UN experts say Rwanda supported rebels in Congo and smuggled minerals at ‘unprecedented levels'
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict in Eastern Congo , which has been in and out of crises for decades. The rebels earlier this year advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma and Bukavu in a major escalation of the conflict.
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Yahoo
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Senegal PM unveils economic recovery plan based on domestic resources
Senegal's prime minster unveiled an economic recovery plan for the highly indebted nation on Friday, focused on reviving its economy with a shift towards greater domestic funding. The west African country faces a deteriorating economy, marked by a 14-percent budget deficit and outstanding public debt that represents 119 percent of GDP, said Senegal Economy Minister Abdourahmane Sarr. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko declared that under the new economic plan "90 percent of resources are expected to come from the mobilisation of internal resources and without external debt". The declaration received strong applause at the Grand Theatre de Dakar, where it was revealed in a ceremony before members of the government, including President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Faye took power more than a year ago promising economic and political sovereignty, including putting an end to economic dependence on foreign countries, notably former colonial ruler France. Sonko, a political mentor to Faye, was ineligible to run in the March 2024 election, pushing his mentee to the forefront instead. Together, the pair have presented themselves as left-wing pan-Africanists. Faye and Sonko claim to have inherited a heavy burden from their predecessor, president Macky Sall, whom they accuse of having presided over widespread financial mismanagement since he assumed power in 2012. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team that visited Senegal in March confirmed that officials had made false statements regarding budget deficits and public debt for the period 2019–2023. It said the 2023 budget deficit was 12.3 percent of GDP, when the last government said it was 4.9 percent. Sonko said that the new economic plan "reflects the strong commitment of reinforcing our country's sovereignty". The plan includes a reduction in government expenditures and increased taxation in the digital, land and mining sectors. It will focus on three main areas: reduction of public debt, mobilisation of domestic resources and additional internal financing that does not create debt. The proposal comes as the unemployment rate is estimated at 20 percent, while poverty affects 36 percent of the population, according to Sarr, the economy minister. The new economic plan was unveiled ahead of an IMF mission to Senegal expected later this month. The fund suspended planned disbursements to Senegal as it waits on the current government to take corrective measures following the previous misrepresentations. In unveiling the new plan, Sonko said it was based on principles including "respect for Senegal's international commitments", particularly debt repayment. But "we want to reverse this legacy situation without worsening public debt and without selling off our natural and land resources", he said. He added that the plan would be implemented "without imposing excessive additional taxes on investors, to the detriment of our country's attractiveness". mrb-lp/bfm/kjm Sign in to access your portfolio
Bloomberg
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Senegal Plans to Raise $10 Billion by 2028 to Escape Debt Crisis
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San Francisco Chronicle
28-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
An attack on a Congolese church killed nearly 40 worshippers. Here's what to know
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nearly 40 people were killed Sunday in eastern Congo's Ituri province when rebels stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire on worshippers, including many women and children. At least 38 people were confirmed dead in the church while another five were killed in a nearby village. The victims included 19 men, 15 women and nine children. The attacks in Komanda town in the conflict-battered region were carried out by the Allied Democratic Force, a rebel group backed by the Islamic State that has mostly targeted villagers in eastern Congo and across the border in Uganda, the Congolese army said. The ADF arose from tensions in neighboring Uganda The ADF has roots in Uganda in the 1990s. Following the overthrow of long-term dictator, Idi Amin, a coalition of various discontent groups saw the new government of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni as anti-Muslim. Since then, the group has grown into a potent force but has been pushed out of Uganda's territories and now operates in the borderlands between Uganda and Congo, often targeting civilians in remote villages. ADF leaders pledged allegiance in 2019 to the Islamic State and have sought to establish an Islamic caliphate in Uganda. Eastern Congo has been beleaguered by protracted conflicts for decades, dating back to the Rwanda genocide in 1994. The conflicts have involved more than a hundred armed groups, according to the United Nations. The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group is the most prominent and launched a blitz of attacks in January in a major escalation culiminating in its capture of two key cities in the region. The Congolese and Ugandan armies have targeted the ADF in a joint military effort but analysts say it has done little, even as the rebels attack civilians. 'These joint operations have only succeeded in dispersing the ADF without really protecting civilians from their wrathful reprisals,' said Onesphore Sematumba, the Congo analyst at the International Crisis Group. This presents complex headaches for the overstretched Congolese army, which is occupied with advances by M23 and other rebel groups in the mineral-rich region. 'The ADF is taking more or less the advantage of the Congolese army's and international diplomacy's focus on the M23 further south without attracting too much attention,' Sematumba said. Attack targeted worshippers at midnight The church attack Sunday was the latest in a series of deadly ADF assaults on civilians, including earlier this month when the group killed 66 people in Ituri province. The attack happened July 11 around 1 a.m. during a vigil at a Catholic church in Komanda, civil society leaders and survivors. It followed an attack a few hours earlier in the nearby village of Machongani, where five people were killed and houses razed. The attackers were believed to have come from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Attack expected to worsen situation The attack Sunday has sent shockwaves around the Central African country, which is currently embroiled in numerous conflicts. The Congolese government condemned it as 'horrific" while the military described it as a 'large-scale massacre' carried out in revenge for recent security operations targeting the ADF. However, M23 used the attack to accuse the governemnt of 'blatant incompetence' in attempts to protect citizens.
