🇨🇩 DRC parliament elects speaker in delayed vote days after foiled coup
The Democratic Republic of Congo's national assembly elected Vital Kamerhe, whose home was violently attacked on Sunday, as speaker in a delayed vote, a key step towards installing a government five months after a presidential election.
The role of speaker makes Kamerhe, a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi, the Central African country's number two authority.
Of the 407 members of parliament who cast ballots on Monday, 371 voted in favour of Kamerhe's candidacy for speaker. MPs were also set to vote on candidacies for six other positions in the lower house.
The vote clears the way for Congo to name a government, which it has not had since the December 2023 presidential election that handed Tshisekedi a second term.
#DRC
@africaintel
The Democratic Republic of Congo's national assembly elected Vital Kamerhe, whose home was violently attacked on Sunday, as speaker in a delayed vote, a key step towards installing a government five months after a presidential election.
The role of speaker makes Kamerhe, a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi, the Central African country's number two authority.
Of the 407 members of parliament who cast ballots on Monday, 371 voted in favour of Kamerhe's candidacy for speaker. MPs were also set to vote on candidacies for six other positions in the lower house.
The vote clears the way for Congo to name a government, which it has not had since the December 2023 presidential election that handed Tshisekedi a second term.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩 At least 16 killed by suspected Islamists in eastern Congo
At least 16 people were killed by a suspected Islamist rebel group based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, an official from the local administration said on Wednesday.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), allied to Islamic State, started as a Ugandan insurgency but has operated from the jungles of eastern Congo for almost three decades.
"We believe that the ADF are the perpetrators of this attack, they took advantage of the departure of the military in the area to come and kill the population," local official Fabien Kakule Viriro told.
The victims were hacked to death with machetes while they were in their homes or in the fields, the official said, adding that some were executed while they were trying to escape.
#DRC
@africaintel
At least 16 people were killed by a suspected Islamist rebel group based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, an official from the local administration said on Wednesday.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), allied to Islamic State, started as a Ugandan insurgency but has operated from the jungles of eastern Congo for almost three decades.
"We believe that the ADF are the perpetrators of this attack, they took advantage of the departure of the military in the area to come and kill the population," local official Fabien Kakule Viriro told.
The victims were hacked to death with machetes while they were in their homes or in the fields, the official said, adding that some were executed while they were trying to escape.
#DRC
@africaintel
Africa Intel
🇨🇩 There was a funny attempted coup d'état in the DRC. Three adventurers, including one American, tried to break into the presidential palace, but were detained. #DRC @africaintel
U.S. denied access to Americans detained in Congo coup plot
The U.S. Embassy in Congo said that Congolese authorities have not shared details or provided access to the Americans who were arrested following a coup attempt last month, following pleas for help from one family trying to confirm whether their son is alive.
Congo's army has released the names of three Americans accused of having a role in the attack led by little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga on May 19. The State Department says one of its highest priorities is providing consular assistance to Americans detained abroad, including regular visits to ensure medical care and assisting with finding an English-speaking lawyer.
“We have requested DRC authorities grant consular access to any U.S. citizens who may have been detained and have not received it to date,” U.S. embassy spokesperson Greg Porter said in an email to The Associated Press.
Congolese authorities did not immediately respond. They have declined to say whether the Americans will appear in court. An army spokesman has said more details will come later.
Malanga, who in the past declared himself Congo's president in exile, live-streamed the attempt to overthrow the government with his Utah-born son, Marcel Malanga, as they threatened President Felix Tshisekedi from inside the presidential palace. Malanga was shot dead for resisting arrest, the Congolese army said. In all, six people were killed and dozens arrested.
The fate of the Americans is unclear. A video on social media showed a bound and bloodied Marcel as he was taken into custody. He appeared in the video with a second American, 21-year-old Tyler Thompson Jr. His family said they had played high school football together.
Thompson flew to Africa with Marcel for what his family believed was a vacation, with all expenses paid by Malanga. Other teammates alleged that Marcel had offered up to $100,000 to join him on a “security job” in Congo. Last week, Thompson's family told the AP they didn't know if he was still alive.
Thompson’s family maintains he had no knowledge of the elder Malanga’s intentions and no plans for political activism and didn’t even plan to enter Congo. They were meant to travel only to South Africa and Eswatini, his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, said.
Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, has said her son is innocent and had simply followed his father.
#DRC
@africaintel
The U.S. Embassy in Congo said that Congolese authorities have not shared details or provided access to the Americans who were arrested following a coup attempt last month, following pleas for help from one family trying to confirm whether their son is alive.
Congo's army has released the names of three Americans accused of having a role in the attack led by little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga on May 19. The State Department says one of its highest priorities is providing consular assistance to Americans detained abroad, including regular visits to ensure medical care and assisting with finding an English-speaking lawyer.
“We have requested DRC authorities grant consular access to any U.S. citizens who may have been detained and have not received it to date,” U.S. embassy spokesperson Greg Porter said in an email to The Associated Press.
Congolese authorities did not immediately respond. They have declined to say whether the Americans will appear in court. An army spokesman has said more details will come later.
Malanga, who in the past declared himself Congo's president in exile, live-streamed the attempt to overthrow the government with his Utah-born son, Marcel Malanga, as they threatened President Felix Tshisekedi from inside the presidential palace. Malanga was shot dead for resisting arrest, the Congolese army said. In all, six people were killed and dozens arrested.
The fate of the Americans is unclear. A video on social media showed a bound and bloodied Marcel as he was taken into custody. He appeared in the video with a second American, 21-year-old Tyler Thompson Jr. His family said they had played high school football together.
Thompson flew to Africa with Marcel for what his family believed was a vacation, with all expenses paid by Malanga. Other teammates alleged that Marcel had offered up to $100,000 to join him on a “security job” in Congo. Last week, Thompson's family told the AP they didn't know if he was still alive.
Thompson’s family maintains he had no knowledge of the elder Malanga’s intentions and no plans for political activism and didn’t even plan to enter Congo. They were meant to travel only to South Africa and Eswatini, his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, said.
Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, has said her son is innocent and had simply followed his father.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩 Suspected Islamists in eastern Congo kill more than 80 in a week
The death toll has risen to 41 following an attack on Friday by suspected Islamist rebels on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a Congolese army spokesman said, bringing the total toll in the region to more than 80 since last Tuesday.
Last Friday night's attack, on the villages of Masala, Mapasana and Mahini, had been carried out by members of the Islamic State Central African Province (former Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)), said lieutenant-colonel Mak Hazukay, an army spokesman in Congo's North Kivu province.
The ISCAP, which is now based in eastern Congo, has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and mounts frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many militant groups are active.
#DRC
@africaintel
The death toll has risen to 41 following an attack on Friday by suspected Islamist rebels on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a Congolese army spokesman said, bringing the total toll in the region to more than 80 since last Tuesday.
Last Friday night's attack, on the villages of Masala, Mapasana and Mahini, had been carried out by members of the Islamic State Central African Province (former Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)), said lieutenant-colonel Mak Hazukay, an army spokesman in Congo's North Kivu province.
The ISCAP, which is now based in eastern Congo, has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and mounts frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many militant groups are active.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩🇺🇸🇬🇧 US, British citizens among suspects on trial in Congo after thwarted coup
More than 50 defendants, including six with U.S., British, Canadian or Belgian citizenship, appeared in court in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday charged with taking part in a failed coup and other offences that carry the death penalty.
Armed men briefly occupied an office of the presidency in the capital Kinshasa on May 19 before their leader, U.S.-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces.
The defendants include Malanga's 22-year-old son Marcel Malanga, two other U.S. citizens and the three other holders of foreign passports. All have Congolese roots.
The first day of the military trial took place under a tent in the yard of Ndolo military prison on the outskirts of Kinshasa. The defendants filed in wearing blue and yellow prison-issued tops and lined up before the judge.
All 53 face charges including illegal arms possession, criminal conspiracy, terrorism and attempts to destabilise state institutions and undermine the integrity of the state, some of which risk the death penalty or lengthy prison sentences.
#DRC
@africaintel
More than 50 defendants, including six with U.S., British, Canadian or Belgian citizenship, appeared in court in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday charged with taking part in a failed coup and other offences that carry the death penalty.
Armed men briefly occupied an office of the presidency in the capital Kinshasa on May 19 before their leader, U.S.-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces.
The defendants include Malanga's 22-year-old son Marcel Malanga, two other U.S. citizens and the three other holders of foreign passports. All have Congolese roots.
The first day of the military trial took place under a tent in the yard of Ndolo military prison on the outskirts of Kinshasa. The defendants filed in wearing blue and yellow prison-issued tops and lined up before the judge.
All 53 face charges including illegal arms possession, criminal conspiracy, terrorism and attempts to destabilise state institutions and undermine the integrity of the state, some of which risk the death penalty or lengthy prison sentences.
#DRC
@africaintel
Forwarded from Rybar in English
🇨🇩🇷🇼🇺🇸 The law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP, representing the interests of the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), plans to file a lawsuit against Apple in France and the United States.
According to the lawyers, the American company is actively purchasing smuggled Congolese tantalum and coltan from Rwanda, which are mined by local militants in the east of the country. The authorities in Kinshasa believe that in this way the tech giant is indirectly supporting anti-government groups.
Apple immediately rushed to declare that they did not find any facts of sponsoring militants in their supply chains and claimed that they allegedly immediately terminate contracts upon discovering the extraction of "blood resources". The latter sounds particularly comical against the background of past investigations where Apple and other companies incited DRC mining companies to use child labor.
📌 At the same time, for the Congolese leadership, the fact of the capture of the North Kivu mines in favor of the USA by the proxy forces of Rwanda in the form of the M23 group has long been an open secret. Thus, the US authorities maintain an acceptable price for the resource, not allowing the country to become a regional leader.
And since politicians in Kinshasa cannot directly confront the political circles in Washington, they have been tasked with at least reducing the cash flows from the main beneficiaries. And Apple's evasive response confirms that to some extent this is possible with certain efforts.
#Africa #DRC #Rwanda #USA
@rybar
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According to the lawyers, the American company is actively purchasing smuggled Congolese tantalum and coltan from Rwanda, which are mined by local militants in the east of the country. The authorities in Kinshasa believe that in this way the tech giant is indirectly supporting anti-government groups.
Apple immediately rushed to declare that they did not find any facts of sponsoring militants in their supply chains and claimed that they allegedly immediately terminate contracts upon discovering the extraction of "blood resources". The latter sounds particularly comical against the background of past investigations where Apple and other companies incited DRC mining companies to use child labor.
📌 At the same time, for the Congolese leadership, the fact of the capture of the North Kivu mines in favor of the USA by the proxy forces of Rwanda in the form of the M23 group has long been an open secret. Thus, the US authorities maintain an acceptable price for the resource, not allowing the country to become a regional leader.
And since politicians in Kinshasa cannot directly confront the political circles in Washington, they have been tasked with at least reducing the cash flows from the main beneficiaries. And Apple's evasive response confirms that to some extent this is possible with certain efforts.
#Africa #DRC #Rwanda #USA
@rybar
Support us Original msg
Reuters
Congo lawyers say they have new evidence on Apple's minerals supply chain
International lawyers representing the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo said on Wednesday they had new evidence gathered from whistleblowers, which deepened concerns that Apple could be sourcing minerals from conflict areas in eastern Congo.
🇨🇩 Surge in rebel attacks sparks deadly protests in eastern Congo
At least seven people have been killed in unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, local officials said on Saturday, after people took to the streets to protest against a surge in deadly attacks by suspected Islamist rebels.
Rebel group affiliated to the Islamic State, are alleged to have killed more than 40 people in an attack on Mayikengo village this week and over 80 in attacks on other villages in the province the previous week.
The insecurity has fuelled public frustration, leading to the killing of two soldiers and their driver in Lubero territory by a crowd who torched their vehicle overnight on Friday, local official Julio Mabanga told.
On Saturday, further clashes in the area between security forces and local residents led to the deaths of another three people: a civilian, a soldier, and an agent of the ANR national intelligence service, Mabanga said.
A similar protest broke out in the city of Butembo on Saturday, with hundreds of youths taking to the streets wielding sticks, chanting and singing songs to denounce the widespread insecurity.
#DRC
@africaintel
At least seven people have been killed in unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, local officials said on Saturday, after people took to the streets to protest against a surge in deadly attacks by suspected Islamist rebels.
Rebel group affiliated to the Islamic State, are alleged to have killed more than 40 people in an attack on Mayikengo village this week and over 80 in attacks on other villages in the province the previous week.
The insecurity has fuelled public frustration, leading to the killing of two soldiers and their driver in Lubero territory by a crowd who torched their vehicle overnight on Friday, local official Julio Mabanga told.
On Saturday, further clashes in the area between security forces and local residents led to the deaths of another three people: a civilian, a soldier, and an agent of the ANR national intelligence service, Mabanga said.
A similar protest broke out in the city of Butembo on Saturday, with hundreds of youths taking to the streets wielding sticks, chanting and singing songs to denounce the widespread insecurity.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩Attack on a Congo gold mine kills 6 Chinese miners and 2 Congolese soldiers
A militia attack on a gold mine in northeastern Congo killed six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers, a civil society group said Thursday, the latest assault as violence worsens in the resource-rich region.
The attack on Wednesday targeted the village of Gambala and the nearby "Camp Blanquette" gold mine in the Ituri province, according to Jean Robert Basiloko, a member of a local civil society group. A militia known as the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, or CODECO, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Eastern Congo has been torn by decadelong fighting between government forces and more than 120 armed groups, often involving bombs targeting civilians as the militias seek a share of the region's gold and other resources. Violence in the region has worsened in recent months as security forces battle the militias.
#DRC
@africaintel
A militia attack on a gold mine in northeastern Congo killed six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers, a civil society group said Thursday, the latest assault as violence worsens in the resource-rich region.
The attack on Wednesday targeted the village of Gambala and the nearby "Camp Blanquette" gold mine in the Ituri province, according to Jean Robert Basiloko, a member of a local civil society group. A militia known as the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, or CODECO, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Eastern Congo has been torn by decadelong fighting between government forces and more than 120 armed groups, often involving bombs targeting civilians as the militias seek a share of the region's gold and other resources. Violence in the region has worsened in recent months as security forces battle the militias.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩U.S. citizens in Congo coup attempt tell court they were forced to join
Two U.S. citizens on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo over their role in an attempted coup in May, told a court on Friday that they were threatened by the coup leader to either join or be killed.
Armed men briefly occupied an office of the presidency in the capital Kinshasa on May 19 before their leader, U.S.-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces.
Speaking for the first time since the trial began, Malanga's son Marcel Malanga, 22, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun told the court that the coup leader had threatened them.
"Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders," Malanga told a military court, denying they had any involvement in plotting the coup attempt.
He said he had come to Congo to see his father, whom he had not seen since 2021, at his invitation, adding he had not visited the country before. "I am American, I do not speak French or Lingala," he told the military court in the capital Kinshasa.
#DRC
@africaintel
Two U.S. citizens on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo over their role in an attempted coup in May, told a court on Friday that they were threatened by the coup leader to either join or be killed.
Armed men briefly occupied an office of the presidency in the capital Kinshasa on May 19 before their leader, U.S.-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces.
Speaking for the first time since the trial began, Malanga's son Marcel Malanga, 22, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun told the court that the coup leader had threatened them.
"Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders," Malanga told a military court, denying they had any involvement in plotting the coup attempt.
He said he had come to Congo to see his father, whom he had not seen since 2021, at his invitation, adding he had not visited the country before. "I am American, I do not speak French or Lingala," he told the military court in the capital Kinshasa.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇺🇬🇨🇩Uganda provided support to M23 rebels in Congo, UN report says
The Ugandan army has provided support to the M23 rebel group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a United Nations report seen by Reuters on Monday said, as escalating clashes there fuel fears of a new all-out conflict.
Uganda denied involvement, saying it is cooperating closely with the Congolese government forces. The U.N. has long accused Rwanda of backing the M23, which has repeatedly seized large parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo, allegations Rwanda denied.
Congo has been riven by conflict for decades. Uganda and Rwanda invaded in 1996 and 1998 for what they said was defence against local militia groups. Uganda is still conducting joint operations with Congolese troops against a rebel Ugandan group.
The Tutsi-led M23 rebels have been waging a fresh insurgency in Congo's militia-plagued east since 2022.
Ugandan troops were part of a regional force deployed in November 2022 to monitor a ceasefire with the M23. Congolese authorities called for the force to withdraw last year, saying it was ineffective.
"Since the resurgence of the M23 crisis, Uganda has not prevented the presence of M23 and Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) troops on its territory or passage through it," the U.N. Security Council's Group of Experts said in the report, which was sent to the U.N. Security Council Sanctions Committee at the end of April and then to members of the Security Council in June.
The U.N. group also said it had obtained evidence confirming active support for M23 by officials from the military and military intelligence, with M23 leaders, including the sanctioned Sultani Makenga, travelling to Uganda for meetings.
#Uganda #DRC
@africaintel
The Ugandan army has provided support to the M23 rebel group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a United Nations report seen by Reuters on Monday said, as escalating clashes there fuel fears of a new all-out conflict.
Uganda denied involvement, saying it is cooperating closely with the Congolese government forces. The U.N. has long accused Rwanda of backing the M23, which has repeatedly seized large parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo, allegations Rwanda denied.
Congo has been riven by conflict for decades. Uganda and Rwanda invaded in 1996 and 1998 for what they said was defence against local militia groups. Uganda is still conducting joint operations with Congolese troops against a rebel Ugandan group.
The Tutsi-led M23 rebels have been waging a fresh insurgency in Congo's militia-plagued east since 2022.
Ugandan troops were part of a regional force deployed in November 2022 to monitor a ceasefire with the M23. Congolese authorities called for the force to withdraw last year, saying it was ineffective.
"Since the resurgence of the M23 crisis, Uganda has not prevented the presence of M23 and Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) troops on its territory or passage through it," the U.N. Security Council's Group of Experts said in the report, which was sent to the U.N. Security Council Sanctions Committee at the end of April and then to members of the Security Council in June.
The U.N. group also said it had obtained evidence confirming active support for M23 by officials from the military and military intelligence, with M23 leaders, including the sanctioned Sultani Makenga, travelling to Uganda for meetings.
#Uganda #DRC
@africaintel
🇺🇬Ugandan officials have denied a report by a UN panel of experts that accused Kampala of harboring Congolese M23 rebels.
The country respects the borders and territorial integrity of the DRC and conducts cross-border operations only with the consent of Kinshasa, the Ministry of Defense said.
#Uganda #DRC
@africaintel
The country respects the borders and territorial integrity of the DRC and conducts cross-border operations only with the consent of Kinshasa, the Ministry of Defense said.
#Uganda #DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩 Attacks killing aid workers in eastern DRC
Since the start of 2024, more than 170 security incidents in DRC have directly targeted humanitarian workers, the UN says, causing at least four deaths and 20 injuries.
On Sunday, June 30, two days after M23 rebels seized Kanyabayonga, a strategic city in Lubero territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu province, the latest attack occurred.
Two Congolese aid workers with Tearfund, a foreign NGO, were killed, the organisation said. Five cars and seven motorcycles were also set alight, civil society, according to sources.
More than a dozen humanitarian workers were also abducted in the first half of 2024, OCHA said. Violence in eastern DRC has been escalating since M23 rebels launched attacks against the Congolese army in late 2021.
Despite numerous calls for a ceasefire, the fighting persists with M23 taking over large swaths of Congolese territory. This has raised tensions between the DRC and its neighbour Rwanda, which UN experts say is supporting the armed group – a claim Kigali denies.
Although it remains unclear who was responsible for the June 30 attack, experts say more than 120 armed groups in eastern DRC have regularly targeted civilians.
#DRC
@africaintel
Since the start of 2024, more than 170 security incidents in DRC have directly targeted humanitarian workers, the UN says, causing at least four deaths and 20 injuries.
On Sunday, June 30, two days after M23 rebels seized Kanyabayonga, a strategic city in Lubero territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu province, the latest attack occurred.
Two Congolese aid workers with Tearfund, a foreign NGO, were killed, the organisation said. Five cars and seven motorcycles were also set alight, civil society, according to sources.
More than a dozen humanitarian workers were also abducted in the first half of 2024, OCHA said. Violence in eastern DRC has been escalating since M23 rebels launched attacks against the Congolese army in late 2021.
Despite numerous calls for a ceasefire, the fighting persists with M23 taking over large swaths of Congolese territory. This has raised tensions between the DRC and its neighbour Rwanda, which UN experts say is supporting the armed group – a claim Kigali denies.
Although it remains unclear who was responsible for the June 30 attack, experts say more than 120 armed groups in eastern DRC have regularly targeted civilians.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩The UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo will suspend the withdrawal of troops, while the timing of the next stage has not been established. The DRC Ambassador to the UN, Zenon Mukongo Ngai, stated this at the UN Security Council.
“Given Rwanda's ongoing aggression in North Kivu, the next phase of troop withdrawal will begin when conditions permit, following joint assessments. We will pause, prepare and see what will happen next, based on the reality on the ground,” he said.
#DRC
@africaintel
“Given Rwanda's ongoing aggression in North Kivu, the next phase of troop withdrawal will begin when conditions permit, following joint assessments. We will pause, prepare and see what will happen next, based on the reality on the ground,” he said.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩🇺🇬🇷🇼Two armies accused of backing DR Congo's feared rebels
Uganda is backing M23 rebels fighting across its border in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, UN experts say, warning that a rapidly escalating crisis “carried the risk of triggering a wider regional conflict”.
The well-armed M23 is often accused of being a Rwandan proxy force, but the UN experts have put forward evidence to suggest that it also has Uganda’s support.
Uganda has denied the allegations in the UN report that also accuses Rwanda of having up to 4,000 troops in DR Congo fighting alongside the rebels.
In response, Rwanda did not deny the allegation and told that the DR Congo government lacked the political will to resolve the crisis in its mineral-rich east, which has witnessed decades of unrest.
The UN experts said that Rwandan troops were "matching if not surpassing" the number of M23 fighters, thought to be at around 3,000 in mid-April, on Congolese soil.
Rwanda has long been angered by the presence of ethnic Hutu rebels, known as the FDLR, in eastern DR Congo - joint operations in the past have failed to eliminate them.
The group’s leaders are accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed.
The Tutsi-led M23 first emerged with great ferocity in 2012, only to be defeated the following year with the help of a multinational force when most of its fighters fled to camps in Rwanda and Uganda.
They began to rearm three years ago and the group now controls swathes of territory in the North Kivu province, where the UN report says M23 has installed a parallel administration.
Three million people are estimated to have fled their homes because of the fighting.
#DRC #Rwanda #Uganda
@africaintel
Uganda is backing M23 rebels fighting across its border in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, UN experts say, warning that a rapidly escalating crisis “carried the risk of triggering a wider regional conflict”.
The well-armed M23 is often accused of being a Rwandan proxy force, but the UN experts have put forward evidence to suggest that it also has Uganda’s support.
Uganda has denied the allegations in the UN report that also accuses Rwanda of having up to 4,000 troops in DR Congo fighting alongside the rebels.
In response, Rwanda did not deny the allegation and told that the DR Congo government lacked the political will to resolve the crisis in its mineral-rich east, which has witnessed decades of unrest.
The UN experts said that Rwandan troops were "matching if not surpassing" the number of M23 fighters, thought to be at around 3,000 in mid-April, on Congolese soil.
Rwanda has long been angered by the presence of ethnic Hutu rebels, known as the FDLR, in eastern DR Congo - joint operations in the past have failed to eliminate them.
The group’s leaders are accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed.
The Tutsi-led M23 first emerged with great ferocity in 2012, only to be defeated the following year with the help of a multinational force when most of its fighters fled to camps in Rwanda and Uganda.
They began to rearm three years ago and the group now controls swathes of territory in the North Kivu province, where the UN report says M23 has installed a parallel administration.
Three million people are estimated to have fled their homes because of the fighting.
#DRC #Rwanda #Uganda
@africaintel
🇨🇩Intensifying Congo conflict puts 1 mln children at risk of acute malnutrition
More than one million children are at risk from acute malnutrition in Democratic Republic of Congo as rising violence drives up needs among millions of displaced people, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
The impact on civilians of the more than two-year conflict between Congolese forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia in eastern areas of the country is worsening, causing more people to flee with 2.7 million displaced in North Kivu alone.
Severe flooding and landslides as well as long-simmering conflicts affecting other parts of the country have worsened needs and around 25 million currently require humanitarian aid, according to the WHO.
"If immediate action is not taken to address basic needs in DRC over 1 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition," WHO's Senior Emergency Officer Adelheid Marschang told a press briefing in Geneva.
"The acute malnutrition is a result of widespread, increasing and also recurrent food insecurity in the areas that have seen conflict for years and decades now but where we now very recently see an escalation," she said.
The children at risk were mostly among the millions already displaced by fighting in eastern areas but also children in the central Kasai provinces, she said. Already hundreds of thousands of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, she said, which can make them more vulnerable to infection and disease and requires sustained treatment.
The WHO has registered over 20,000 cases of cholera across the country so far this year and 60,000 cases of measles, with real numbers probably higher due to insufficient surveillance.
#DRC
@africaintel
More than one million children are at risk from acute malnutrition in Democratic Republic of Congo as rising violence drives up needs among millions of displaced people, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
The impact on civilians of the more than two-year conflict between Congolese forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia in eastern areas of the country is worsening, causing more people to flee with 2.7 million displaced in North Kivu alone.
Severe flooding and landslides as well as long-simmering conflicts affecting other parts of the country have worsened needs and around 25 million currently require humanitarian aid, according to the WHO.
"If immediate action is not taken to address basic needs in DRC over 1 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition," WHO's Senior Emergency Officer Adelheid Marschang told a press briefing in Geneva.
"The acute malnutrition is a result of widespread, increasing and also recurrent food insecurity in the areas that have seen conflict for years and decades now but where we now very recently see an escalation," she said.
The children at risk were mostly among the millions already displaced by fighting in eastern areas but also children in the central Kasai provinces, she said. Already hundreds of thousands of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, she said, which can make them more vulnerable to infection and disease and requires sustained treatment.
The WHO has registered over 20,000 cases of cholera across the country so far this year and 60,000 cases of measles, with real numbers probably higher due to insufficient surveillance.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇷🇼 🇨🇩 As Rwanda votes, tensions with neighbouring DR Congo deepen over M23
A recent UN report accuses Rwanda of aiding M23 rebel group that’s battling Congolese forces in eastern DRC.
As Rwandans go to the polls for presidential and legislative elections, some 9.7 million people are voting in an atmosphere of peace and stability. It is a long way from the devastation the East African country faced after the 1994 genocide against its Tutsi population when President Paul Kagame first became de facto leader.
Thirty years on, Kagame faces no serious challenge to his rule and is expected to be re-elected for a fourth term. Critics accuse the president of repressing the opposition domestically. However, Kagame is also loved by many Rwandans, young and old alike. Many praise the longtime leader for reuniting the country after the genocide and setting it on a path of economic growth.
#Rwanda #DRC
@africaintel
A recent UN report accuses Rwanda of aiding M23 rebel group that’s battling Congolese forces in eastern DRC.
As Rwandans go to the polls for presidential and legislative elections, some 9.7 million people are voting in an atmosphere of peace and stability. It is a long way from the devastation the East African country faced after the 1994 genocide against its Tutsi population when President Paul Kagame first became de facto leader.
Thirty years on, Kagame faces no serious challenge to his rule and is expected to be re-elected for a fourth term. Critics accuse the president of repressing the opposition domestically. However, Kagame is also loved by many Rwandans, young and old alike. Many praise the longtime leader for reuniting the country after the genocide and setting it on a path of economic growth.
#Rwanda #DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩 Around fifty dead after an attack by militiamen against the army in the DRC
In the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mobondo militias attacked army positions in the village of Kinsele. Authorities report a death toll of about fifty dead, including 42 militiamen, in the clashes with the army.
Intercommunity tensions in the territory of Kwamouth in Maï-Ndombe, in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, persist.
The militiamen, described as members of the Yaka community, first attempted an attack on Friday before being routed by the army. They returned with reinforcements on Saturday at dawn but were poorly equipped against the army.
"It seems the Mobondo militia attacked the Teke people," David Bisaka, provincial deputy for Maï-Ndombe, told RFI's correspondent in the country.
He added: "We struggle to understand how these people, civilians as they are, with machetes, sticks and 12 calibers, organised themselves to attack the well-armed soldiers...They must have formed a rebel movement."
The militiamen accuse government forces of siding with the Teke.
In response to these accusations, a senior army official firmly refused to identify ethnic groups, stating that only the protection of civilians and the reestablishment of state authority matter.
At the beginning of April, traditional leaders and militia leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed an agreement with the government in the presence of President Félix Tshisekedi to cease hostilities.
“The hatchet has been buried," Stanys Libi, the chief of the neighboring Kimomo village, told RFI. "Why are the militiamen rising up to take up arms and attack government forces now?" he asked.
#DRC
@africaintel
In the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mobondo militias attacked army positions in the village of Kinsele. Authorities report a death toll of about fifty dead, including 42 militiamen, in the clashes with the army.
Intercommunity tensions in the territory of Kwamouth in Maï-Ndombe, in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, persist.
The militiamen, described as members of the Yaka community, first attempted an attack on Friday before being routed by the army. They returned with reinforcements on Saturday at dawn but were poorly equipped against the army.
"It seems the Mobondo militia attacked the Teke people," David Bisaka, provincial deputy for Maï-Ndombe, told RFI's correspondent in the country.
He added: "We struggle to understand how these people, civilians as they are, with machetes, sticks and 12 calibers, organised themselves to attack the well-armed soldiers...They must have formed a rebel movement."
The militiamen accuse government forces of siding with the Teke.
In response to these accusations, a senior army official firmly refused to identify ethnic groups, stating that only the protection of civilians and the reestablishment of state authority matter.
At the beginning of April, traditional leaders and militia leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed an agreement with the government in the presence of President Félix Tshisekedi to cease hostilities.
“The hatchet has been buried," Stanys Libi, the chief of the neighboring Kimomo village, told RFI. "Why are the militiamen rising up to take up arms and attack government forces now?" he asked.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩 DR Congo conflict fuels forest loss
Under the denuded slopes of Mount Nyiragongo volcano in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, traders in Kibati town bartered over sacks of charcoal, a product of deforestation that an ongoing conflict has pushed to unprecedented levels, the United Nations says.
Motorbikes piled with freshly sawn planks zipped down the main road in Kibati, a community that has remained under Congolese army control even as a two-year insurgency by the M23 militia advanced in conflict-torn North Kivu province, displacing more than 1.7 million people.
"In the camp, we're dying of hunger. We've decided to make charcoal so we can feed our children," said displaced vendor Jacques Muzayi at Kibati.
The insecurity has worsened the pressure on the region's once densely forested hillsides and its protected Virunga national park, home to many of the world's last mountain gorillas.
"There used to be a forest here," said Bantu Lukambo, head of a local environmental organisation.
#DRC
@africaintel
Under the denuded slopes of Mount Nyiragongo volcano in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, traders in Kibati town bartered over sacks of charcoal, a product of deforestation that an ongoing conflict has pushed to unprecedented levels, the United Nations says.
Motorbikes piled with freshly sawn planks zipped down the main road in Kibati, a community that has remained under Congolese army control even as a two-year insurgency by the M23 militia advanced in conflict-torn North Kivu province, displacing more than 1.7 million people.
"In the camp, we're dying of hunger. We've decided to make charcoal so we can feed our children," said displaced vendor Jacques Muzayi at Kibati.
The insecurity has worsened the pressure on the region's once densely forested hillsides and its protected Virunga national park, home to many of the world's last mountain gorillas.
"There used to be a forest here," said Bantu Lukambo, head of a local environmental organisation.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩A rebel group from the province of Tshopo in northeastern DR Congo has joined the M23 militants.
Members of the Lombi community sent a memorandum to the governor calling on the Congolese army to strengthen security of their territory. The document was signed by 116 people who claim close proximity to the community of the group led by the self-proclaimed General Shokoro.
Community members complain about the minimal presence of the Congolese army, which means militants could come to their settlement at any time.
#DRC
@africaintel
Members of the Lombi community sent a memorandum to the governor calling on the Congolese army to strengthen security of their territory. The document was signed by 116 people who claim close proximity to the community of the group led by the self-proclaimed General Shokoro.
Community members complain about the minimal presence of the Congolese army, which means militants could come to their settlement at any time.
#DRC
@africaintel
🇨🇩 Congo's South Kivu governor suspends mining operations in province
The governor of Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province has suspended all mining activities in the restive region and ordered companies and operators to leave mining sites, he said on Friday.
Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki said in a statement that the suspension until further notice was due to "disorder caused by the mining operators," without elaborating.
"All companies, businesses and cooperatives are required to leave the sites and operating locations within 72 hours," he said.
The decision will hit artisanal miners of metals such as gold and tin hard, as they are the region's dominant producers.
"The decision is illegal and falls within the scope of abuse of power," said Jean Pierre Okenda, an analyst on governance in Congo's extractive sector, adding that Congo's mines minister should urgently ask for the ban to be lifted.
In a separate statement, the governor called for a July 30 meeting with mining operators to assess the situation.
#DRC
@africaintel
The governor of Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province has suspended all mining activities in the restive region and ordered companies and operators to leave mining sites, he said on Friday.
Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki said in a statement that the suspension until further notice was due to "disorder caused by the mining operators," without elaborating.
"All companies, businesses and cooperatives are required to leave the sites and operating locations within 72 hours," he said.
The decision will hit artisanal miners of metals such as gold and tin hard, as they are the region's dominant producers.
"The decision is illegal and falls within the scope of abuse of power," said Jean Pierre Okenda, an analyst on governance in Congo's extractive sector, adding that Congo's mines minister should urgently ask for the ban to be lifted.
In a separate statement, the governor called for a July 30 meeting with mining operators to assess the situation.
#DRC
@africaintel