled by critics as ‘sportswashing’.

    A sleeve partnership with Arsenal began in 2018, with the latest sponsorship reported to be worth more than £10m ($12.39 million) per year.

    A sponsorship with PSG was agreed the following year, and Bayern Munich signed a five-year football development and tourism promotion partnership with Rwanda in 2023.

    Meanwhile, Rwanda President Paul Kagame has announced a bid to stage a Formula 1 race and Kigali is set to be the venue for cycling’s World Road Championships in September.

    On Friday the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, said there were no plans to relocate the event away from Rwanda.

    The Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, a campaign group which investigates and reports on cases of abuse around the globe, says these deals and events help hide Rwanda’s “abysmal track record” on human rights.

    “Rwanda has major flaws with due process which violate its own internal laws or international standards,” HRW’s Lewis Mudge told BBC Sport Africa last month.

    “Increasingly we’re seeing the space for freedom of expression, for some degree of political autonomy, is actually shrinking.”

    The Rwandan government has dismissed accusations of sportswashing, with its chief tourism officer Irene Murerwa calling them “a distraction” from the “amazing and outstanding achievements the country has made”.

    What is the latest in eastern DR Congo?

    Four armed militants wearing camouflage and holding guns sit on the back of a truck as another soldier with a grenade launcher on his shoulder walks past in the foreground.


    The UN says at least 700 people have been killed in intense fighting in Goma since Sunday.

    UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said 2,800 people have been injured, as M23 rebels – backed by Rwanda – captured the capital of North Kivu province.

    The rebels are now reported to be moving south towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.

    The conflict in eastern DR Congo dates back to the 1990s but has rapidly escalated in recent weeks.

    M23 , which is made up of ethnic Tutsis, say they are fighting for minority rights, while DR Congo’s government says the Rwanda-backed rebels are seeking control of the eastern region’s vast mineral wealth.

    Authorities in Kigali have denied direct military involvement in the conflict, insisting its troops are only stationed along the border to protect its territory and civilians.

  • CAF disqualifies Congo from 2024 CHAN over player eligibility issue

    CAF disqualifies Congo from 2024 CHAN over player eligibility issue

    Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly banned Congo from the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which will be held in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda this August.

    While CAF has not made an official announcement yet, reports indicate that Congo was disqualified because they used an ineligible player during their qualifying matches against Equatorial Guinea.

    The issue revolves around Mankou Nguembete Japhet Eloi, who is said to have played for Leones Vegetarianos, a club in Equatorial Guinea.

    This goes against CHAN rules, which state that only players from local clubs in their own country can take part in the tournament.

    Additionally, Congo is also accused of failing to submit the required national licenses, which are essential for participating in the competition.

    Equatorial Guinea, which was originally knocked out by Congo, has now been brought back into the tournament. They will join Group D, where they will compete against the current champions, Senegal, along with Sudan and Nigeria.

    Besides being disqualified, Congo’s football association has also been fined $10,000 by CAF. They have been given 60 days to pay the fine.

  • Boat capsize in Congo kills 78 nationals

    Boat capsize in Congo kills 78 nationals

    A tragic ferry disaster on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in the deaths of at least 78 individuals. The vessel was nearing its destination in Goma, having departed from Minova in South Kivu, when it capsized on Thursday morning.

    Footage shared on social media captures the moment the boat leaned precariously before submerging. Reports indicate that there were 278 people on board at the time of the incident, according to a local governor.

    “It’ll take at least three days to get the exact numbers, because not all the bodies have been found yet,” Governor Jean Jacques Purisi told Reuters news agency.

    A local activist, Aaron Ashuza, who was at the scene, told the BBC he saw bodies being pulled out of the river and said the injured had been taken to hospital.

    At least two children died after they were taken to hospital after the accident, according to AFP.

    Speaking from his hospital bed, 51-year-old survivor Alfani Buroko Byamungu, told Reuters news agency that conditions on the water seemed “calm”.

    He added: “I saw people sinking, many went under. I saw women and children sinking in the water, and I myself was on the verge of drowning, but God helped me.”

    Bahati Selemani, a dock worker who took part in the rescue effort, described what happened.

    “We saw the boat start to capsize. We noticed that the boat was very overloaded and there were also strong waves,” he told AP news agency.

    “After that, the boat started to capsize little by little. Those who were upstairs started to throw themselves into the lake, and the boat capsized directly into the lake.”

    Accidents of this nature are frequent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where overcrowding on boats is commonplace. Passengers often lack access to life jackets and many do not know how to swim, exacerbating the risks.

    The situation is further complicated by the absence of passenger manifests on some vessels, making rescue efforts challenging. This tragedy follows a recent incident where more than 100 people perished while traveling on the Niger River.

  • 3 Americans implicated in a coup attempt in Congo go on trial before a military court

    3 Americans implicated in a coup attempt in Congo go on trial before a military court

    Three Americans accused of involvement in last month’s coup attempt, along with dozens of other defendants, appeared before a military court on Friday in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo.

    They were seated on plastic chairs, lined up before the judge as the hearing commenced. The proceedings took place in an open-air setting and were broadcast live on local television.

    The botched coup attempt, led by little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga, occurred last month.

    It targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi.

    Tragically, six individuals lost their lives during the incident.

    Malanga, who live-streamed the attack on social media, was fatally shot by the Congolese army for resisting arrest shortly after the incident.

    As the defendants appeared in court, they faced a range of charges, including terrorism, murder, and criminal association, many of which carry the death penalty.

    Initially, there were 53 names on the defendant list.

    However, Malanga and one other individual were removed from the list following the production of death certificates.

  • Check out Africa’s first mute rapper MC Baba from Congo

    Check out Africa’s first mute rapper MC Baba from Congo

    The story of a young rapper who has amazed many might sound like a joke or even seem impossible, but it’s true: meet MC Baba, the first mute rapper from Congo.

    MC Baba, despite being mute, is making waves with his unique talent. Several videos of him performing have surfaced online, showcasing his ability to create captivating sounds to beautiful beats.

    One of his viral videos features a live performance where he shares the stage with another rapper, Paterne Maestro, entertaining a crowd in Congo. This extraordinary and unexpected talent has caught the attention of many.

    Although his lyrics are not comprehensible, MC Baba’s distinct style and rhythmic sounds have started to win over fans.

    Feel free to share your thoughts about this young rapper in the comment section. Thanks for watching!

    Watch video below:

  • Residents of Congo community raise concerns about pollution stemming from a lead factory

    Residents of Congo community raise concerns about pollution stemming from a lead factory

    Amidst smoking chimneys, lead-laden dust, and noxious odors, the inhabitants of this factory nestled in the heart of a working-class community appear to have grown accustomed to the hazardous blend they’ve been exposed to for years.

    Yet among them are individuals—men, women, and children—whose medical examinations have revealed distressing levels of lead in their bloodstream, rendering their health increasingly fragile with each passing day.

    “This factory makes our lives unbearable. Whenever they release the smoke, our stomachs ache, and my child and I end up contaminated with lead,” lamented one resident.

    The company in question, Metssa Congo, a Congolese-registered Indian enterprise, ranks among the world’s top recyclers of used batteries and lead, one of the most perilous metals known to man.

    Cyrille Ndembi, along with his fellow residents, spearheads a legal campaign against the company, striving to secure the closure and relocation of the factory.

    Since their arrival in the neighborhood in 2019, he and his family have grappled with chronic pneumonia, attributing their health woes to the factory’s operations.

    “We consulted a laboratory, which took samples, the analyses were carried out in France at the CERBA laboratory and it turned out that we were intoxicated with lead. And that’s on a sample of 26 people. As we speak, the administrative summary judgment judge has ordered the temporary suspension of the plant’s activities, pending a ruling on the merits. But as long as they continue to work we remain exposed and continue to inhale these toxic gases that are making us sicker and sicker,” said Cyrille.

    “Indeed, the blood lead levels we found were significant enough for there to be no scientific doubt that it did come from this plant, because of the radio concentration, i.e., those closest to the plant had the highest levels,” said Fréderic Mavoungou, a pharmacist and a biologist.

    In defense against these allegations, Arun Goswami, the head of the METSSA Group, asserted that the company adhered rigorously to international industrial standards.

    While lead poisoning has only been substantiated in a portion of the population, the responsibility now falls on the court to determine whether the factory is indeed the source of the contamination. Meanwhile, additional cases may emerge as the investigation unfolds.

  • Six people killed in a “foiled coup” in Congo – Army reports

    Six people killed in a “foiled coup” in Congo – Army reports

    Six people were killed and many were arrested after attacks on the home of a friend of President Felix Tshisekedi and the presidential palace in Congo. The military said it was a failed attempt to take over the government.

    In December, Tshisekedi won the election again even though the opposition wanted a new vote because they thought the process wasn’t fair.

    Six people were killed, including 3 attackers and their leader, Christian Malanga, who is against the current government. The army said they also arrested around 50 people involved in the attack.

    Soldiers in military uniform fought with the guards of Vital Kamerhe, a lawmaker who is close to the president of Congo. Kamerhe’s spokesperson wrote on social media site X, saying that the guards stopped the intruders and made sure that the politician and his family were safe.

    Two security guards were also murdered, Ekenge stated.

    In the beginning, the news said the men with guns were from Congo’s army. Later, they said the men were connected to Malanga. He posted a video on Facebook from inside the president’s house, threatening Tshisekedi.

    The army spokesman said Malanga was killed in a gunfight with the presidential guards.

    Ekenge said on TV that the attempted government takeover was stopped by the Congolese military and police and everything is ok now. He also said that three Americans, including Malanga’s son, were involved in the plot.

    The attack happened when Tshisekedi’s ruling party was already dealing with a crisis over a parliamentary election. This election was supposed to happen on Saturday but got postponed.

  • Congo elects its first female prime minister

    Congo elects its first female prime minister

    President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo has elected the country’s first female prime minister on Monday. This fulfills a promise he made during his campaign and is an important step towards forming a new government after being reelected at the end of last year.

    Judith Suminwa Tuluka, who used to work as a planning minister, will take on the new job when there is more and more violence happening in the east of the country, which has a lot of minerals and is next to Rwanda. According to the United Nations, more than seven million people have been forced to leave their homes because of the ongoing conflict. This makes it one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

    Tuluka said she would try to make peace and improve things in her first speech on TV after getting her new job. It might take a long time before a new government is formed because they need to talk a lot with different political groups.

    “I’m thinking about the people in the east and all over the country who are in conflict with enemies, some of whom are not easy to see,” she said. The conflict involves many armed groups, some of which are thought to be supported by the military of Rwanda. “I’m thinking about all these people, and my heart feels sad for them. ”

    In a place far from the main city Kinshasa, many armed groups have taken over the eastern Congo. They are fighting to get control of the gold and other valuable things there, and they are also killing a lot of people.

    The Congo government told both regional and UN peacekeepers to go away because they couldn’t fix the conflict. Violence has gotten worse as more people have left, and Congolese authorities have taken over.

    Bintou Keita, UN’s top representative in Congo, said last week to the UN Security Council that the rebel group known as M23 had taken over a lot of land in the east. This has led to more violence and a lot of people having to leave their homes.

    Tshisekedi was chosen for a second five-year term in December. He says Rwanda is helping the rebels with military support. Rwanda says it is not true, but experts from the UN say there is a lot of evidence that their soldiers are in Congo.

    Last month, the United States asked Congo and Rwanda to try to avoid starting a war.

    The United States The State Department said that Rwanda should remove its soldiers and weapons from eastern Congo. They also criticized M23, saying it is a group supported by Rwanda.

    Last month, the Rwandan Foreign Ministry said that the country’s troops are protecting their land because Congo is increasing its military forces near the border.

  • South African soldiers killed in attack in Democratic Republic of Congo

    South African soldiers killed in attack in Democratic Republic of Congo

    Soldiers from South Africa who were sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to stop a rebellion have had their first deaths.

    On Wednesday, two soldiers died and three got hurt when a bomb hit their base.

    The South African army said they don’t know all the details of this incident yet.

    The soldiers are part of a group working with the military in DR Congo to fight against several armed groups.

    The most powerful group is the M23, which has set up in important places on the main roads going into Goma, the biggest city in eastern DR Congo.

    The M23’s attack has made tens of thousands of people leave their homes. This adds to the almost seven million people who have fled due to several wars in the east.

    However, the South African army has not connected the attack to the M23 group.

    South Africa sent soldiers to eastern DR Congo in December with the help of a group called the Southern African Development Community.

    Altogether, South Africa will send 2,900 soldiers to help. Malawi and Tanzania are also sending their soldiers.

    This military group came to the country after another group from East Africa left because the government of DR Congo asked them to.

    President Tshisekedi wants the southern African force to do better because they have more power to do their job.

  • Ministers banned from voting in Congo over violence and fraud

    Ministers banned from voting in Congo over violence and fraud

    Three government leaders and four state leaders were not allowed to participate in the recent election in the Democratic Republic of Congo because they cheated and used force.

    They are not allowed to run in the elections along with 81 other candidates.

    However, the announcement did not talk about the election where President Félix Tshisekedi won by a lot.

    The other party says the whole election was unfair and wants it to happen again.

    However, out of the 19 candidates who are against the current government, only one has taken their case to court. The important people say they don’t trust the courts and want to protest, but they haven’t said when.

    The December 20th election had a lot of problems with getting everything organized and in place. Some parts of the big country needed an extra day because the event had to last longer than planned.

    Almost two out of three voting locations opened later than they were supposed to, and about 30% of the machines used for voting didn’t work on the first day, as reported by a group of people who were watching and monitoring the voting process.

    Many people waited a long time to vote. A lot of people got tired and left.

    In a statement, the electoral commission said 82 candidates were disqualified for cheating, stealing, hurting election workers and voters, and breaking equipment.

    Among those barred are:

    Antoinette Kipulu Kabenga is in charge of teaching people job skills.
    Didier Mukanzu is the minister in charge of regional integration.
    Nana Manuanina Kihimba works for the president.
    Gentiny Ngobila is the leader of Kinshasa province.

    They have not said anything about the accusations yet.

    The winners of the election have not been announced yet, but all the votes for the 82 people running have been cancelled.

    Around 100,000 people ran for office in the elections that took place on December 20th. The winner of the presidential election has been announced.

    The commission also said that elections would not happen in two of the country’s 484 areas where people vote. Voting was not allowed in 16 more areas in the east because armed groups were there in the region with a lot of minerals.

    Despite the issues, election leader Denis Kadima has said before that the president was chosen by the Congolese people.

    Mr Tshisekedi, who is 60 years old, was chosen as the leader for a second time. He got 73% of the votes, while the person closest to him in the election, Moise Katumbi, got 18%.

    Approximately 17 million out of the 41 million registered voters actually showed up to vote.

    President Tshisekedi will take an oath for his second term on 20 January.

  • DR Congo signs contract for Congo basin carbon credits

    DR Congo signs contract for Congo basin carbon credits

    The Democratic Republic of Congo made a deal with a company from the United States to sell the carbon credits from their rainforest and peatlands in the Congo Basin.

    Climate, a company that provides information about the weather, said it will help DR Congo protect the Basin by stopping the cutting down of trees. The agreement is meant to keep more than 100 million tons of carbon dioxide in the forest from being released into the atmosphere.

    In the last few years, environmentalists have been worried about the cutting down of thousands of acres of trees in the Congo Basin.

    The rainforest is the second-biggest in the world and it soaks up more than 1. 5 billion tonnes of CO₂ every year. Experts say it’s really important to protect the Congo Basin in order to help stop climate change and save different kinds of plants and animals.

    Climate said it will also help the central African country to make a list of carbon emissions – a system through which the government will keep track and sell credits.

    dClimate will rent the rights to store carbon for 10 years, but they won’t buy or rent the land. This will protect the country’s control over the land and the rights of the people who live there. This was announced on Tuesday after signing the agreement at the UN COP28 climate summit in Dubai.

    During the ten years they worked together, the credits they made will be worth about $1 billion, said Siddhartha Jha, who co-founded dClimate, to Bloomberg.

    Climate will keep 10-20% of the money it makes.

    To get credits, the project must show that the basin can lower emissions.

    The Congo basin sucks up more than 1. 5 billion tons of CO₂ every year, says the UN. This makes it one of the most important places for storing carbon in the world.

    Most of the area is in DR Congo and a small part is in five other countries.

  • President of Rwanda compared to Adolf Hitler by leader of Democratic Republic of Congo

    President of Rwanda compared to Adolf Hitler by leader of Democratic Republic of Congo

    The leader of Congo has strongly criticized the leader of Rwanda by comparing him to Adolf Hitler.

    Félix Tshisekedi said that Paul Kagame was acting like Hitler and he also said that he believes Kagame will meet the same fate as Hitler.

    Mr Tshisekedi, who is running for election again, was speaking at a gathering in Bukavu, near the border with Rwanda.

    He often says that Rwanda supports rebels in the eastern part of his country, but Rwanda always denies it.

    The person speaking for Rwanda’s government said the president of Congo‘s comments were a clear threat.

    With the election coming up in less than two weeks, Mr. Tshisekedi is working to get support for another term in office. Efforts to stop the fighting in the eastern part of the country have not worked. The area is still not safe, even though troops from the region and the UN have been there. Now, those troops are going away.

    Many different armed groups have caused chaos, including the M23 rebels led by the Tutsi people. Tshisekedi says they are supported by Rwanda.

    A group of experts from the UN noticed the same thing in a report they released. The US supported their findings.

    The M23 group has been taking over land in Congo and making hundreds of thousands of people leave their homes.

    On Friday night, Mr Tshisekedi told his supporters that he would tell Mr Kagame that if he wants to act like Adolf Hitler by trying to take over more land, he will suffer the same fate as Adolf Hitler.

    “But now he has found someone who is just as strong and is trying to stop him and keep his country safe. ”

    Hitler caused the deaths of millions of people, including six million Jewish people in the Holocaust. He killed himself in a bunker in the German capital, Berlin, in 1945.

    His attempt to make Germany bigger caused World War Two.

    Mr Tshisekedi has said before that the leader of Rwanda is against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last year, he said in a BBC interview that their relationship was not very close. “It was him who made the bad choice to attack Congo. ”

    Mr Kagame always ignored that talk before and said Mr Tshisekedi is a “war monger”. Instead, he is focused on another rebel group, the Hutu-led FDLR, in the eastern DR Congo, which Rwanda sees as a danger.

    Yolande Makolo, a spokesperson for the Rwandan government, said on a social media platform that the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo made a strong threat, when talking about Hitler. She was worried because a rebel group called FDLR has a lot of weapons.

    Mr Kagame has been the main leader in Rwanda since the terrible event in 1994 when many people were killed by some people who didn’t like them because of their ethnicity.

  • East African troops withdraw from Democratic Republic of Congo over criticism

    East African troops withdraw from Democratic Republic of Congo over criticism

    Soldiers from East African countries went to Congo to fight against M23 rebels one year ago. The Congolese government does not think they have been successful, and their mission will end on Friday.

    Soldiers from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, and South Sudan are returning home because President Félix Tshisekedi did not want them to stay any longer and officials were not happy with how they were doing their job.

    Soldiers from the South African region are going to replace the soldiers from East Africa, but we don’t know when they will come.

    In other news, the rebel group M23 took over the town of Mushaki, which is 40km (25 miles) from Goma, the main city in Nord Kivu province, known for its valuable minerals.

    The rebels took control of the town on 7 December by fighting with the Congolese army. Mushaki is an important place for moving things around in the area. The M23 group and the army have fought over control of it many times.

    Democratic Republic of Congo will have a big vote on December 20th.

  • Rebels claim to be occupying DRC areas abandoned by withdrawing forces

    Rebels claim to be occupying DRC areas abandoned by withdrawing forces

    The M23 rebels are going to take back the areas that a regional force is leaving in eastern Congo.

    About 300 soldiers from Kenya were the first to leave their posts in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, early on Sunday.

    About a year ago, soldiers were sent to the region because the government of DR Congo asked for help. They wanted to stop the M23 rebel group from becoming strong again.

    However, the government has said that the East African force is not doing a good job and they have decided not to continue supporting it.

    Kenya soldiers are now in control of Kibumba, Kibati, and other areas near Goma.

    The M23 said it will take back all the areas it gave to the regional forces at the start of the peace process.

    A truce that was promised last month has been ignored, and now there is more fighting.

    The President of DR Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, wants to be President again. He said areas controlled by rebels might not be able to vote in December because they are not safe.

    It is not known when soldiers from other countries will begin to move away from their positions.

    Last year, M23 rebels gave back the areas they had taken over in North Kivu to soldiers from Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda.

    This happened because of an agreement for peace made in discussions in Kenya and Angola.

  • Dr. Congo regrets EU’s decision to cancel its poll observation mission

    Dr. Congo regrets EU’s decision to cancel its poll observation mission

    The Congo government is sorry that the European Union is no longer going to watch the election there.

    The Democratic Republic of Congo is going to have elections for president and parliament on 20 December. There are 23 people running for president. The political situation is very tense.

    The observer mission was canceled while the EU mission’s deployment discussions were still going on, according to the state-run ACP news agency.

    The government said it is dedicated to having fair, open, and free elections. It also said that it would be happy to have observer missions as long as they follow the laws of DR Congo.

    The EU said it pulled out its team that was supposed to watch over the election. They couldn’t use the necessary communication equipment like satellite phones and internet kits.

    80 to 100 observers from the EU were going to be sent to watch the general elections on December 20th.

  • Capsized boat in Northwest Congo claims 28 lives

    Capsized boat in Northwest Congo claims 28 lives

    At least 28 individuals lost their lives in a devastating boat capsize incident on the Congo River in Equateur province, as reported by local authorities on Sunday.

    The ill-fated boat had embarked on its journey from Ngondo, a location situated approximately 74 miles (120 kilometers) from the provincial capital, Mbandaka. Tragically, it met with disaster on Saturday night when it crashed in Bolomba village, as revealed by Didon Ifete, the territory’s administrator, during a state radio broadcast.

    Approximately 200 passengers were successfully rescued, but an unknown number remained unaccounted for, he noted.

    This unfortunate incident marked the second boat wreck on the Congo River in Equateur province within the span of a week. Just a few days earlier, on October 14, another boat capsized, resulting in the loss of at least 47 lives and the disappearance of over 70 others.

    The Congo River and the nation’s lakes are frequently marred by boating mishaps, primarily due to the widespread use of makeshift boats that are often overloaded. In the absence of reliable roads and due to cost considerations, a significant portion of the population in the northwest of the country relies on river travel as a primary mode of transportation.

    In an attempt to prevent such accidents, the Congolese government has enforced a nationwide ban on nighttime river travel. However, many individuals continue to defy this directive.

  • Protests in Congo against East African forces

    Protests in Congo against East African forces

    A group of organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo came together for a protest in the city of Goma. They want a group of East African forces to leave the eastern part of the country because they have not been able to effectively handle the M23 rebels.

    In November last year, Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, and South Sudan sent soldiers to DR Congo as part of a group called the East African Community Regional Force. Their mission was to remove weapons from the rebel group and bring peace.

    The M23 group has not let go of several towns and villages in North Kivu province. Earlier this month, seven people died in the area.

    Last week, a spokesperson from DR Congo named Patrick Muyaya told the BBC that his government decided not to extend the EACRF mandate.

    He said that troops from Congo would do a better job, and also said that the EACRF should leave when their time is up in December.

    The East African Community said it is committed to helping the government bring displaced people back to their houses safely and protect all the civilians.

    Goma has had dangerous protests against the UN mission.

    Over 62 million people have been made to leave their homes in the eastern part of DR Congo. They now live in other areas within the country. Additionally, approximately one million people have gone to seek shelter in different parts of Africa. The United Nations’ refugee agency provided this information.

  • Ruto plans to compete against Kalonzo in the 2027 election

    Ruto plans to compete against Kalonzo in the 2027 election

    Kenya’s President, William Ruto, is preparing for a potential electoral showdown with former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka in the 2027 elections, particularly if opposition leader Raila Odinga decides not to run.

    Ruto, who has faced accusations of early campaigning, openly mentioned Musyoka as a possible main rival during a recent address in Homa Bay County.

    This statement came as part of a series of meetings held during Ruto’s four-day tour of four counties in the Nyanza region. Although officially termed a development tour, these gatherings were dominated by political discussions related to the upcoming elections.

    Ruto’s early campaign activities are perceived as an effort to broaden his support base and address concerns about the legitimacy of his presidency.

    The Nyanza region, consisting of Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, and Migori counties, has traditionally been a stronghold of opposition politics, with strong support for Odinga in his previous five unsuccessful presidential campaigns.

    Odinga, a veteran opposition leader, has not publicly ruled out a potential sixth run for the presidency. However, given his advancing age (he will be 82 in 2027), there is growing speculation about his participation in the upcoming elections.

    Some close allies of President Ruto, unhappy with Odinga’s following and his ability to mobilize recent anti-government protests, have expressed their desire to see Odinga exit the political scene.

    Earlier this year, six Members of Parliament threatened to petition the Treasury to withhold Odinga’s retirement benefits if he continued his political involvement.

    Within the opposition, there is also a push for a succession plan in which Odinga steps aside and endorses another candidate to challenge Ruto.

    In July, a senator and a Member of Parliament from Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Party called on Odinga to publicly support Musyoka’s candidacy in 2027, citing the need to reciprocate Musyoka’s past support for Odinga. Musyoka, aged 69, backed Odinga in his last three presidential campaigns, twice as a running mate.

    He also ran for the presidency in 2007 and served as vice president in the Kibaki administration from 2008 to 2013.

    If the 2027 election comes down to a race between Dr. Ruto and Musyoka, both will likely seek Odinga’s endorsement, invoking past political debts from previous campaigns.

    During his Nyanza tour, President Ruto appealed to Odinga’s supporters in the region, highlighting his role in Odinga’s 2007 presidential campaign and Odinga’s tenure as prime minister following the post-election conflict, which was resolved through mediation by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

    While other leaders have been mentioned as potential successors in the opposition’s Azimio One Kenya Alliance, Musyoka’s allies view him as a top contender.

  • 47 lifeless bodies found after Congo river disaster

    47 lifeless bodies found after Congo river disaster

    On Friday, a boat referred to as a “whaler” sank on the Congo River, resulting in a tragic incident. The Minister of Transport of the Democratic Republic of Congo revealed on Monday evening that the incident had claimed the lives of at least 47 people, with an unknown number of individuals still missing.

    The initial report provided on Sunday by the authorities of the Equateur province in the northwest had indicated at least 28 fatalities and numerous individuals unaccounted for.

    During a press briefing held in the early hours of Monday afternoon, Minister of Transport Marc Ekila, along with the government’s spokesperson Patrick Muyaya, shared information obtained from the river commissioner on-site, stating, “We have recovered 47 bodies.”

    “As the boat was in an irregular situation, we were unable to have the manifest to determine exactly the number of passengers who were on board,” he added.

    The minister said that “overloading” was to blame for the incident and noted that “wooden boats” were not permitted to travel at night.

    The “whaler” capsized overnight on Friday into Saturday as it was sailing from Mbandaka to the region of Bolomba in the province of Équateur.

    “We have asked the provincial authorities to set up a commission of inquiry,” added the Minister of Transport.

    Waterway

    The Democratic Republic of Congo is a sizable country in Central Africa, yet it has relatively few highways that may be used for transportation. Instead, people frequently travel on lakes, the Congo River, and its tributaries.

    There, shipwrecks are frequent and frequently expensive.

    President Félix Tshisekedi requested that the government “do everything possible to avoid shipwrecks (…) the main causes of which are in particular the overload of passengers and goods, the poor marking of waterways, night navigation, as well as non-compliance of boats with regulations,” according to the report of Friday’s council of ministers.

    According to him, “an action plan” is needed so that the Congo River plays a “driving role in economic development” as a waterway.

    Félix Tshisekedi, who has been in office since early 2019, is running for re-election in December.

  • 47 bodies found following Congo River catastrophe

    47 bodies found following Congo River catastrophe

    A minister said that 47 bodies have been found in the Congo River after a boat accident over the weekend. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

    The boat accident happened because there were too many people on the boat and it was sailing during the nighttime, which is against the rules. Marc Ekila, the transport minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said this.

    He talked for the first time during a TV press conference on Monday night, two days after the accident where a boat overturned.

    The incident happened when the vehicle had just left the city of Mbandaka and was heading west into the rain-forest region of the DR Congo.

    Mr Ekila said they are looking into the incident, and the people responsible for the boat capsizing will be held responsible.

    Right now, the person who owns the boat and the captain are thought to be missing. The owner was not on the boat when it tipped over.

    The list of people who were on the plane was not found, so we can’t know yet how many were on the plane and how many are still missing.

    The minister said that there have been 88 accidents on DR Congo’s waters just this year.

  • DR Congo, Uganda concur on permitting visa-free travel among its citizens

    DR Congo, Uganda concur on permitting visa-free travel among its citizens

    Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have reached a mutual accord to eliminate visa requirements, enabling visa-free travel between the two nations.

    This agreement is designed to facilitate the movement of individuals and enhance trade relations.

    The decision comes after recent negotiations held in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, involving officials from both countries.

    President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has been advocating for visa-free entry between the two nations for several months.

    “Crossing in East Africa should be cost-free. You pay for a visa when going to America, or Europe, but a visa to DR Congo?! That is rubbish. If that is the case, I have removed it,” President Museveni said last December when he launched the Mpondwe one-stop border post at Uganda’s border with DR Congo.

    He requested that the introduction of visa-free travel proceed more quickly in May.

    The exorbitant cost of visas at border crossings has previously been criticized by both Congolese and Ugandan people.

  • Peacekeepers removed off duty over DR Congo sex assault allegations

    Peacekeepers removed off duty over DR Congo sex assault allegations

    The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced the suspension of some of its peacekeepers due to reports of significant misconduct.

    The mission emphasizes its policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse.

    According to AFP news agency, the allegations involve eight South African peacekeepers. The Monusco mission has previously faced accusations of sexual abuse.

    It maintains a force of over 14,000 troops stationed in eastern DR Congo.

    In recent years, there have been multiple protests against the UN, with critics accusing it of failing to adequately protect civilians from attacks by various armed groups.

  • Family in pain as Congo star left unburied for months

    Family in pain as Congo star left unburied for months

    The family of famous guitarist Lokassa ya Mbongo from Congo is feeling very sad and embarrassed. They are still waiting for the government to help them with money to bury him, even though he passed away almost seven months ago.

    Lokassa’s dead body is currently in a morgue in the capital city of Democratic Republic Congo, called Kinshasa. He was brought back from the US so that he could be buried in his home country, as it was his wish.

    His son, André Marie Lokassa, told the BBC that the government said they would assist in arranging a funeral that would be respectful of the music star’s reputation, but they have not followed through on that promise.

    A charity in the area that helps artists said that the delay happened because there were arguments and disagreements within the family.

    Magloire Paluku, who works for the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, refused to answer questions when contacted by the BBC. He said to ask the family instead.

    MrLokassa told the BBC that the family asked the government for $75,000 (£61,000) to pay for the funeral, but the government hasn’t said yes or no yet, so the family doesn’t know what will happen.

    “It feels like humiliation, if we can describe it that way,” Mr. Lokassa expressed, mentioning that the delay was creating stress within the family.

    MrLokassa said that even if the government doesn’t provide assistance, the family hopes to bury his father by mid-October. The bill for the morgue has already reached $4,000.


    Lokassa ya Mbongo, also known as Denis Kasiya Lokassa, passed away at the age of 77 due to diabetes and complications from a mild stroke he had in 2020.

    He was a great guitarist from DR Congo, but he mostly worked in Paris, leading the Soukous Stars band since 1984.

    Later on, he joined forces with singer Sam Mangwana in Ivory Coast to create the African All Stars.

    The guitarist is well known for his famous songs like Bonne Annee, Monica, Marie-Josse, Lagos Night, and Nairobi Night.

    He went to the US in 1996 and lived there until he died in March. His dead body was taken to DR Congo the next month.

    In any case, Craftsman in Peril, a charity gather for craftsmen in DR Congo, proposed that the government was not to fault for the burial service being deferred, which it had been caused by contrasts within the musician’s family over who ought to lead burial plans.

    The group’s head, Tsaka Kongo, told the BBC that the family was required to show a letter to the specialists concurring to conclusion their debate and permit the government to sort out the burial.

    “I drawn nearer Lokassa’s family to assist them speed up the burial service prepare but they needed to continue alone, which I complied with. The [burial] delay is stunning, my wish is that a arrangement is found as before long as conceivable,” Mr Kongo said.

    In April, the body of another well-known Congolese artist Saak Sinatra Sakul was flown from Paris to Kinshasa for burial.

    The family was trusting for government offer assistance for his memorial service, but relatives at that point buried him on their possess since of fears that his body could decompose because it had allegedly been kept in a casket, instead of a mortuary drawer, for almost 10 days.

    Other Congolese performers have moreover held up for months to be buried after their passing. These incorporate composer and saxophonist Kiamuangana Mateta Verckys, who passed on in October final year and was buried in December and jazz star Lutumba Simaro Masiya, who passed on in Walk 2019 and was as it were laid to rest in May that year.

    Lokassa’s niece Nicole Londala too faulted the government for the delay, saying it had not however satisfied its guarantee to fund the burial.

    “We at first trusted that the burial service may be composed in five or 10 days. It is difficult that since 15 April, we are still holding up for the burial service to require put,” Ms Londala told the BBC.

  • President Sassou Nguesso’s seized plane sold at Auction for 7.1 million euros

    On Tuesday, the Falcon 7X belonging to the President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, was auctioned off for 7.1 million euros at the Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux.

    This aircraft was seized in June 2020 at the Bordeaux airport.

    The seizure, carried out by a bailiff during maintenance work, was part of a lengthy series of legal proceedings initiated over decades by the head of the company, Commisimpex, a Lebanese businessman, against the Congolese government.

    The auction of this Dassault Aviation-produced aircraft was ordered by the Bordeaux judicial court in December 2022 and subsequently confirmed in June 2023 by the court of appeal.

    The starting price was set at seven million euros.

    The auction was conducted by Vincent Pestel-Debord and concluded within seconds with a single bidder, who remains anonymous.

    This bidder has three days to settle the remaining balance of the purchase and will be required to remove the aircraft’s livery, which currently bears the colours of the Republic of Congo, according to Mr. Pestel-Debord.

    The proceeds from this sale are intended to compensate Commisimpex for unpaid public works.

    The owner of Commisimpex, Mohsen Hojeij, a former close associate of President Sassou Nguesso, had secured several contracts between 1983 and 1986, including the construction of a bridge and a village, among others.

    However, in 1986, following the collapse of oil prices, the economic situation in the Republic of Congo deteriorated, and only a portion of the contracted work was completed.

    In 2000 and then in 2013, the International Court of Arbitration in Paris twice ruled that Congo was obligated to compensate Mr. Hojeij’s company.

    Over the years, the amount sought by the businessman grew significantly, from approximately 100 million euros when the dispute commenced in 1992 to around 1.7 billion euros today.

  • Claims of attempted coup in Congo debunked

    Claims of attempted coup in Congo debunked

    The government of Congo-Brazzaville has refuted rumors of an attempted coup against President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has been in office for 39 years.

    These rumors had circulated on social media amid claims that the military sought to remove the 79-year-old leader, who is presently in the United States attending a UN summit alongside other global leaders.

    “The government denies this fake news,” Information Minister Thierry Moungalla posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, saying he wanted to reassure members of the public they could “go about their activities calmly”.

    The government’s official website also issued a statement refuting the claims of a coup attempt.

    Recent months have witnessed a surge in coup d’états across Africa, with the most recent occurring in neighboring Gabon, where the military assumed control in August.

    Mr. Sassou Nguesso came to power through a military coup in 1979 in the oil-rich central African nation. Although he lost Congo’s initial multi-party elections in 1992, he reclaimed power in 1997 following a civil war.

    Currently, the Congolese leader ranks as the third-longest serving president in Africa, following Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and Paul Biya of Cameroon.

  • US sanctions six over conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo

    US sanctions six over conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo

    On Thursday, the United States government declared that it has imposed sanctions on six individuals from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These individuals are being accused of involvement in the continuous conflict happening in the eastern region of DR Congo.

    The US Department of State said that these people are causing problems in the eastern region of DR Congo. They are also doing bad things like hurting people, especially by sexually assaulting them and hurting children.

    There are six people who are involved in this situation. They include a leader in DR Congo’s military, a high-ranking officer in Rwanda’s armed forces, and members of two different groups, M23 and FDLR.

    The penalties will lead to the individuals’ money and possessions being blocked in the US.

    The sanctions also say that people cannot do business with Americans. They cannot get money, things, or help from Americans.

  • Security issues surrounds borders of DRC-Rwanda – Congoleses Army

    Security issues surrounds borders of DRC-Rwanda – Congoleses Army

    On Thursday July 27, the army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared that it successfully repelled an incursion by the Rwandan army into the eastern province of North Kivu.

    In a press release issued by General Sylvain Ekenge, the spokesperson for the FARDC (Forces armées de RDC) general staff, they asserted their intention to “exercise the right of pursuit.”

    The press release did not confirm the reported information from local Congolese sources about a Rwandan soldier being killed in the clash.

    According to General Ekenge’s statement, the Rwandan Defence Forces crossed the border north of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, on Thursday morning. Their stated purpose was to send reinforcements and continue destabilizing and intentionally violating the territorial integrity of the DRC.

    However, the FARDC units responsible for border security effectively repelled the Rwandan soldiers, forcing them to withdraw back to their own country. The press release emphasized that the FARDC would respond vigorously and exercise the right of hot pursuit.

    Additional military sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that one Rwandan soldier was killed during the exchange of fire, according to interviews conducted in the Goma region.

    By Thursday evening, there had been no response from the Rwandan army or government when contacted by AFP.

    It’s worth noting that relations between the DRC and Rwanda have reached an all-time low, with Kinshasa accusing Kigali of supporting the M23 rebels, who had seized significant portions of territory in North Kivu the previous year. Incidents along the border between the two countries have become relatively frequent.

  • 5 football players who embarked on holiday trips to Africa

    5 football players who embarked on holiday trips to Africa

    In the aftermath of an intense nine months of competition with their respective European clubs, many players take the opportunity to visit the continent of Africa for their summer holidays.

    Several of these players have ancestral ties to countries such as Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, the Central African Republic, Congo, and Nigeria.

    For some of these players, their visits to Africa serve as a chance to reconnect with their families and friends whom they may have left behind at a young age after their birth.

    Others use their time in Africa to support charitable causes and give back to their communities through their ancestral connections.

    Additionally, some players take advantage of their holiday to explore the breathtaking tourist sites that Africa has to offer and create lasting memories with their fans.

    GhanaWeb highlights five players who embarked on trips to various African countries during their off-season break in Europe, immersing themselves in the rich culture and warmth of the continent.

    Memphis Depay

    The Dutch-born Ghanaian arrived with Holland teammate and AS Roma star Georginio Wijnaldum on Sunday, June 25.

    Depay and Wijnaldum visited a boxing gym in Accra, where the duo interacted with aspiring boxers and young children in the area.

    The former Manchester United attacker donated funds to the gym for renovation after spending some good time at the arena.

    The former Liverpool midfielder was born to Surinamese parents in Holland but was raised by a Ghanaian father.

    Kingsley Coman Tanzania

    Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has been spotted on a beach in the Eastern African nation of Tanzania as he enjoys his holiday.

    Coman, who narrowly missed out on winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup, played a vital role in securing Bayern’s 11th consecutive Bundesliga title during the 2022-23 season.

    Following the conclusion of the campaign, the versatile winger has taken the opportunity to relax and recharge before the upcoming season.

    Additionally, the Frenchman generously gifted Bayern jerseys to the locals during his visit.

    Bukayo Saka

    The Arsenal star of Nigeria descent, Bukayo Saka arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria on Wednesday, May 31 for holidays.

    Saka played an integral for the Gunners as they finished second in the Premier League behind eventual winners Manchester City and was eventually named London Football Awards Men’s Young Player of the Year 2023.

    Born to Nigerian immigrants in the United Kingdom, Saka’s visit isn’t just a casual holiday but reports said he met with Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    Alejandro Balde

    The FC Barcelona youngster is on holiday with his brother Edi Balde visiting the country of his father’s origin (Guinea-Bissau). There he was given a hero’s welcome at the airport,on Monday, June 26 as he visits his family.

    Balde was catapulted to global stardom this season, winning a starting spot in the Barcelona line-up in late 2022. His rise has been dramatic, and he made his debut for Spain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    He also met with the President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo where he presented the leader with a Barcelona jersey.

    Kehrer

    West Ham United star Thilo Kehrer paid a visit to his mother’s village in Burundi as footballers continue to enjoy their break. The 26-year-old defender was born in Tubingen, Germany, to a German father and a Burundian mother.

    Kehrer was impressive for the Hammers as he featured in 27 league games, helping the team to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

    He has the Kehrer Foundation in Burundi which supports the less fortunate in the country.

  • Most schoolchildren in Uganda killed by shooting, burning, or hacking

    Most schoolchildren in Uganda killed by shooting, burning, or hacking

    At a secondary school in Uganda, the bodies of 41 persons, including 38 kids, were discovered.

    Authorities said that after suspected rebels attacked on Friday night, the victims were burned, shot, or hacked to death.

    The Lhubiriha Secondary School in the bordering town of Mpondwe saw the deaths of students, faculty, and two locals.

    The insurgents kidnapped at least six persons before escaping across the neighbouring border into Congo.

    Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Mayor Selevest Mapoze told The Associated Press that some of the students suffered fatal burns when a dormitory was set on fire.

    Others were shot or hacked with machetes.

    The raid, which happened around 11:30 p.m., involved about five attackers, the Ugandan military said.

    Soldiers from a nearby brigade who responded to the attack found the school on fire, ‘with dead bodies of students lying in the compound,’ military spokesman Brig. Felix Kulayigye said in a statement.

    Residents are seen at the premises of an attack in Mpondwe, Uganda, on June 17, 2023 at the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School. The death toll from an attack on a school in western Uganda by militants linked to the Islamic State group has risen to 37, the country's army spokesman said Saturday. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
    Residents sit near the scene of the violent rampage in Mpondwe (Picture: AFP)

    The statement cited 47 bodies, with eight other people wounded and being treated at a local hospital.

    Ugandan troops are ‘pursuing the perpetrators to rescue the abducted students’ who were forced to carry looted food toward Congo’s Virunga National Park, it added.

    It is suspected that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an extremist group that has long since been launching attacks from its bases in eastern Congo, are behind the raid.

    The school, co-ed and privately owned, is located in the Ugandan district of Kasese, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Congo border.

    Who are the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF?)

    The ADF has been accused of launching many attacks in recent years targeting civilians in remote parts of eastern Congo.

    The shadowy group rarely claims responsibility for attacks.

    The ADF has long opposed the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. security ally who has held power in this East African country since 1986.

    The group was established in the early 1990s by some Ugandan Muslims, who said they had been sidelined by Museveni’s policies.

    At the time, the rebels staged deadly attacks in Ugandan villages as well as in the capital, including a 1998 attack in which 80 students were massacred in a town not from the scene of the latest attack.

    A Ugandan military assault later forced the ADF into eastern Congo, where many rebel groups are able to operate because the central government has limited control there.

    The group has since established ties with the Islamic State group.

    Joe Walusimbi, an official representing Uganda’s president in Kasese, told the AP agency over the phone that some of the victims ‘were burnt beyond recognition.’

    Winnie Kiiza, an influential political leader and a former lawmaker from the region, condemned the ‘cowardly attack’ on Twitter.

    She said ‘attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of children’s rights,’ adding that schools should always be a safe place for every student.’

    In March , at least 19 people were killed in Congo by suspected ADF extremists.

    Ugandan authorities for years have vowed to track down ADF militants even outside Ugandan territory. In 2021, Uganda launched joint air and artillery strikes in Congo against the group.

  • A fresh opposition platform in congo for an alternative in 2026

    A fresh opposition platform in congo for an alternative in 2026

    On Thursday, April 13 2023, three political parties in Congo-Brazzaville announced the formation of a “alliance for democratic change in 2026” in light of the possibility that President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has held office for nearly 40 years, could run for office again.

    This new opposition platform includes the Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD) of former president Jacques Joachim Yhomby Opango, who died in 2020 and led the Congo between 1977 and 1979 under Marxism-Leninism, as well as the Movement of Republicans (MR) and the People’s Party (PAPE).

    Although they have no elected members in parliament, these three parties often gather their activists to sensitize them to the need, in their view, for alternation.

    “There are people (from other parties) who will arrive. We have the people with us. There are many corrupt people in our country. But we want to bring something new,” Jean-Jacques Serge Yhomby Opango, vice-president of the RDD and son of the party’s founder, told AFP after the official launch of the platform in front of activists of the three formations.

    “There must be in 2026 a political and democratic alternation. We can not let things happen like that, because the country is going down the drain,” he said.

    The next presidential election is scheduled for 2026. Denis Sassou Nguesso, almost 80 years old, with nearly 40 years in power, has the possibility of running for a fifth term, according to the country’s current constitution.

    “We have three years left and plenty of time to address the problems that plague our country during the elections, including electoral governance, the electoral file,” said Destin Gavet, of the Movement of Republicans.

    “The bodies that plan and conduct all pre-election and election operations are monopolized by one party, the ruling party. De facto, the rules of the game are vitiated from the start,” said Jean-Jacques Agnangoye of the People’s Party.

    In Congo, the opposition has contested the results of all elections held since 2002 and won by Mr. Sassou Nguesso.

  • Members of a crew go missing after attack on Gulf of Guinea pirate

    Members of a crew go missing after attack on Gulf of Guinea pirate

    Pirates have abandoned a Danish-owned ship that was taken over in the Gulf of Guinea last week, but some crew members were taken with them and others were saved, according to the ship’s owner.

    The Liberian-flagged oil and chemicals tanker Monjasa Reformer was boarded on Saturday by five armed people 225km (140 miles) west of the Republic of Congo’s Port Pointe-Noire, its owner, Monjasa, said at the time. Sixteen crew members were on board.

    The Reformer subsequently went missing but was later located by the French navy off Sao Tome and Principe, Monjasa said on Friday.

    “Our thoughts are with the crew members still missing and their families during this stressful period,” the company said. “Monjasa will continue working closely with the local authorities to support our seafarer’s safe return to their families.”

    The rescued crew members are all in good health, and no damage was reported to the ship or its cargo, it said.

    The Gulf of Guinea, described by the International Maritime Bureau as one of the world’s most dangerous shipping routes, covers 11,000sq km (4,247sq miles) and stretches from Angola to Senegal.

    Since 2021, piracy cases have been on the decline due to cooperation among countries in the region and deployments of foreign naval ships, according to the United Nations Security Council.

    Denmark, which has large commercial shipping interests, deployed a frigate to the gulf in 2021 to protect shipping, but the ship was pulled back last year after the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

    In November 2021, a Danish naval patrol killed four pirates in an exchange of fire just outside Nigeria’s territorial waters.

  • East African leaders demand ceasefire between Congo and Rwanda

    East African leaders demand ceasefire between Congo and Rwanda

      Regional heads of state have called for an immediate ceasefire by all parties in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

      Tensions there have grown amid talk of war as Congo and neighbouring Rwanda trade allegations of backing armed rebels.

      The ceasefire call was issued in a communique at the end of the East African Community (EAC) summit in Burundi.

      Secretary General of the EAC, Peter Mathuki, said: “There must be immediate ceasefire by all political parties.

      He added: “The withdraw including all foreign armed groups and directed the chief of defence forces of all the partners states of East African Community to meet urgently within the next one week and set new timelines for the withdrawal and the commend appropriate deployment matrix in different parts of eastern DRC.”

      The calls follow international concern the two countries could slide into all-out conflict, as they did in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

      Last month Rwanda fired on a Congolese military aircraft it alleged violated its airspace.

      Mathuki said: “The heads of state called upon parties to respect and implement all the summits decisions and agreed upon themselves that any again violation should be reported immediately and the summit now will take the charge of this process.” 

      Congo for months has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 armed group – whose origins lie in the region’s ethnic fighting – and powerful voices in the West have openly agreed.

      Rwanda denies backing the M23, which is one of dozens operating in mineral-rich eastern Congo, and accuses Congo of backing another rebel group.

      Source: African News

    • Images show flood wrecks havoc in DR Congo’s capital

      Floods caused by Monday night’s heavy rains in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, wrecked many homes and blocked off one of the main entrances to the city.

      The damage left a third of the city with no water and electricity, according to authorities. Most of the dead were in hillside areas which suffered landslides.

      A damaged house is seen after heavy rains caused floods and landslides, on the outskirts of Kinshasa

      Kinshasa has about 15 million inhabitants and is one of the most densely populated capitals in Africa.

      A view of the collapsed road due to the landslide after heavy rain cause flood in Kinsasha

      Prime Minister Sama Lukonde visited the affected neighbourhoods on Tuesday together with the city’s Governor Gentiny Ngobila.

      A car is seen stuck after heavy rains caused floods and landslides, on the outskirts of Kinshasa

      The governor said the provincial government will pay all the funeral expenses for the deceased.

      Source: BBC

    • Ukraine grain aid for Ethiopia arrives at port in Djibouti

      In an effort to persuade the world that Kiev needs to be free so it can export grain to nations that depend on its agricultural output, a vessel filled with donated Ukrainian wheat has docked in Djibouti on its route to Ethiopia.

      The Ukrainian embassy in Ethiopia confirmed the arrival of the shipment in the port of Doraleh. A second freighter with 30,000 tons of wheat is currently at the Ukrainian harbour of Chornomorsk and should set off towards Ethiopia in a matter of days.

      Both shipments will have to be shipped by land to reach Ethiopia fro the port.

      A third ship with 25,000 tons of wheat is also set to sail soon, but this time to Somalia, a country being threatened with famine. All in all, Ukraine has plans to send 60 loads of grain to countries at the greatest risk of famine, including Congo Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.

      Global food markets have been in turmoil since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February, since the fighting meant much of Ukraine’s harvest couldn’t be shipped from its ports. Ukraine is a key producer of critical crops like wheat and sunflower seeds, much of which is purchased by African countries or taken by global aid programmes.

      Aside from simply donating the food to needy lands, Ukraine is trying to build a consensus among nations that have been hesitant to criticize Russia, to show them that it is in their interests to condemn the attack and back Ukraine.

      Germany helped finance the shipment with a $14 million investment. German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir has noted that 1.6 million people in the Horn of Africa can be fed for a month with the aid, which will be distributed by the UN’s World Food Programme.

      Source: GNA

    • Kagame accuses Tshisekedi of using eastern DRC crisis to delay elections

      The president of Rwanda Paul Kagame, has accused Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of using the unrest in eastern Congo as an excuse to postpone elections.

      Fighting in eastern DRC between government forces and rebels from the M23, a former Tutsi rebellion, has heightened tensions with neighbouring Rwanda, which the DRC accuses of encouraging the militia. Kigali denies any involvement.

      Talks between the two countries in Angola last week led to a ceasefire that appears to have held for several days.

      In a state address on Wednesday (November 30), Kagame said “the whole world” blamed Rwanda for the crisis, but that it was Felix Tshisekedi who was seeking to profit from the violence ahead of the presidential election scheduled for 20 December 2023.

      In the DRC, the presidential election is a one-round election, coupled with legislative elections as well as elections for provincial deputies and communal councillors.

      “This problem can be solved if a country that is heading for elections next year does not try to create the conditions for an emergency situation so that the elections do not take place,” Kagame said at a swearing-in ceremony for new cabinet members.

       

      Source: Africa News

       

    • All to know about sacred Antogo fishing ritual of Mali

      Rituals are characteristic of most cultures. They are passed down from generation to generation. Different actions explain why some rituals are sacred while others may not. Traditional Africans used varied rituals to keep things running smoothly, bring people together, and help the community grow.

      Fishing is only allowed in this little, sacred lake once a year, during the special ceremony known as Antogo, which takes place in the town of Bamba in the northern area of the Dogon region in Mali. Bamba was built among the rubble at the base of a 500-meter cliff. During the peak of the dry season, everything here except for a single sacred pond full of fish dries up. Antogo, a centuries-old fishing ceremony, is performed annually on the lake, and it is a sight to behold for anybody interested in history.

      Even though fishing in the lake is technically illegal every other day of the year, hundreds of men ignore that on the day of Antogo to catch fish with their bare hands. In total, the turmoil lasts for around fifteen minutes. Reports say that the size, scope, and seriousness of the event are just too much to handle.

      Legend says that fishing well will bring good luck in many ways, such as a good harvest, a happy marriage, the recovery of sick family members, and more. Men who go through the fishing season without catching anything are considered unlucky for the next 12 months. They won’t find a spouse or have a successful harvest, among other things, in that particular year, and the most they can do is wait for better fortune next year.

      The fishing ritual is performed in May, which is traditionally the sixth month of the dry season, but the council of wise men determines the exact day. In Bamba, Saturdays are market days, and on the first three market days of each month, wooden sticks are positioned in the middle of the lake as a signal that the ceremony is drawing near.

      On the day of Antogo, a lot of Dogon people from all over Mali gather around the lake. The most important and well-known families from different Dogon communities make up the three largest groups. The groups watch the wise men recite spells and praise gods while remaining mute. Once they have finished speaking, the ritual itself and all the magic that goes along with it start.

      After the sound of a gunshot, hundreds of men and children—women are not allowed to take part—jump into the lake while carrying fishing baskets, trying to catch as many fish as possible as quickly as they can.

      Even though females are barred from participating in the festivities, folklore has it that a young woman first learned of the lake and its miracle fish. Whatever the case may be, the Antogo event is unlike any other world fishing opener, observers say.

       

      Source: Face2faceafrica

    • Kagame agreed to push for Congo rebel ceasefire – Kenyatta

      Kenya’s former leader, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame have agreed on the need for a ceasefire in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo and for rebels to withdraw.

      Mr Kenyatta – who is acting as a mediator to try to stop the conflict – has just returned from North Kivu where the M23 rebel group has launched several offensives this year displacing more than a quarter of a million people.

      In public, President Kagame has always denied backing the M23 in eastern Congo.

      But according to a statement from Mr Kenyatta’s office, the Rwandan leader has now agreed to use his influence to get the rebels to cease fire and withdraw from recently captured areas.

      This week the conflict has escalated with the Congolese military attacking M23 positions using fighter jets and tanks.

      This international push for a ceasefire brings some hope.

      Much will depend on the outcome of regional peace talks which are due to begin in Kenya on Monday.

      Years of fighting in eastern Congo have been fuelled by the thirst for the region’s minerals.

      Source: BBC

    • Congo designates swathes of its Atlantic waters protected areas

      In a bid to sell its conservation credentials, Congo has designated Loango Bay, located on its Atlantic coast, and two other sites with globally important fish species, as marine protected areas.

      “The country, together with the Global Environment Facility, has taken the initiative to create protected areas. Studies have shown that in this area of Loango Bay, there are 153 species. this pushes us to preserve the oceans, because the ocean is a climate regulator, said Alex Ngoma from conservation group Renatura.

      Other than Loango bay, the Congolese authorities have named Mvassa Bay and Conkouati Douli National Park protected zones.

      “In Congo and particularly on this beach, we have four different turtles that come to reproduce and feed and during the dry season, we have huge migrations of humpback whales that come from Antarctica and go up to the park of Conkouati and Gabon. In addition to humpback whales, we also have species of dolphins that are on the red list and therefore threatened with extinction, which is the humpback dolphin,” said Robin Marsac, an ocean activist.

      Congo’s Atlantic waters have been the victim of unregulated industrial fishing, which has threatened not just the delicate ecosystems but also the lives of local fishermen.

      The United Nations had declared the years 2020 to 2030 as the decade of the oceans.

       

      Source: African News

    • Kenya to spend $37 million on sending forces to Congo

      Kenya’s parliament has approved the deployment of nearly 1,000 troops for a new regional force in eastern Congo amid questions about the $37 million cost for the first six months of the mission.

      A parliament committee report says the money will be spent on equipment, allowances, and operations for the more than 900 troops joining the East African Community Regional Force that will support Congolese forces against armed groups.

      Opposition lawmakers questioned why Kenya is spending so much money on the regional mission while the country faces its own security issues. Kenya also faces rising inflation and high public debt.

      Kenyan President William Ruto last week called the mission “necessary and urgent” for regional security. Violence by armed groups in eastern Congo has led to a diplomatic crisis between Congo and neighboring Rwanda, which accuse each other of backing certain groups.

      The Kenyan forces will be based in Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city. The regional force, agreed upon by heads of state in June and led by a Kenyan commander, also has two battalions from Uganda, two from Burundi, and one from South Sudan.

      There is a possibility that international financing may be secured for the mission, the committee report said.

       

      Source: Africa News

       

    • Fally Ipupa offers condolences after tragic concert

      Congolese singer Fally Ipupa has sent his condolences to the families of 11 people who died on Saturday during his concert in the largest stadium in the capital, Kinshasa.

      The stadium was packed beyond its 80,000 capacity – even the corridors were jammed, according to one witness.

      Reports said the size of the crowd vastly exceeded the number that the security personnel could control.

      Two police officers were among those killed.

      The country’s interior minister, Daniel Aselo Okito, has called for the organisers to be punished for failing to limit the number attending the concert.

      In a Facebook message, Fally Ipupa said there was “strict compliance with safety” procedures at the concert.

      He added: “I am deeply disturbed and my deepest condolences to all the families. May God in his deepest mercy comfort the bereaved hearts.”

      Source: BBC

    • Ho Teke people of Republic of Congo became best known for their fetishes

      The Teke people of the Republic of Congo were forced to cohabitate with the French in the 1800s. They returned to their own way of life after independence in the 1960s. Teke which means ‘to buy’ in the Bateke language indicates the main occupation of the people — merchant traders in maize, millet, and tobacco. They are however good hunters and skilled fishermen as well.

      They are the oldest Bantu tribe from the Republic of Congo originally made up of different people from Gabon, The Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo. They are a part of the Kidumu tribe that has very strong spiritual values like many tribes in Congo.

      They believe in a supreme being, Nzambi, who they say is the creator of the universe. To receive favors from Nzambi, tutelary spirits are consulted.

      Related stories

      The family wields a lot of power in the social unit of every home indicating that the head of the Teke is one of the most important people in society.

      The Teke have one family head who decides the fate of his people when they go against the laws. He is their tribal chief or mfumu mpugu who also answers to a hereditary land chief, Mfumu na tzee, and has the power of life and death over everyone in the family.

      These tribal chiefs also double as religious leaders and if any family member wants to communicate with the spirits, the mfumu mpugu does so on their behalf using potions and bones.

      The tribal chiefs during the slave trade had the power to domestically own slaves of their own and control the lives of others in their family.

      The Teke are hailed for their Teke masks. These masks are usually round flat and shaped like a disk; they help to identify social structures of a family or tribe. The wooden masks have abstract patterns and geometric motifs with distinctive horizontal lines painted in earthly colors.

      These masks are worn usually by members of the Kiduma — a secret society — during traditional dancing ceremonies like initiation rites for men into adulthood, weddings, and funerals. They all have triangular-shaped noses and a small slit at the eyes to conceal the wearer and a woven raffia dress, with dress and fibers added to the masks.

      Teke artists carved figures largely surrounded by fetish material, known as Bilongo. These figures protect and assist the Teke, according to a report. The report adds that “if a fetish figure successfully demonstrates its power, its owner may detach its Bilongo, break it into several pieces and insert fragments into other figures. He will then sell the new figures to neighboring families, leaving the original statue with an emaciated body.”

       

      Source: Face2face

       

    • DR Congo climate meeting to make demands on richer nations

      Environment ministers from dozens of countries are due to gather in the Democratic Republic of Congo for talks on tackling climate change.

      The three-day meeting in Kinshasa is part of preparations for a summit in Egypt – Cop 27 – next month.

      The Kinshasa talks are expected to focus on calls for richer governments to do more to help less developed countries combat global warming.

      The Congolese hosts are likely to appeal for funding to help protect their country’s rainforest, which is the second biggest in the world.

      Source: BBC

    • Patrice Lumumba: Why Belgium is returning a Congolese hero’s golden tooth

      A gold-crowned tooth is all that remains of assassinated Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba.

      Shot dead by a firing squad in 1961 with the tacit backing of former colonial power Belgium, his body was then buried in a shallow grave, dug up, transported 200km (125 miles), interred again, exhumed and then hacked to pieces and finally dissolved in acid.

      The Belgian police commissioner, Gerard Soete, who oversaw and participated in the destruction of the remains took the tooth, he later admitted.

      He also talked about a second tooth and two of the corpse’s fingers, but these have not been found.

      The tooth has now been returned to the family at a ceremony in Brussels.

      Soete’s impulse to pocket the body parts echoed the behaviour of European colonial officials down the decades who took remains back home as macabre mementoes.

      But it also served as a final humiliation of a man that Belgium considered an enemy.

      Soete, appearing in a documentary in 1999, described the tooth and fingers he took as “a type of hunting trophy”. The language suggests that for the Belgian policeman, Lumumba – who was revered across the continent as a leading voice of African liberation – was less than human.

      For Lumumba’s daughter, Juliana, the question is whether the perpetrators were human.

      “What amount of hatred must you have to do that?” she asks.

      “This is a reminder of what happened with the Nazis, taking pieces of people – and that’s a crime against humanity,” she told the BBC.

      Picture of a tooth in a display box
      Gerard Soete’s daughter showed the tooth, in a padded box, to a photographer in 2016

      Lumumba had risen to become prime minister at the age of 34. Elected in the final days of colonial rule, he headed the cabinet of the newly independent nation.

      In June 1960, at the handover of power, Belgian King Baudouin praised the colonial administration and spoke about his ancestor, Léopold II, as the “civiliser” of the country.

      There was no mention of the millions who died or were brutalised under his reign when he ruled what was then known as the Congo Free State as his personal property.

      This failure to acknowledge the past foreshadowed years of denial in Belgium, which it has only now begun to come to terms with.

      Lumumba was not so reticent.

      In an address that was not scheduled on the official programme, the prime minister spoke about the violence and degradation that the Congolese had suffered.

      In devastating rhetoric, interrupted by rounds of applause and a standing ovation when he concluded, he described “the humiliating slavery that was imposed on us by force”.

      The Belgians were stunned, according to academic Ludo De Witte, who wrote a ground-breaking account of the assassination.

      Never before had a black African dared to speak like this in front of Europeans. The prime minister, who De Witte says had been described as an illiterate thief in the Belgian press, was seen as having humiliated the king and other Belgian officials.

      A picture taken in December 1960, shows soldiers guarding Patrice Lumumba (R), Prime Minister of then Congo-Kinshasa, and Joseph Okito (L), vice-president of the Senate, upon their arrest in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa)
      Patrice Lumumba (R) and ally Joseph Okito (L) were arrested in December 1960

      Some have said that with his speech Lumumba signed his own death warrant, but his murder the following year was also wrapped up in Cold War manoeuvres and a Belgian desire to maintain control.

      The Americans also plotted his death because of a possible pivot towards the Soviet Union and his uncompromising anti-colonialism, while a British official wrote a memo suggesting that killing him was an option.

      Nevertheless, there seemed to be a personal element to the way Lumumba was vilified and pursued.

      The total destruction of the body, as well as a way to get rid of the evidence, seems like an effort to obliterate Lumumba from the memory. There would be no memorial, making it almost possible to deny that he existed at all. It was not enough just to bury him.

      But he is still remembered.

      Not least by his daughter Juliana – a prime mover in the campaign to get the tooth returned home, who went to Brussels to receive it.

      She lets out a warm chuckle as she recalls her childhood memories. As the youngest, and the only girl in the family, she says she was very close to her father.

      Ms Lumumba was “less than five” when he became prime minister. She remembers being allowed to be in his office “just sitting and looking at my father when he was working. For me it was daddy.”

      But she recognises that her father “belongs to the country, because he died for Congo… and for his own values and convictions of the dignity of the African person”.

      She acknowledges that the handing over of the tooth in Belgium and bringing it back to the Democratic Republic of Congo is symbolic “because what remains is not really enough. But he has to come back to his country where his blood was shed.”

      The tooth will be taken around the vast country before being buried in the capital.

      For years, though, the Lumumba family did not know exactly what had happened to their father as official silence surrounded the circumstances of his death.

      Lumumba’s journey from prime minister to victim of assassination took less than seven months.

      Shortly after independence, the country was hit by a secessionist crisis as the mineral-rich south-eastern Katanga province declared that it was splitting off from the rest of the country.

      In the political chaos that followed, Belgian troops were sent in on the grounds that they would protect Belgian nationals, but they also helped support the Katangan administration, which was seen as more sympathetic.

      Lumumba himself was dismissed as prime minster by the president and just over a week later army chief of staff Col Joseph Mobutu seized power.

      Lumumba was then placed under house arrest, escaped and re-arrested in December 1960, before being held in the west of the country.

      His presence there was seen as a possible source of instability and the Belgian government encouraged his transfer to Katanga.

      During the flight there on 16 January 1961 he was assaulted. He was also beaten on arrival as the Katangan leaders pondered what to do with him.

      ‘No trace left’

      Eventually it was decided that he would face a firing squad and on 17 January he was shot, along with two allies.

      This is when police commissioner Soete stepped in. Realising that the bodies could be discovered, a decision was taken “to make them disappear once and for all! There must be no trace left,” according to testimony quoted in De Witte’s book The Assassination of Lumumba.

      Armed with saws, sulphuric acid, face masks and whisky, Soete then led a team to move, destroy and dispose of the remains. It was a process that he was later to describe as travelling “to the depths of hell”.

      But it was not until nearly 40 years later, in 1999, that he publicly acknowledged that he was involved and that he still actually had a tooth in his possession. He said he had got rid of the other body parts he took.

      Ms Lumumba sighs deeply when she recalls hearing that there was a part of her father that still existed.

      “You can understand what I felt about that,” she says, her voice full of emotion.

      It is not known what Soete did with the tooth when it was in his possession. A photograph shows it in a padded box, but whether it was on display is not clear.

      But it did remain in his family.

      It resurfaced in 2016 when Soete’s daughter, Godelieve, gave an interview to Belgian magazine Humo, published just before the 55th anniversary of Lumumba’s killing.

      Black and white photo pf two men standing - one in uniform
      A picture in Godelieve Soete’s photo album shows her father, Gerard, on the right with his brother, Michel, who also took part in the destruction of the bodies 

      She spoke about her “poor daddy” who had to suffer with the knowledge of what he did. Ms Soete also thought her family should get an apology for the order the Belgian authorities gave her father.

      She said he had kept a private archive and though after his death in 2000 a lot was thrown away, she “was able to save interesting things”.

      Among those things was the tooth that she brought out to show the interviewer and photographer.

      It was then seized by the Belgian police after De Witte filed a complaint and following a four-year legal battle, a court ruled that it should be returned to the Lumumba family.

      As part of the campaign to get it back, Ms Lumumba wrote a moving and poetic open letter to King Philippe.

      “Why, after his terrible murder, have Lumumba’s remains been condemned to remain a soul forever wandering, without a grave to shelter his eternal rest?” she asked.

      With the return of the tooth, the former prime minister will have a final resting place in a special mausoleum in the capital, Kinshasa.

      “This is what we usually do in our culture, we like to bury our dead,” said Congolese historian and the country’s UN ambassador, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja.

      “It is a comfort for the family and the people of the Congo because Lumumba is our hero and we would like to give him a decent burial.”

      Despite the burial there is still a need to reckon with the past.

      De Witte’s book, which shattered years of official silence, led to the creation in 1999 of a parliamentary inquiry charged with determining the “exact circumstances of the assassination… and the possible involvement of Belgian politicians”.

      In its conclusions two years later it wrote that the “norms of international politically correct thinking were different” in the 1960s. Nevertheless, despite not uncovering a document ordering the murder of Lumumba, the inquiry found that certain members of the government “were morally responsible for circumstances leading to the death”.

      ‘Need to know our past’

      The Belgian foreign minister at the time, Louis Michel, then expressed “apologies” and “profound and sincere” regrets to the Lumumba family and the Congolese people.

      Prof Nzongola-Ntalaja, speaking to the BBC in a personal capacity, does not believe Belgium has fully accepted its role in the killing. “Belgium refuses to take responsibility for something which they know they did – so it is not totally satisfactory,” he said.

      Belgian prosecutors are treating the murder as a war crime but 10 of the 12 suspects identified have died and, a decade in, the investigation is moving very slowly.

      The handover of the tooth will be another element in the process towards reconciliation between Belgium and DR Congo over the colonial era and Lumumba’s death.

      “It’s a step – and we need to go further,” his daughter says.

      But she also argues that there needs to be some reckoning on the Congolese side, as some of her compatriots were also involved in her father’s death.

      “We have to accept our history – the good and the bad of it.”

      And in a flourish worthy of the former prime minster, she says “we need to know our past, to build our future and to live in the present”.

      The burial of the tooth – planned to coincide with the 61st anniversary of Lumumba’s famous independence-day speech – will offer an opportunity to revisit that past.

      Source: BBC

    • Congo president’s son given top ministerial portfolio

      Republic of Congo president Denis Sassou Nguesso has handed his son a top ministerial position.

      The president through the new Prime Minsiter named Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso as Minister of International Cooperation and Promotion of Public-Private partnership.

      “It is with great emotion and gratitude that I learn of my appointment to the post of Minister of International Cooperation and the Promotion of Public-Private Partnership.

      “All my thanks to the Head of State and the Prime Minister for the confidence placed in me,” the new minister posted on Twitter.

      Sassou who is one of Africa’s longest serving leaders has been in charge of the central African country for over three decades.

      He recently won a landslide vote securing his sixth term in office and subsequently named a new Prime Minister in the person of Anatole Collinet Makosso.

      Makosso named a new cabinet that included Denis-Christel in a move that will likely raise eyebrows on the subject of presidents looking to hand over reins of power to their sons.

      Denis-Christel serves as a lawmaker representing constituents from his native Oyo region, located in the country’s north.

      He is a one-time administrator-general of the state oil marketing company, Cotrade, and also served as deputy director-general of the National Petroleum Company of the Congo, SNPC.

      He was elected to the National Assembly of Congo-Brazzaville in 2012.

      Other African countries with undercurrents that sitting presidents could handover to their sons include.

      – Uganda – President Museveni and son Muhoozi

      – Cameroon – President Paul Biya and son Frank

      – Equatorial Guinea – Obiang Nguema and son Teodorin (who is current vice president)

      – In Chad recently, late Idris Deby was ‘suceeded’ by son Mahamat – who leads the Transitional Military Junta

      Source: www.ghanaweb.com

    • Congo-Brazzaville presidential poll likely to hand win to ’emperor’

      Citizens in Congo-Brazzaville headed to the polls on Sunday to vote in a presidential election that looks likely to hand Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who’s led for decades, another term in office.

      At more than 35 years in office total, the 70-year-old Sassou-Nguesso is one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents, which has earned him the nickname “emperor.” His six challengers are seen as having little chance of winning, despite an economic crisis due to low oil prices.

      Sassou-Nguesso’s strongest challenger, Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas, announced shortly before the vote that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. He is set to be taken to France on Sunday for treatment.

      Kolelas finished second in the last presidential election in 2016.
      Results of the election are expected in two days.

      Interior Minister Raymond Mboulou said on state television that things were calm at the polls. Access to the internet and social networks was blocked on Sunday, but mobile networks and phone lines were still working, unlike in the previous election five years ago.

      Congo-Brazzaville, with a population of about 5 million, is one of Africa’s largest oil producers.

      However, the country is very poor, with the number of citizens in extreme poverty increasing since 2016, according to the World Bank.

      Source: GNA

    • In the Congo rainforest, the doctor who discovered Ebola warns of deadly viruses yet to come

      Showing early symptoms of hemorrhagic fever, the patient sits quietly on her bed, wrangling two toddlers desperate to flee the cell-like hospital room in Ingende, a remote town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
      They are waiting for the results of a test for Ebola.

      The patient can only communicate with her relatives through a clear plastic observation window. Her identity is secret, to protect her from being ostracized by locals fearful of Ebola infection. Her children have also been tested but, for now, show no symptoms.

      There is a vaccine and a treatment for Ebola, which have brought down the rate at which it kills.

      But the question at the back of everyone’s mind is: What if this woman doesn’t have Ebola? What if, instead, she is patient zero of “Disease X,” the first known infection of a new pathogen that could sweep the world as fast as Covid-19, but one that has Ebola’s 50% to 90% fatality rate?

      “Disease X” is hypothetical for now, an outbreak that scientists and public health experts fear could lead to serious disease around the world if and when it occurs, according to WHO. “X” stands for unexpected.

      This isn’t the stuff of science fiction. It’s a scientific fear, based on scientific facts.

      “We’ve all got to be frightened,” the patient’s physician, Dr. Dadin Bonkole, said. “Ebola was unknown. Covid was unknown. We have to be afraid of new diseases.”

      Humanity faces an unknown number of new and potentially fatal viruses emerging from Africa’s tropical rainforests, according to Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum, who helped discover the Ebola virus in 1976 and has been on the frontline of the hunt for new pathogens ever since.

      “We are now in a world where new pathogens will come out,” he told CNN. “And that’s what constitutes a threat for humanity.”

      As a young researcher, Muyembe took the first blood samples from the victims of a mysterious disease that caused hemorrhages and killed about 88% of patients and 80% of the staff who were working at the Yambuku Mission Hospital when the disease was first discovered.

      The vials of blood were sent to Belgium and the US, where scientists found a worm-shaped virus. They called it “Ebola,” after the river close to the outbreak in the country that was then known as Zaire.

      The identification of Ebola relied on a chain that connected the most remote parts of Africa’s rainforests to high-tech laboratories in the West.

      Now, the West must rely on African scientists in the Congo and elsewhere to act as the sentinels to warn against future diseases.

      In Ingende, the fears of encountering a new, deadly, virus remained very real even after the recovery of the patient showing symptoms that looked like Ebola. Her samples were tested on-site and sent on to the Congo’s National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa, where they were further tested for other diseases with similar symptoms. All came back negative, the illness that affected her remains a mystery.

      Speaking exclusively to CNN in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, Muyembe warned of many more zoonotic diseases — those that jump from animals to humans — to come.

      Yellow fever, various forms of influenza, rabies, brucellosis and Lyme disease are among those that pass from animals to humans, often via a vector such as a rodent or an insect.

      They’ve caused epidemics and pandemics before.

      Source: edition.cnn.com

    • Congo President to seek re-election after 36 years at the helm

      The president of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who is one of the world’s longest-serving leaders, will seek a fourth term in elections due next March, the country’s ruling coalition said on Thursday.

      The 77-year-old has led the central African country, also called Congo-Brazzaville for a total of 36 years since he first became president in 1979.

      His bid to run for the top job comes after nominations by the 17 parties that make up his presidential majority.

      “The presidential majority believes that of all its leaders, it is President Sassou Nguesso who holds all the trump cards,” said Pierre Moussa, acting chairman of the parties in the coalition.

      He has yet to announce his candidacy but he could do so during a speech to the Nation on December 19 when he could also set the date of the vote which is scheduled for March 2021.

      Bloodshed

      The country staged a referendum in 2015 to remove a 70 year age limit and a ban on presidents serving more than two terms.

      The move paved the way for Sassou Nguesso to secure a third term in elections in March 2016, which sparked bloodshed.

      His rivals, former general Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and former minister Andre Okombi Salissa, disputed the results.

      They were arrested, put on trial and each handed 20 years in jail on charges of undermining state security.

      Congo is an oil-rich but impoverished country.

      It is in the grip of a deep economic crisis, triggered by the slump in oil prices but worsened by long-standing debt and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

      Source: africanews.com

    • Armed attackers free more than 1,300 prisoners in DR Congo

      Suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels freed more than 1,300 prisoners in an assault on a jail in Beni, eastern Democratic Republic Congo.

      Only about 100 prisoners after the attack on Kagbayi prison on Tuesday morning.

      The ADF are a Ugandan rebel group with bases in eastern Congo.

      “We had a count before the escape of 1,456 (prisoners), 110 (of them) stayed and I thank them for that. Some 20 (escapees) have already returned and I know that others are on their way back. We’ll do a tally, and work out how many have come back”, said Modeste Bakwanamaha, the mayor of Beni.

      Kagbayi prison is used to hold errant army soldiers and militiamen captured in fighting, including some from the ADF.

      Jail breaks are common in Congo where conditions in detention facilities are said to be very bad.

      Source: africanews.com

    • 10 years after UN report exposes grave crimes on Congo

      Ten years ago , the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published the report of its human rights mapping exercise on Congo.

      The report covers the most serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed in the country between March 1993 and June 2003.

      Reportedly, more than 4million Congolese died as a direct or indirect result of the conflicts, more than 40,000 girls and women were victims of sexual violence and around three million people were displaced.

      But none of the crimes have been brought to trial, an account that has been strongly denouced by the Congolese citizens , such as Dr Denis Mukwege, the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

      The report documents 617 violent incidents, covering all provinces, and describes the role of all the main Congolese and foreign parties responsible – including military or armed groups from Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Angola.

      The mapping exercise was conducted with the support of the Congolese government. However, the Congolese justice system has neither the capacity nor sufficient guarantees of independence to adequately ensure justice for these crimes according to Human Rights Watch.

      Source: africanews.com