M23 Rebels Claim Control of Goma in Congo
Rebel group M23, aligned with Rwanda, says it seized the key trading hub of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. M23 said all Congolese military personnel must hand over weapons to UN peacekeepers. The US, Congo and United Nations experts accuse M23, which already controls the region's biggest tantalum-ore mine, of smuggling minerals to Rwanda. Congo's government and army have not confirmed the city has fallen. The US, Congo and United Nations experts accuse M23, which already controls the region's biggest tantalum-ore mine, of smuggling minerals to Rwanda. Bloomberg's Ondiro Oganga reports from Kigali. (Source: Bloomberg)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
an hour ago
Cuban diplomat defends foreign medical missions under pressure from US
UNITED NATIONS -- A senior Cuban diplomat has accused the Trump administration of trying to discredit the thousands of Cuban doctors working around the world and deprive the country of an important source of income. Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, who was at U.N. headquarters this week for a debate on sanctions, told The Associated Press that the U.S. is putting pressure on other countries and financial institutions to break their ties with Cuba. Cossio said over the decades Cuba has sent more than 100,000 doctors to more than 70 countries to provide much needed medical care. More than 22,000 doctors are now working in more than 50 countries, according to the government. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the program as 'forced labor.' He announced visa restrictions in late February on Cuban and foreign government officials involved in Cuba's medical missions. In June, the Trump administration imposed visa restrictions on several unidentified officials from Central America for their involvement with the Cuban program. And in a letter obtained by AP last week, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights asked the 34 members of the Organization of American States for details of any agreements with Cuba for medical missions. It specifically requested information on whether the medical workers have labor and union rights, and about any labor complaints. The commission, an independent body of the OAS, which is heavily funded by the United States, said it would analyze the data and make recommendations, 'given the persistence of reports of rights violations.' The State Department said Tuesday it was pleased its action 'has prompted meaningful discussion of this exploitative labor export program after years of denial.' It said the U.S. will not stop raising these issues until Cuba curtails the 'forced labor' of its own citizens. Cossio defended the program in an interview on Monday. He said all Cuban doctors working abroad receive their regular salary, plus 'a dignified stipend.' Starting about 15 years ago, he said, Cuba began receiving compensation from wealthier countries for providing the doctors. That money covers the stipends, with the rest going to finance Cuba's public health system, he said. Cossio accused the United States of trying to discredit the medical missions, first by saying that Cuba was not sending doctors but agents to 'subvert' these counties. He said the U.S. then accused Cuba of human trafficking and put pressure on the countries that have agreements with Cuba to refuse any future medical missions. He said the U.S. wanted to stop the praise Cuba has received for sending doctors to many poor and developing countries and to deprive Cuba of a "legitimate source of income.' Cossio said Cuba would not break its agreements. Cossio also criticized the Trump administration for reversing a U.S. policy of welcoming Cubans into the country. The administration has started cracking down on Cubans who have entered the U.S. since October 2022 on two-year permits to live and work, a Biden administration program known as humanitarian parole. President Donald Trump this month also announced additional restrictions on visitors from Cuba, among other countries. The restrictions have come as a shock to the 2.4 million Cuban-Americans. They strongly backed the Republican president in both elections and have long enjoyed a place of privilege in the U.S. immigration system.
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Belgian officials go after a 92-year-old diplomat for his role in the murder of Patrice Lumumba
Belgian prosecutors are looking to take Etienne Davignon (92), a former diplomat who was allegedly involved in the murder of the Congolese revolutionary, Patrice Lumumba. Belgian prosecutors are investigating Etienne Davignon's involvement in Patrice Lumumba's murder. Accusations center on unlawful detention and degrading treatment of Lumumba prior to his execution. Davignon was a trainee diplomat at the time and is the sole survivor among the suspects. According to the prosecutor's office, the accused was involved in the "unlawful detention and transfer" of the former Congolese head of state, who was wrongly imprisoned and subjected to "humiliating and degrading treatment". AFP news agency disclosed that Davignon is the only survivor of ten Belgians who are suspected of being engaged in Lumumba's assassination. He held the position of vice-chairman of the European Commission throughout the 1980s and was a trainee diplomat at the time of the killing. As reported by the BBC, in 2011, Lumumba's children filed a complaint in Belgium to seek justice for their father's murder at the age of 35. A hearing is scheduled for January 2026 to determine if he should go to trial. The news was welcomed by Juliana, Lumumba's daughter, who told Belgian network RTBF: "We're moving in the right direction. What we're seeking is, first and foremost, the truth." Life of Patrice Lumumba Patrice Lumumba, born in 1925 in the Belgian Congo, was a fierce anti-colonial leader and the first Prime Minister of an independent Congo. A powerful orator and visionary, he led the Congolese National Movement and played a central role in securing the country's independence from Belgium on June 30, 1960. His passionate Independence Day speech, in which he denounced the cruelty of Belgian colonialism, shocked Western leaders and marked him as a threat to foreign interests. Within months of independence, Congo descended into crisis. The mineral-rich Katanga province, backed by Belgian interests, declared secession. As Lumumba sought Soviet assistance to defend Congo's unity, Western powers, including the U.S. and Belgium, grew increasingly hostile. He was soon overthrown in a coup led by Colonel Joseph Mobutu, who had Western backing. Lumumba was arrested, humiliated, and eventually handed over to Katangan secessionists. On January 17, 1961, he was executed by firing squad alongside two allies. His body was dismembered and dissolved in acid to prevent a grave from becoming a rallying point. Foreign complicity in his death is widely acknowledged today. Patrice Lumumba remains a martyr of African liberation, his life and brutal killing symbolize the deep struggles Africa faced in shaking off the chains of colonialism.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Fed Ponders If Tariff Hit Is Less, or Just Later, Than Expected
I'm Chris Anstey, an economics editor in Boston and today we're looking at the upcoming Fed policy meeting. Send us feedback and tips to ecodaily@ And if you aren't yet signed up to receive this newsletter, you can do so here. Tuesday marked the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, where an American officer ostensibly told the revolutionary forces not to fire against the British until the ' whites of their eyes ' were visible.
