Focus on Africa A rise in child abductions in Mozambique
Civil organisations in Mozambique say at least 120 children have been kidnapped by insurgents in the north of the country. The Human Rights Watch group warn of a rise in abductions in the country's troubled nothern province of Cabo Delgado. The children are reportedly being used by Al-Shabab, an insurgent group linked to the so-called Islamic State, to transport looted goods, cheap labour and in some cases as child soldiers. We'll hear from someone closely monitoring the kidnappings.
Also, are there increased US bombings against targets in Somalia since Donald Trump became president?
And we meet Cathy Dreyer, the first female ranger to head up the team at the Kruger National Park in South Africa!
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
World Bank warns that 39 fragile states are falling further behind as conflicts grow, get deadlier
The world's most desperate countries are falling further and further behind, their plight worsened by conflicts that are growing deadlier and more frequent. That is the sobering conclusion of the World Bank's first comprehensive study of how 39 countries contending with 'fragile and conflict-affected situations'' have fared since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. 'Economic stagnation —rather than growth —has been the norm in economies hit by conflict and instability,' said Ayhan Kose, the World Bank's deputy chief economist. Since 2020, the 39 countries, which range from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific to Mozambique in sub-Saharan Africa, have seen their economic output per person fall by an average 1.8% a year. In other developing countries, by contrast, it grew by an average 2.9% a year over the same period. More than 420 million people in the fragile economies are living on less than $3 a day — the bank's definition of extreme poverty. That is more than everywhere else combined, even though the 39 countries account for less than 15% of the world's people. Many of these countries have longstanding problems with crumbling infrastructure, weak governments and low levels of education. People in the 39 countries get an average of just six years of schooling, three years fewer than those in other low- and middle-income countries. Life expectancy is five years shorter and infant mortality is twice as high. Increasing conflicts have made things worse. In the 2000s, the world saw an annual average of just over 6,000 conflicts — in which organized groups used armed force against other groups or against civilians and cause at least one death. Now the annual average exceeds 20,000. The conflicts are more lethal, too: In the 2000s, they took an average of fewer than 42,000 lives a year. From 2000 through 2024, the number averaged almost 194,000. Of the 39 countries, 21 are involved in active conflicts, including Ukraine, Sudan, Ethiopia and Gaza. The World Bank finds that countries involved in high-intensity conflict — which kill more than 150 out of every 1 million people — see a cumulative drop of 20% after five years in their gross domestic product, the output of goods and services. More conflict also means more hunger: The World Bank estimated that 18% -- around 200 million – of the people in the 39 countries are 'experiencing acute food insecurity'' compared with just 1% in other low and middle-income countries. Some countries have managed to escape the cycle of conflict and economic fragility. Kose cites Nepal; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Rwanda; and Sri Lanka as relative success stories. And the World Bank report notes that the 39 countries do enjoy strengths, including natural resources such as oil and natural gas and a lot of young, working-age people at a time when many economies are aging. 'Some of them are very rich when it comes to their tourism potential,'' Kose said. 'But you need to have security established. You and I are not going to go and visit these places unless they are safe even though they might be the most beautiful places in the world.''
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Congo and Rwanda sign a US-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decadeslong deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'an important moment after 30 years of war.' Earlier, President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for 'one of the worst wars anyone's ever seen.' 'I was able to get them together and sell it,' Trump said. 'And not only that, we're getting for the United States a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo.' The deal has been touted as an important step toward peace in the Central African nation of Congo, where conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, has killed millions since the 1990s. It's also at the heart of Trump's push to gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology at a time when the United States and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don't believe it will quickly end the fighting. The agreement involves provisions on territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities as well as the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Peace deal not likely to quickly end the conflict The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.' Congo hopes the U.S. will provide it with the security support needed to fight the rebels and possibly get them to withdraw from the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, and from the entire region where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. Rwanda has said that it's defending its territorial interests and not supporting M23. M23 rebels have suggested that the agreement won't be binding on them. The rebel group hasn't been directly involved in the planned peace deal, although it has been part of other ongoing peace talks. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance — known by its French acronym AFC — which includes M23, told The Associated Press in March that direct peace talks with Congo can only be held if the country acknowledges their grievances and that 'anything regarding us which are done without us, it's against us.' An M23 spokesman, Oscar Balinda, also echoed those thoughts in an interview with the AP this week, saying the U.S.-facilitated deal doesn't concern the rebels. Rwanda has also been accused of exploiting eastern Congo's minerals, a trend analysts say might make it difficult for Rwanda not to be involved in any way in the region. Critical minerals are used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. A team of U.N. experts alleged in a December report that "fraudulent extraction, trade and export to Rwanda of (Congo) minerals benefited both AFC/M23 and the Rwandan economy.' Rwanda has denied any involvement in Congo's minerals. The deal is also at the heart of the U.S. government's push to counter China in Africa. Chinese companies have been for many years one of the key players in Congo's minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo. US role in ending the conflict Analysts say the U.S. government's commitment might depend on how much access it has to the minerals being discussed under separate negotiations between the American and Congolese government. The mostly untapped minerals are estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol, called the deal a 'major turning point' in the decadeslong conflict, but that the signing could "in no way eliminate all the issues of the conflict.' 'The current draft agreement ignores war crimes and justice for victims by imposing a partnership between the victim and the aggressor,' he said. 'This seems like a trigger-happy proposition and cannot establish lasting peace without justice and reparation.' In Congo's North Kivu province, the hardest hit by the fighting, some believe that the peace deal will help resolve the violence, but warn justice must still be served for an enduring peace to take hold. 'I don't think the Americans should be trusted 100%,' said Hope Muhinuka, an activist from the province. 'It is up to us to capitalize on all we have now as an opportunity.' The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly 2 million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda's Tutsi population. ___ Asadu reported from Dakar, Senegal. AP writers Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, and Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed to this report.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
DR Congo and Rwanda sign long-awaited peace deal in Washington
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a peace deal in Washington aimed at ending decades of devastating conflict between the two neighbours, and potentially granting the US lucrative mineral deal demands the "disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration" of armed groups fighting in eastern DR details are scant and previous peace deals in the region have failed - yet that has not deterred the US and Congolese presidents from framing this as a generational victory."This is a great day for Africa and... a great day for the world!," wrote President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform last week when an initial agreement was reached. "Another diplomatic success for President Félix Tshisekedi - certainly the most important in over 30 years," said the Congolese president's office ahead of Friday's deal was signed by the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers at the US State has been talk of Tshisekedi and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame going to Washington to meet Trump together, though no date has been the fighting in DR Congo all about?The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR CongoYour phone, a rare metal and the war in DR CongoDecades of conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 rebels seized control of large parts of eastern DR Congo including the regional capital, Goma, the city of Bukavu and two of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes following the recent rebel the loss of territory, the government in Kinshasa turned to the US for help, reportedly offering access to critical minerals in exchange for security guarantees. Eastern DR Congo is rich in coltan and other resources vital to the global electronics denies supporting the M23 despite overwhelming evidence, and insists its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups like the FDLR - a rebel militia composed largely of ethnic Hutus linked to the 1994 Rwandan in turn accuses the Congolese government of backing the FDLR, which is denied by DR Congo. Their presence is of utmost concern to some information about the deal was released last week, a statement spoke of "provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities", but there were no also talked about the "facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons".According to a Reuters news agency report, Congolese negotiators had pushed for an immediate withdrawal of Rwandan soldiers, but Rwanda - which has at least 7,000 troops on Congolese soil - refused. In an angry statement a day before the deal was signed, Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe condemned "the leak of a draft peace agreement" saying Rwanda had "demanded the other parties to respect the confidentiality of the discussions".The calls for the total withdrawal of Rwandan troops from DR Congo is major point of Nduhungirehe said "the words 'Rwanda Defense Force', 'Rwandan troops' or 'withdrawal' are nowhere to be seen in the document".Just hours before the signing ceremony, Tshisekedi's office said the agreement "does indeed provide for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops... [but] preferred the term disengagement to withdrawal simply because 'disengagement' is more comprehensive".Unless and until full details of the signed deal are made public, several crucial questions remain unanswered:Will the M23 rebel group withdraw from areas they have occupied?Does "respect for territorial integrity" mean Rwanda admits having troops in eastern DR Congo and will withdraw them?Would the agreed "return of refugees" allow thousands of Congolese back from Rwanda?Does "disarmament" mean that the M23 will now lay down their weapons?Who will disarm the FDLR, after the failure of several previous attempts?Would the agreed humanitarian access allow the reopening of the rebel-held airports for aid supply?Prior to Friday's signing, Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo told Reuters news agency that the "lifting of defensive measures in our border area" would be contingent upon the FDLR's "neutralisation".One of the main actors in today's conflict - the M23 rebels - were spawned by a previous peace deal 16 years ago that failed to ensure year, Rwandan and Congolese experts reached an agreement twice under Angolan mediation on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and joint operations against the FDLR - but ministers from both countries failed to endorse the deal. Angola eventually stepped down as a mediator in March. More about the DR Congo conflict from the BBC: Congolese rebels want peaceful solution to crisis, UN saysEx-DR Congo president returns from self-imposed exile, party saysDR Congo conflict tests China's diplomatic balancing actHow DR Congo's Tutsis become foreigners in their own country'They took all the women here': Rape survivors recall horror of DR Congo jailbreak Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
