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Congo-Kinshasa: Rep Smith Introduces Bill Aimed at Preventing Cobalt Mined by Child Exploitation and Forced Labor In The Congo From Entering U.S. Market

Washington, DC — Communist China exploits African children to power the ‘Green Economy’ Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, introduced legislation (HR 7891) this week aimed at ensuring that cobalt—a key natural resource used to power electric vehicles, solar panels and other “green” products—that is extracted or processed with […]

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Kenya: Two Alleged Al-Shabaab Recruiters Detained for 21 Days in Mombasa

Mombasa — Two individuals suspected of recruiting young people into joining terrorist groups in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be detained for a further 21 days. On Thursday, a Mombasa Magistrate Court ruled that Hussein Yusuf Mrafi and Ali Mwalimu Mwinyi should be held for a further three weeks to allow […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: New Islamist Attacks in the East of the Country – 30,000 Students Cannot Go to School Due to Insecurity

Kinshasa — At least 10 people were killed and several buildings burned down in an attack by ADF militants in the rural municipality of Mangina, in the Beni area, in the province of North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the night of April 3rd. The buildings destroyed by the […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo Names Judith Suminwa Tuluka As First Woman PM

The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced the nomination of its first woman prime minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka. An economist, she takes over as prime minister from Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, following President Felix Tshisekedi’s re-election on 20 December. Tuluka – who was previously planning minister – said on national television that the “task is big, […]

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Zimbabwean Trucker Detained in DRC After Horror Accident That Claimed 18 Lives

A Zimbabwean haulage truck driver employed by SMI Bulk Transport of South Africa, is reportedly under detention by authorities following a horrific accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) en route to Mokambo. The driver identified as Jeremiah Kamuterera (37) is originally from Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province. Reports from concerned drivers in the Democratic […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo – Deepening Humanitarian Catastrophe in Ituri Completely Forgotten

The humanitarian situation in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is becoming increasingly critical, with over 1.6 million people displaced in the province at the end of 2023. The international community must stop neglecting communities in Ituri and take urgent action to support them build the foundations for a peaceful future, urges […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: UN Refugee Agency Sounds New Alarms for Eastern DRC

Geneva — The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is ringing new alarm bells due to ongoing violence in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reaching a “devastating level.” UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said at a UN press conference on March 26 that two years of “cyclical conflict” in the North Kivu territories […]

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Southern Africa: SADC Reaffirms Unwavering Diplomatic, Military Support to War-Torn DRC

Heads of State and Governments under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to providing both diplomatic and military support to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to enable the country find lasting solutions to the violent conflict in Eastern DRC. The leaders also pledged to intensify its public diplomacy on the […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: Freed DRC Journalist Says He Was Imprisoned As Warning to Others

Prominent Congolese journalist Stanis Bujakera, released from prison this week after spending six months behind bars, has accused the government of seeking to intimidate journalists looking into the death of an opposition politician. Bujakera, who is deputy director of the Actualite.cd news site and a regular contributor to RFI and international outlets, said that he […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo, Rwanda Foreign Ministers Meet in Angola

Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta and his Congolese counterpart Christophe Lutundula on Thursday, March 21, met in the Angolan capital Luanda for high-level consultations meant to analyse the issue of security and peace in eastern DR Congo, the Angolan ministry of foreign affairs said on Friday. The meeting of the two countries’ delegations followed one-on-one […]

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South Africa: Congolese March to Parliament to Draw Attention to War At Home

About 150 Congolese nationals marched to Parliament on Saturday to draw attention to war in their country. They sang and carried placards that read: “Justice for Congo”, “Rwanda is killing Congo” and “Stop the genocide”. Chris Olingo, one of the organisers of the march, who says he lived in the province at the epicentre of […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: UN Chief Condemns Attack On Peacekeepers in DR Congo

The UN chief on Saturday condemned an attack which saw eight peacekeepers from the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, wounded during clashes between the powerful M23 rebel movement and Government troops. The incident occurred in the vicinity of Sake, just 20 kilometers from Goma, the provincial capital of North […]

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Rwanda: Kagame, Angolan President Discuss DR Congo Crisis

President Paul Kagame and his Angolan counterpart Joao Lourenço met in the capital Luanda on Monday, March 11, for a discussion on the security situation in eastern DR Congo, according to Village Urugwiro. Kagame is in Luanda for a one-day working visit. “The Heads of State agreed on key steps towards addressing the root causes […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: In Congo, Peace Means a Halt to ‘Brutal, Illegal Mining’

Peace laureate Pétronille Vaweka urges U.S. role to end worsening war over strategic minerals. Pétronille Vaweka, a Congolese grandmother, has mediated local peace accords in her homeland’s wars. But now, she says, one of Africa’s longest, bloodiest conflicts can be solved only if the United States and other democracies “will wake up” to protect their […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo – M23 Rebels Capture FDLR Stronghold

Reports indicate that following heavy fighting on March 4 and March 5, M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo took control of Nyanzale, a small town in Rutshuru territory that was a key stronghold of the FDLR, a militia group that is spreading genocide ideology in the region. Based in eastern DR Congo for more than […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo – Second Term Should Focus On Rights

Kinshasa — Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi should ensure that human rights are central to his policies during his second term in office, Human Rights Watch said today in a “Human Rights Agenda” for his administration. Human Rights Watch urged the Tshisekedi administration to prioritize improvements in five key areas: the rights to […]

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Congo-Kinshasa: After Mortar Fire Tragedy, Two SANDF Soldiers Deployed in DRC Die in Apparent Murder-Suicide

Just two weeks after two South African soldiers were killed by mortar fire in the Democratic Republic of Congo, two more SA soldiers died in an apparent murder-suicide in the central African nation. In a statement released on Friday, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said that two of its members deployed in the […]

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Rwanda: Inside Kinshasa’s Plan to Hire American Mercenaries to Fight M23

In 2023, DR Congo’s authorities sought to hire 2,500 military contractors from Latin America to fight in North Kivu province, where a government-led coalition is pitted against the M23 rebels, a UN Group of Experts report indicates. Led by Erik Prince, the founder of former security company Blackwater and current head of Frontier Resources Group […]