Latest news with #AngeKasongo
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Three Americans jailed over failed Congo coup are now in US custody, US diplomats say
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Three U.S. citizens jailed over a failed coup attempt in Democratic Republic of Congo are now in U.S. custody after their sentences were commuted last week, two American diplomats told Reuters on Tuesday. (Reporting Ange Kasongo and Congo newsroom; Writing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Embattled Congo president considers sitting down with M23 rebels
By Ange Kasongo and Sonia Rolley KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has long ruled out dialogue with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels rampaging through eastern parts of his country, but a string of defeats and waning regional support have forced him think again. Neighbouring Angola caught many by surprise this week by saying Congo and M23 would sit down for direct talks in its capital on March 18, at a time when the rebels are still seizing territory rich with coltan, tantalum and other minerals. Tshisekedi's government has so far not committed publicly, but three government sources told Reuters this week he was seriously considering sending a delegation. With Congo's army and allied forces putting up weak resistance to the rebel advance, regional powers appear in agreement that dialogue is the only way forward, diplomats and analysts said. "I haven't talked to a single African country that says Kinshasa shouldn't talk to M23," one senior diplomat said. "The line of everyone is, 'How do you stop the fighting if you don't engage with them?'" One source said on Friday that government participation was a sure thing but that it was still too early to say who would represent Kinshasa in Luanda. Other sources said the debate was still ongoing and that a final decision was not likely to be made until next week. M23, for its part, said on Thursday it was demanding an unequivocal commitment from Tshisekedi to engage in talks. Both sides said they had questions about the framework and how the Angola-hosted talks would comply with decisions from regional bodies attempting to resolve the conflict. Southern and East African foreign and defence ministers are due to meet in Harare on Monday to discuss the push for a cessation of hostilities and political dialogue. 'FAILED' MILITARY APPROACH M23 is backed by thousands of Rwandan troops, according to U.N. experts, and their superior weaponry and equipment has allowed them to seize east Congo's two biggest cities since late January along with a host of smaller localities. Rwanda denies providing arms and troops to M23, and says its forces are acting in self defence against the Congolese army and militias hostile to Kigali. Sitting down with M23 would likely be deeply unpopular in Kinshasa, especially after Tshisekedi's repeated vows never to do so. But it would amount to an acknowledgment that Tshisekedi's pursuit of a military solution has "failed", said Congolese analyst Bob Kabamba of the University of Liege in Belgium. "Kinshasa's position of dialogue is understandable because it finds itself stuck, thinking that the (rebel alliance) must not reach a critical threshold," he said. Congo's neighbour Angola may have made a similar calculation, wary of being drawn into a larger-scale regional war reminiscent of those that killed millions in the 1990s and early 2000s. "Angola has clearly decided that it is necessary to intervene to prevent the advance of the M23 towards the west of the DRC," said Stephanie Wolters, a Congo analyst with South Africa's Institute for Security Studies. The lack of faith in Tshisekedi's ability to turn the tide militarily was also seen this week in Southern African leaders' approval of the "phased withdrawal" of a regional deployment known as SAMIDRC that had a mandate to fight rebels. Although the deployment was too weak to mean much in the fight against M23, its presence was an important sign of regional support for Congo, Wolters said, making its departure a "significant blow". (Additional reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anxiety rises in DR Congo capital as M23 rebels advance in east
By Ange Kasongo and Sonia Rolley KINSHASA (Reuters) - As Rwanda-backed rebels strolled through the streets of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's second-largest city, President Felix Tshisekedi's office claimed it was actually still controlled by his army and "valiant" allied forces. It was the latest jarring move from the 61-year-old leader that has fuelled a sense of worry and panic 1,600 km (1,000 miles) away in the capital Kinshasa, where some residents are looking to move their families abroad amid open talk of a coup. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "There was never any question of fighting in Bukavu. It was clear to all the people on the ground that the Rwandans and their auxiliaries were going to make their entry," said one army general who expressed bafflement at a statement issued by the president's office on Sunday. Tshisekedi, he added, "doesn't have the right sources." Anxiety is visible on the streets of Kinshasa as the army puts up limited resistance against the M23 group's advance and residents question whether Tshisekedi grasps the risk it poses. Embassies have begun using armoured vehicles for trips to the airport and sending some staff across the Congo River to Brazzaville, capital of Republic of Congo. Three Kinshasa-based government officials told Reuters they were making arrangements to get their families out of the country. Banker Matondo Arnold said he had already sent his family to Brazzaville after the rebels seized Goma, eastern Congo's biggest city, in late January. "We never imagined Goma could fall," he said. As talk about a possible coup spread, Justice Minister Constant Mutamba said on X that Congolese "will not accept any coup that involves the Rwandan army to destabilize the country's institutions." But even a member of Tshisekedi's Sacred Union coalition said the anxiety was unmistakable. "Oh yes, it's panic. Some people are desperate and they are courting embassies" in search of an exit. SUMMIT SNUB This M23 advance is the gravest escalation in more than a decade of the long-running conflict in eastern Congo, rooted in the spillover of Rwanda's 1994 genocide into Congo and the struggle for control of Congo's vast minerals resources. Rwanda rejects allegations from Congo, the United Nations and Western powers that it supports M23 with arms and troops. It says it is defending itself against the threat from a Hutu militia, which it says is fighting with the Congolese military. As the hunt for a diplomatic resolution stalls, with Tshisekedi refusing to negotiate with the rebels, his camp faults the international community for failing to stand up to Rwanda by imposing sanctions. "It's not a bad thing to refuse dialogue with an armed group like M23. The M23 is Rwanda," said a lawmaker close to the president. "Why doesn't the West do anything?" Tshisekedi has skipped two African-organised meetings this month addressing the fighting - a joint summit in Dar es Salaam of Southern and Eastern African leaders and the annual African Union summit in Addis Ababa. Instead he travelled to the Munich Security Conference where he accused his predecessor Joseph Kabila of sponsoring M23's military campaign, which Kabila's camp denied. The decision by Tshisekedi, who spent much of his life in Brussels, to fly to Europe drew derision from the Congolese political establishment. "The fact that an African president snubs the African Union summit and prefers instead a security conference in Europe is indicative of who sustains him," said one former senior official. Some members of Congo's fractious opposition are openly predicting Tshisekedi will not last. "His lack of legitimacy is now proven, making him less and less listened to and more and more rejected by the population every day," said Olivier Kamitatu, a Kabila-era minister and spokesperson for opposition politician Moise Katumbi. "Tshisekedi did not understand the issues of the country and the region. He did not have enough intellectual heft to lead Congo," said Martin Fayulu, who came in second in the 2018 election that brought Tshisekedi to power. But it is unclear who could pose the most legitimate challenge to Tshisekedi, said Congolese analyst Bob Kabamba of the University of Liege in Belgium. "With the capture of Goma and Bukavu, no one is sure of Tshisekedi's ability to control the security and political situation," he said. (Rolley reported from Paris; Additional reporting by Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi; Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
