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☆ Freed 'Hotel Rwanda' hero departs Doha for Houston for family reunion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Imad Creidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, March 29 (Reuters) - The man who inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda", Paul Rusesabagina, has boarded a plane in Qatar bound for Houston after being released from prison in Rwanda last week, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. He was released last Friday after Kagame commuted his sentence, following months of negotiations between Washington and Kigali, and arrived in Doha on Monday. Rusesabagina was feted around the world after being played by actor Don Cheadle in the 2004 film "Hotel Rwanda" which portrayed him as a hero who risked his life to shelter hundreds of people as manager of a luxury hotel during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Washington's historically close ties with Rwanda had been strained by Rusesabagina's detention and by U.S. allegations, denied by Kigali, that Rwanda has sent troops into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and supports rebels there. Rwanda has said that Rusesabagina's release is the result of a shared desire to reset the U.S.-Rwanda relationship.

☆ Freed 'Hotel Rwanda' hero Rusesabagina leaves Rwanda, reaches Qatar - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Imad Creidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DOHA, March 28 (Reuters) - Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the film "Hotel Rwanda" about the 1994 genocide, has arrived in Qatar after being released from prison in Rwanda last week, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday. Rwanda has said that Rusesabagina's release is the result of a shared desire to reset the U.S.-Rwanda relationship. The 68-year-old former hotelier landed in Doha on Monday, a source with knowledge of the matter said. "Hotel Rwanda" portrays Rusesabagina's success in saving more than 1,000 refugees, including his family, during the genocide in 1994 by sheltering them in the besieged hotel that he managed in Kigali. Reporting by Imad Creidi; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Aaron Ross and Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ 8 passengers and 2 crew were hurt when a plane hit severe turbulence and sent carts flying during a meal service, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

10 people were injured when a Lisbon-bound plane hit turbulence, Novo Jornal reported. Eight passengers and 2 cabin crew were injured and were checked by medical staff, per CNN Portugal. The turbulence eventually abated five hours into the eight-hour journey, according to Novo Jornal. Eight passengers and two flight attendants were injured, with one needing aid from a doctor on board, Novo Jornal and CNN Portugal reported. TAAG told Novo Jornal in a statement that "adverse weather conditions" were to blame.

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.

☆ 'Hotel Rwanda' figure Rusesabagina to be released from prison -government source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Philbert Girinema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary * 'Hotel Rwanda' figure to be released on Saturday* Rusesabagina to be flown to Doha, and on to the U.S.* His release follows letter to president seeking clemency* Rebel spokesman Sankara to also be releasedKIGALI, March 24 (Reuters) - Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda" and is serving a 25-year sentence in Rwanda on terrorism charges, will be released on Saturday, a Rwanda government source said on Friday. His release follows intense diplomacy by the United States, where Rusesabagina has permanent residency rights. Rusesabagina will initially be flown to Doha, and then on to the United States, the source said. "If I am granted a pardon and released, I understand fully that I will spend the remainder of my days in the United States in quiet reflection," he wrote. Earlier this month, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said there were discussions about "resolving" the fate of Rusesabagina.

☆ 'Hotel Rwanda' figure Rusesabagina to be freed from prison -Rwanda government
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Philbert Girinema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The announcement of his release follows intense diplomacy by the United States, where Rusesabagina has permanent residency rights. "This is the result of a shared desire to reset US-Rwanda relationship," Stephanie Nyombayire, spokesperson of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, wrote on Twitter. Rusesabagina was sentenced in Sept. 2021 over his ties to an organization opposed to Kagame's rule. "If any individual benefiting from early release repeats offences of a similar nature, the commutation can be revoked and the remainder of the prison sentence will be served," Rwanda's justice ministry said. In a handwritten letter to Kagame released by the justice ministry, Nsabimana said he had apologised to all Rwandans and especially those affected by attacks by FLN fighters.

☆ East Congo militants kill at least 22 in string of attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, March 19 (Reuters) - Suspected militants killed at least 22 people in a string of attacks across the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri and North Kivu provinces overnight Saturday, officials and activists said on Sunday. The incidents were the latest in a stream of continuous violence that has plagued eastern Congo for years, despite increasing interventions from the country's army and U.N. peacekeepers. At least 12 people were killed Saturday in simultaneous raids across several villages in Ituri province. Congo's government declared a state of siege in North Kivu and Ituri in 2021, in an attempt to stem rampant militia violence in the country's vast mineral-rich east. "Even when we are under siege, the enemy still surprises us every day," said Delphine Malekani, an activist in North Kivu.

☆ Factbox: What is the International Criminal Court?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, March 17 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of responsibility for the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. It can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or on the territory of member states by other actors. It has 123 member states. * The ICC website says there have so far been 31 cases before the court, with some cases having more than one suspect. * The ICC has convicted five men of war crimes and crimes against humanity, all African militia leaders from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Uganda.

☆ Vaccine-derived poliovirus detected in Burundi, Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Health officials in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have detected cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus, the World Health Organization and Global Polio Eradication Initiative said. Five other samples from environmental surveillance of waste water confirmed the presence of circulating poliovirus type 2 in Burundi, the WHO added in a statement. Circulating poliovirus type 2 is different to wild poliovirus, with infections occurring when a weakened strain of poliovirus contained in the oral polio vaccine circulates among under-immunized populations for long periods. The detections are significant as they are the first linked with the use of a new vaccine, the novel oral poliomyelitis vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), which was developed specifically to reduce this risk. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said in a statement that circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 was found in six children in the DRC's eastern Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces.

An Insider review found that his company has sold to foreign governments, including a $228 million dollar contract. What Mills didn't advertise was Pacem's munitions contracts with foreign governments. The company's chief legal officer Joseph Schmitz said all of Pacem's foreign munitions sales are approved by the Department of State. Mills's influence over American military spending while having ties to a munitions company poses the potential for conflicts of interest, an ethics watchdog said. In Congress, Mills sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees, which oversee military spending and foreign weapons sales.

☆ Suspected militants kill at least 19 in east Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsSuspected militants kill at least 19 in east CongoPostedAt least 19 people were killed in a raid on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at the weekend, blamed on militants with links to Islamic State. The attack happened as officials from the U.N. Security Council visited the region. David Doyle has more.

☆ Survivors of deadly raid in east Congo return to torched village
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Erikas Mwisi Kambale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUKONDI, Democratic Republic of Congo March 11 (Reuters) - Residents of Mukondi village in eastern Congo inspected the burnt-out remains of their homes on Friday and told how they fled for their lives as rebels cut the throats of people around them. Members the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) struck Mukondi and a neighbouring village overnight on Wednesday, torching buildings and killing at least 39 people and wounding many more, according to the local authorities. "They killed with machetes and lit homes on fire," local chief Kasereka Deogratias said near the blackened wreckage of a building in Mukondi. The attackers said, "Don't bother talking because you're no more useful than the people we've just killed here," Kiviko explained. The violence has destabilised swathes of eastern Congo, driving over 5.5 million people from their homes in what has become the largest internal displacement crisis in Africa, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

☆ EU releases funds, prepares aid flight for eastern Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, March 4 (Reuters) - The European Union said on Saturday it is releasing over 47 million euros ($49.97 million) for humanitarian aid for Congo's North Kivu and plans to send a flight with medical supplies and food to the conflict-stricken eastern province. “The EU stands ready to mobilise all the necessary means to support humanitarian workers, including logistics and air, to meet the needs of the population in Democratic Republic of Congo," European Commissioner Janez Lenarcic said. The flight will head to Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and deliver aid including medical and nutritional supplies, the statement said. The funds will "be channelled through humanitarian partners to cover immediate needs such as nutrition, healthcare, water and sanitation, shelter and protection", the EU said. ($1 = 0.9406 euros)Reporting by Andrew Gray Editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Glencore Subsidiary Sentenced, Ordered to Pay $30 Million to Medical Company
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Dylan Tokar | Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

A Glencore lawyer on Tuesday said the company now expects to pay as much as $1.5 billion in total penalties, up from the $1.2 billion it initially agreed to pay last year. Glencore faced several restitution claims after agreeing to its settlement last year, including from Petróleos Mexicanos SA de CV, or Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned oil company. The negotiated monetary penalty paid by the Glencore subsidiary is lower than what is called for under federal sentencing guidelines, a reflection of Glencore’s cooperation, Judge Schofield said at Tuesday’s sentencing. Glencore gave prosecutors more than a million documents, including from overseas, where prosecutors lack subpoena power, the judge said. The company also agreed to overhaul its compliance program and will be under an independent monitorship for three years, she said.

☆ Macron says he won't let France become 'ideal scapegoat' in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he will not allow France to become "the ideal scapegoat" in Africa, in a speech ahead of a trip to the continent from Wednesday. Some African countries have criticised France for failing to curb Islamist militancy in the Sahel region in particular. Macron also said he refused to be drawn into an outdated competition between powers for control of Africa. He will travel to Gabon, Angola, République of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo. Reporting by Michel Rose, Layli Foroudi; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Survival of Kindness' star Hussein's inspiring road to the red carpet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Mwajemi Hussein had never been in a cinema or acted before her leading role in "The Survival of Kindness", a film that stands a chance of winning the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival. People are not sure how I made it walking barefoot, but it was part of my life because I grew up without shoes," Hussein told Reuters in an interview. She auditioned for the role despite having no acting experience, after being encouraged by members of her community. The decision to cast Hussein as BlackWoman over someone with more experience was somewhat of a risk, de Heer told Reuters. Reporting by Swantje Stein; Writing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Friederike Heine and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Popes are for life, resignations should not become a fashion, Francis says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Pope Francis looks at the coffin of former Pope Benedict during his funeral, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, January 5, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiVATICAN CITY, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has said that pontiffs resigning instead of ruling for life should not become a "fashion" in the Roman Catholic Church and happen only in truly exceptional circumstances. "This does not, however, in any way mean that popes retiring should become, let's say, a fashion, a normal thing," he said. In 2013, Pope Benedict, citing frail physical and mental health, became the first pontiff to resign in 600 years. The tone of Francis' comments to the African Jesuits was in a marked contrast to that which Francis used in the past when discussing the possible resignations of popes, including himself.

☆ How conflict minerals make it into our phones
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

All of these minerals are found in our electronics and all are considered conflict minerals, due to their potential origin in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a smartphone, for example, tin is used to solder metal components together, while tantalum is used in capacitors, which store electrical energy. Tungsten is used in the components that make a phone vibrate, and gold is used in circuit board connectors. But consumers still can't be sure if the minerals in their electronics are fully conflict-free, or if the mines where they originated are dangerous, environmentally destructive, or use child labor. So while companies like Apple, Microsoft, Intel and Tesla put out extensive reports on conflict minerals every year, usually stating that there is no reason to believe the minerals they source help to support armed groups, corruption and instability at mine sites means there are no guarantees.

☆ 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.

☆ Children accused of witchcraft find solace in east Congo shelter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Crispin Kyala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Crispin KyalangalilwaBUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb 8 (Reuters) - After Ornella lost several family members within three years, relatives and neighbours in her east Congo village of Kabare began suspecting the 14-year-old girl of witchcraft. Hundreds of thousands of children across the continent are accused of witchcraft each year, according to a 2022 report by the African Child Policy Forum, an independent research group. "Here are at Eka Bana ... they show me that every child has rights," she told Reuters. Children who end up in Eka Bana are usually first taken in by the police, who either find them on the street or receive them from family members. Eka Bana Director Natalia Isella said it was often Evangelical pastors who convinced followers that a "witch" in the family was causing their problems.

☆ Microsoft calls for 'coalition' to improve Congo's informal cobalt mines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Congo accounts for three-quarters of the world's mined cobalt supply. "In practice it is virtually impossible for them to completely exclude artisanal cobalt, especially when it is sent to smelters and refiners in DRC and China." Microsoft declined to reply to Reuters' questions about the visit or about its strategy on artisanal cobalt. The issues around artisanal mining are an existential threat to the cobalt industry, according to Marina Demidova, head of communications at the Cobalt Institute. Entreprise Generale du Cobalt, a unit of state mining company Gecamines, was granted a monopoly on artisanal cobalt by government decree.

Cobalt has lost share to lithium as the Chinese EV market in particular pivots towards non-cobalt battery chemistry. The abrupt turnaround in both narrative and price has led to a surge in trading activity on the CME cobalt contract as producers and consumers respond to the shifting landscape. CME cobalt price, total volume and market open interestCHANGE OF GEARCobalt's fortunes are still tied to the EV sector but the relationship is changing. That eye-watering growth rate would be stronger still were it not for a shift towards non-cobalt battery chemistries, led by China, the world's largest EV market. COBALT FUTURES TAKE OFFOne beneficiary of this turnaround in cobalt market dynamics has been the CME (CME.O), which has seen activity in its cobalt contract mushroom since the middle of last year.

☆ One peacekeeper killed in Congo after U.N. chopper comes under fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo Feb 5 (Reuters) - One U.N. peacekeeper from South Africa was killed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday when a helicopter operated by the peacekeeping force came under fire while in mid-air, the U.N. mission in Congo and South Africa's military said. The helicopter came under fire after taking off from the city of Beni in the early afternoon. The U.N. peacekeeping mission of around 18,200 personnel has been deployed in eastern Congo since taking over from a previous U.N. operation in 2010. Eight peacekeepers were killed last year when their helicopter crashed in a part of North Kivu province, where the Congolese army was fighting a rebel group known as the M23. Reporting by Fiston Mahamba, Erikas Mwisi Kambale, Sonia Rolley Editing by Alessandra Prentice and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pope Francis says he wants to go to Mongolia in September
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that he expected to continue travelling despite his knee ailment, joking that "weeds never die" and adding that he hoped to go to Mongolia in September. The trip would be the first ever by a pope to the Asian country. Speaking of his health, Francis, who became pope nearly 10 years ago, said "You know that weeds never die. Last August Francis named Archbishop Giorgio Marengo, an Italian, the first cardinal to be based in Mongolia, where he is the Catholic Church's administrator. Francis, who was on his way home from his 40th foreign trip as pope, also said he would probably go to India next year.

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