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☆ Ethnic Conflict Kills 11 People in Western Congo
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Fighting between ethnic communities left 11 people dead in western Congo on Tuesday, a local authority and civil society leader said after their bodies were collected on Wednesday. The conflict between Teke and Yaka communities that started in 2022 over a land dispute caused a deterioration in the humanitarian and security situation in several provinces near the capital Kinshasa. At least 3,000 people have been killed and more than 150,000 displaced by the conflict, according to the United Nations. The clashes in Mai-Ndombe province killed 10 Mobondo militants, allied with the Yaka community, and one soldier, village chief Stany Libie and civil society leader Martin Suta told Reuters. (Reporting by Ange Kasongo; Additional reporting by Sonia Rolley; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian and Portia Crowe; Editing by David Gregorio)

Persons: Stany Libie, Martin Suta, Libie, Ange Kasongo, Sonia Rolley, Anait Miridzhanian, Portia Crowe, David Gregorio Organizations: United Nations, Reuters Locations: KINSHASA, Congo, Kinshasa, Mai, Ndombe

☆ Congo opposition party says activist killed in violence at election rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKINSHASA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A Congolese youth activist was killed on Tuesday by stones pelted during an opposition campaign rally in the east-central city of Kindu, the party of presidential candidate Moise Katumbi said. "This violence ... caused the tragic death of Mr Dido Kakisingi," the party said in a statement. Kakisingi, a lawyer and father of six, was the head of a political youth league in Maniema province that supports Katumbi, the party said. They didn't even send the police to secure us," said Seth Kikuni, one of the opposition candidates backing Katumbi. The CENI election commission has promised a fair and well-run election, but all of the opposition candidates have expressed concerns about potential electoral fraud.

Persons: Moise Katumbi, Arlette, Mr Dido Kakisingi, Seth Kikuni, Stephane Kamundala, Felix Tshisekedi, Katumbi, Martin Fayulu, Denis Mukwege, Ange Kasongo, Sonia Rolley, Alessandra Prentice, Susan Fenton Organizations: Democratic, REUTERS, Rights, Congolese, United, Reuters, Peace, Thomson Locations: Kitutu, Mwenga, South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of, Congo, Rights KINSHASA, Kindu, Maniema, Africa's, United States

☆ Factbox-The Big Topics That Will Define Congo's Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

But despite its wealth of copper, cobalt and other resources, little is passed down to ordinary Congolese. Tshisekedi has sought to rein in China's 70% share of Congo's mining sector by re-negotiating that and other contracts. Risk-averse companies that had previously avoided Congo's mining sector due to instability are taking a second look as new opportunities to tap into its minerals emerge. Nearly 7 million people are displaced in Congo as of June, the International Organization for Migration said, up 17% from October 2022. Opposition parties said registrations were skewed by the national election commission to favour Tshisekedi's ruling coalition.

Persons: Edward McAllister DAKAR, Felix Tshisekedi's, Tshisekedi, Joseph Kabila, Zaynab Hoosen, Tshisekedi's, China's CMOC, Maja Bovcon, Kabila, Gecamines, Bovcon, Martin Fayulu, Moise Katumbi, Denis Mukwege, Edward McAllister, Ange Kasongo, Sonia Rolley, Bate Felix, Christina Fincher Organizations: Democratic, International Monetary Fund, Notre, Congolese, United Nations, International Organization for Migration, Oxford Economics, Islamic State, Allied Democratic Forces, Cooperative for, Senior, Catholic Church Locations: Democratic Republic of Congo, Saharan Africa, Kinshasa, Oxford Economics Africa, Congo, China, North Kivu, DR Congo

☆ Exclusive: Canadian winner of gas rights on Congo's 'killer' Lake Kivu failed criteria
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Sonia Rolley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

[1/5] Aerial view shows Lake Kivu and the skyline of the city of Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo October, 21, 2023. First to be auctioned were three methane blocks in Lake Kivu, sometimes dubbed a "killer lake" because of a risk of deadly eruption. The documents do not show why Alfajiri was included in the auction, who requested that the report be edited, or why. Lake Kivu is one of three lakes in Africa scientists say are at risk of limnic eruption. The report's second version - also dated Dec. 8 and seen by Reuters - raised Alfajiri's score to 55.75, putting it ahead of Winds.

Persons: Arlette, Felix Tshisekedi, Alfajiri, Didier Budimbu, Christian Hamuli, Hamuli, Joseph Nzau, Budimbu, Alfajiri's Hamuli, vulcanologist Dario Tedesco, Alfajiri's, Frank Ihekwoaba, Alessandra Prentice, Bate Felix, Joe Bavier, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Democratic, REUTERS, Reuters, Alfajiri Energy Corporation, Investigative Journalism, Exploration, Ray Group, Ray, Thomson Locations: Lake Kivu, Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Canada, Calgary, Rwanda, Kivu, Africa, Congolese, U.S

☆ Congo Election Chief Promises 'Rebrand' Amid Concerns Over December Vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

CENI is undergoing "rebranding" to show people it has changed since past elections that were marred by irregularities and violence, CENI president Denis Kadima told Reuters in an interview in Washington on Friday. The 2011 elections, followed by the 2018 elections, have left many people so disappointed with the institution," said Kadima. He cited, as an example, that some of the 24 presidential candidates were in exile or barred from participating in 2018. Kadima, who was appointed in 2021, said observers from groups including the U.S.-funded Carter Center and the European Union were expected to monitor the elections. Washington remains concerned about "possible violence, threats to the press freedom and freedom of peaceful assembly, and attempts by certain parties to manipulate the vote," the spokesperson said.

Persons: Simon Lewis WASHINGTON, Denis Kadima, CENI, Kadima, Critics, Felix Tshisekedi, Simon Lewis, Sonia Rolley, Grant McCool Organizations: Democratic, Electoral, Reuters, Carter Center, European Union, Kadima, State Department Locations: Democratic Republic, United States, Africa's, Washington, U.S, Congolese

☆ Congo Colonel Found Guilty of Murder for Role in Goma Massacre in Aug
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Arlette BashiziGOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - A Congolese colonel has been found guilty of murder and other crimes related to the August killing of 56 people during an army crackdown on anti-U.N. demonstrations in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local court said on Monday. Colonel Mike Mikombe, who was head of the Republican Guard unit in the city of Goma, where the incident took place, was one of six soldiers on trial. He was sentenced to death, but the death penalty is no longer applied in Congo, and is generally commuted to life imprisonment. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo, known as MONUSCO, has faced protests since last year, spurred partly by complaints that it has failed to protect civilians against decades of militia violence. An anti-MONUSCO protest in July 2022 resulted in more than 15 deaths, including three peacekeepers in Goma and the city of Butembo.

Persons: Arlette Bashizi, Mike Mikombe, Serge Lukanga, Sonia Rolley, Edward McAllister, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Democratic, Republican Guard Locations: Arlette Bashizi GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congolese, Goma, Congo, Butembo

☆ Congo Army Seeks Insight Into Islamist Militants From Women Held Captive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Since then they have pledged allegiance to Islamic State and maintained their insurgency, attacking civilian and military targets in both Congo and Uganda. Congo army spokesperson Antony Mwalushay told Reuters that after sometimes lengthy spells in the camps, the women can have valuable insight on the group's operations that helps counter-insurgency efforts. So far this year the army has questioned around 425 women, who had been freed or escaped from rebels since January, including Mariam, Mwalushay said. Speaking to Reuters in the yard of the centre, Mariam described how she was coerced into moving to the rebel camp. Another 22-year old woman who ended up in an ADF camp when her husband signed up, said she was surprised by the strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

Persons: Yassin Kombi, Muiysa, Mariam, Antony Mwalushay, Mwalushay, Sonia Rolley, Alessandra Prentice, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Congolese, Allied Democratic Forces, Islamic, Reuters, ADF Locations: Muiysa BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ugandan, Islamic State, Uganda, Congo, Beni

☆ Gabon coup leader will not rush to elections despite mounting pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Trucks carrying industrial equipments wait because of the closure of the border after the coup in Gabon, in the border town of Kye-Ossi, Cameroon August 31, 2023. The officers placed Bongo under house arrest and installed Nguema as head of state, ending the Bongo family's 56-year hold on power. "Going as quickly as possible does not mean organising ad hoc elections, where we will end up with the same errors," he said. Gabon's election commission said after the election that Bongo had been re-elected with 64% of the vote, while Ondo Ossa secured almost 31%. It said it will impose sanctions on the coup leaders if they do not restore constitutional order.

Persons: Danga, Nguema, Gabon's, Ali Bongo, General Brice Oligui Nguema, Bongo, Alexandra Pangha, Albert Ondo Ossa, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, Bongo Valentin, Bongo's, Mohamed Bazoum, Ondo Ossa, Pangha, Wilfried Obangome, Sonia Rolley, Libby George, Juliette Jabkhiro, Edward McAllister, Anait Miridzhanian, Sofia Christensen, Frances Kerry, Peter Graff, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Military, Central Africa's, Central African, ECCAS, United Nations, African Union, BBC, Nguema, Gabon, Timothe, Ondo, Security, Thomson Locations: Gabon, Kye, Ossi, Cameroon, Monday LIBREVILLE, Libreville, Republic, France, United States, State, Guinea, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ondo

☆ Soldier guilty in Rwanda's genocide dies in Niger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Sonia Rolley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tharcisse Muvunyi was in the Rwandan army when ruling Hutu majority extremists killed more than 800,000 minority Tutsis and Hutu moderates in 100 days. He was arrested in the United Kingdom, sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2010 and freed two years later after time served. "Yesterday afternoon Muvunyi was found dead in the shower by one of his housemates," Muvunyi's lawyer Abbe Jolles told Reuters. Six days later, Jolles filed a request with the United Nations for Muvunyi's medical evacuation to the UK. "Muvunyi needs urgent medical care," said the request that Jolles shared with Reuters.

Persons: Tharcisse Muvunyi, Abbe Jolles, Muvunyi, Jolles, Sonia Rolley, Edward McAllister, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Rwandan, Reuters, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Rwanda, Niger, United Kingdom, Tanzania

☆ Regional force tackling east Congo violence extended to September
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 31 (Reuters) - A regional force set up to tackle militia violence in east Democratic Republic of Congo has been extended to September, a minister and a spokesperson for the force said on Wednesday. The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) set up the EACRF military force in April last year to try to end bloodshed linked to decades of militant activity in Congo's east. The force's future had been uncertain since its mandate expired in March, and EAC leaders had expressed differing views on how it should operate. An EAC spokesperson confirmed reports that the force's mandate had been extended to September during a summit in Burundi on Wednesday. Reporting by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jeff Nyagah, Jean, Pierre Bemba, Felix Tshisekedi, Tshisekedi, Sonia Rolley, Sofia Christensen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: East African Community, EAC, Congo's, Thomson Locations: Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo's, Burundi

☆ Congo security forces fire tear gas, clash with anti-govt protesters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ange Kasongo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KINSHASA, May 20 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo security forces fired tear gas and fought running battles in the streets of the capital Kinshasa with anti-government protesters demonstrating on Saturday over alleged irregularities in voter registration. Around a dozen protesters were detained by security forces just after the start of the demonstration, which was called for by opposition leaders. "It's sad, you see, they are firing tear gas. Fayulu said by telephone that his vehicle was surrounded by security forces who continued to fire tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Congo's electoral commission is expected to publish voter registration data on Sunday.

☆ Congo security forces fire tear gas at anti-government protesters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ange Kasongo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Tires and other objects burn as anti-government demonstrators take part in a riot after security forces broke up an attempted demonstration organized by the opposition and civil society members... Read moreKINSHASA, May 20 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo security forces fired tear gas and fought running battles in the streets of the capital Kinshasa with anti-government protesters demonstrating on Saturday over alleged irregularities in voter registration. Around a dozen protesters were detained by security forces just after the start of the demonstration, which was called for by opposition leaders. Congo's human rights minister Albert-Fabrice Puela, in a statement on Saturday, condemned the violence by security forces against demonstrators and the minor, and called for an investigation. "It's sad, you see, they are firing tear gas. Fayulu said by telephone that his vehicle was surrounded by security forces who continued to fire tear gas to disperse demonstrators.

☆ After fleeing conflict, displaced women face rape in east Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Djaffar Sabiti | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"He raped me," she recalled two weeks later in Bulengo, one of several camps near Goma sheltering about 600,000 people that have fled conflict zones. Over half were assaulted by armed men, it said last week, noting that its figures were likely to be underestimates. Hungry mouths to feed push women outside the camp in search of food and firewood to sell, making them vulnerable to sex crimes, said MSF worker Delice Sezage Tulinabo. Most survivors reported being attacked by armed and displaced men in and around the camps. In Bulengo, women said they had to pay soldiers to enter the forest.

☆ World Bank suspends $1 bln worth of project funding in Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Sonia Rolley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The suspension will affect more than 600,000 beneficiaries, including victims of sexual violence, the World Bank told Congo's finance minister last week in a letter seen by Reuters. A World Bank spokesperson confirmed its authenticity. On May 4, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi dissolved the structure, the "Social Fund of the Democratic Republic of Congo", by presidential order and created another public fund. A spokesperson for Congo's finance ministry said he was waiting for the go-ahead from the presidency before he could comment. Four of Congo's main opposition politicians wrote to the leaders of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the African Development Bank last week asking them to conduct an audit of their funds in Congo, saying they suspected misuse.

☆ A week after Congo floods, volunteers dig through debris for bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Crispin Kyala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUSHUSHU, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 12 (Reuters) - With shovels, sticks and bare hands, Red Cross volunteers struggled to clear caked mud from around a body half buried in a landslide in Bushushu village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. A week after torrential rains triggered deadly floods, the workers said they were exhausted and running out of equipment. But they keep finding corpses under piles of debris, buried in hillsides, floating in waterways and the nearby lake. It's a serious problem," Désiré Yuma Machumu, head of the Red Cross in Congo's South Kivu province, said. On Thursday, Reuters watched the volunteers painstakingly recover 17 bodies.

A fresh downpour loosened the earth on a hillside above a village in Vuveyi Lac area, burying the victims as they slept in their houses below, said Alain Kiwewa, Lubero's military administrator. Repeated recent downpours have also raised the water table in the broader region, increasing the likelihood of flooding, said meteorology and hydrology engineer Theodore Lokakao Ilemba. "It's everywhere in the Congo and in Rwanda, it worsens (the impact of) the rainfall and all pre-existing problems like water drainage and land use," he said. Rains also triggered flooding and landslides in neighbouring Rwanda last week, killing 130 people and destroying more than 5,000 homes. Writing by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Death toll from Congo floods rises to 401: governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - The death toll from flooding that hit two villages in east Democratic Republic of Congo last week has risen to 401, provincial governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi said on Monday. Kasi told Reuters by message on Monday that the death toll now stood at 401. He did not provide any other details. The central government has sent a delegation to Kalehe and declared Monday a day of national mourning. Reporting by Sonia Rolley Writing by Sofia Christensen Editing by Alexander WinningOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Head of regional force tackling east Congo violence resigns, Kenya denies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GOMA, April 28 (Reuters) - The Kenyan commander of a regional force set up to tackle militia violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo said he had resigned due to obstruction and threats to his safety, adding to doubts over whether the mission can be effective. The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) set up the EACRF military force last April to try to end bloodshed linked to decades of militant activity in Congo's east. In the letter, Nyagah alleged foreign military contractors were sent to survey his residence in January, placing monitoring devices that forced him to relocate. "My security as the Force Commander is not guaranteed," Nyagah said. Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya previously acknowledged the presence of foreign military contractors in Congo as "instructors".

☆ In Congo camp, Muslims celebrate Eid with much-needed food aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Djaffar Al Katanty | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Internally displaced Congolese Muslim women attend Eid al-Fitr prayers in the Munigi camp site near Goma in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 21, 2023. At the Munigi camp in the compound of a mosque outside the city of Goma, hundreds live in makeshift tents crowned by rugs or plastic sheets to keep out the rain. Eid marks the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during sunlight hours, when Muslims fast during sunlight hours. We are happy, we thank God," she said. But in the Munigi camp people of both religions live side by side.

☆ UN paints Congo helicopters orange to protect against attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

World Food Programme/Handout via REUTERSKINSHASA, April 20 (Reuters) - The United Nations has painted bright orange its two white helicopters providing humanitarian relief in eastern Congo in an effort to protect them from militia attacks by distinguishing them from other aircraft. Last year, the U.N. recorded 293 security incidents that affected relief missions to east Congo, resulting in the death of nine humanitarian workers. The U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) unveiled the two repainted World Food Programme helicopters this week. Their colour is meant to avoid confusion with the white ones used by the U.N. peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, which have been attacked in the past. Eight peacekeepers were killed when a MONUSCO helicopter on a reconnaissance mission crashed in the midst of rebel fighting in March last year.

☆ U.N. paints Congo helicopters orange to protect against attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Islamist rebel attack kills around 20 in eastern Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KINSHASA, April 8 (Reuters) - Suspected Islamists killed around 20 people in an attack on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Saturday. "We counted about 20 dead on Friday in the village of Musandaba," said the military administrator of Beni territory, Colonel Charles Omeonga. An army spokesman in the North Kivu region where the attack took place, Anthony Mwalushay, said the assailants used machetes "to avoid confrontation with the army". The attack took place in one of two conflict-hit provinces where Congo replaced civilian authorities with military administrations more than a year ago in an attempt to halt the violence. This week, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo condemned another massacre committed by the ADF in neighboring Ituri province, which it says killed 30 people.

☆ Trapped miners in east Congo tumble out of rubble intact in viral video
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The video shows a man precariously perched on the side of a steep slope of rubble, frantically digging with a spade while a group of other men stand in a large circle around him, watching. The rescuer is then seen redoubling his efforts, forsaking the spade to dig through the rubble with his bare hands. Another miner soon appears, then another, and within two minutes a total of nine men have come out alive and well. Two miners died in a similar incident at a nearby informal digging site in early March. Reporting by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Sofia Christensen, Estelle Shirbon and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

KINSHASA, March 24 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi has appointed the country's former vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, who was detained for over 10 years for war crimes, as the country's defence minister in a sweeping government reshuffle. The reshuffle, which was more extensive than observers had predicted, came ahead of an expected presidential election on Dec. 20, in which Tshisekedi is likely to seek a second term. "This a deeply political shuffle," said Jason Stearns, Director of the Congo Research Group and Professor at Canada's Simon Fraser University. Tshisekedi appointed Vital Kamerhe, his former chief of staff who was released from prison in Dec. 2021 following as embezzlement conviction, as economy minister. Bemba, a former rebel leader was arrested in 2008 by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his troops in the Central African Republic between 2002 and 2003.

☆ African artists show support for east Congo conflict at music festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Crispin Kyalangalilwa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Revellers attend the 9th edition of the AMANI festival with the aim of conveying messages of peace, entrepreneurship and environmental protection at the Athenee d'Ibanda in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Crispin KyalangalilwaBUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Artists from across Africa performed at the "Amani" festival in eastern Democratic Republic to show support for victims of conflict despite growing insecurity in the area. "Our mission is to be there with you," he told a jubilant crowd in the city of Bukavu during the event. The Amani festival, which means "peace" in Swahili, usually takes place in Goma, capital of North Kivu province. Reporting by Crispin Kyalangalilwa; Writing by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Alison Williams;Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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