Latest news with #CaisseGeneraled'epargneduCongo
Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Students in rebel-held eastern Congo brave insecurity to take exams
FILE PHOTO: Members of the M23 rebel group mount their vehicles after the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Students return home from classes at the Mama Mulezi school complex, after M23 rebels announced the reopening of schools and universities, in Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo BUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo - Tens of thousands of secondary school students sat for state exams in rebel-held eastern Congo this week, a complicated logistical feat requiring rare cooperation between the government and M23 rebels. The Rwanda-backed insurgents seized eastern Congo's two largest cities in an offensive earlier this year and are now trying to show they can govern. African leaders along with Washington and Doha are meanwhile trying to broker a peace deal that would put an end to a conflict with roots in the Rwandan genocide more than three decades ago. The state exams, administered across the sprawling central African country for students hoping to go to university, began on Monday and will continue through mid-June. Administering them throughout the east of Democratic Republic of Congo required having education officials personally escort documents and other materials from the capital Kinshasa into M23-held cities and towns. "We were among those who went to Kinshasa to collect the items," said Jean-Marie Mwayesi, an education official in South Kivu province, where M23 claims considerable territory. "Thanks to the combined efforts of our teams and partners, all 111 centres we cover have been served." President Felix Tshisekedi's government announced last month it was waiving exam fees - which normally exceed $40 - for students in North and South Kivu provinces, citing insecurity. While M23 has previously said it seeks the ouster of Tshisekedi's government, the group's leader Bertrand Bisimwa told Reuters that it still recognised Kinshasa as the administrator of national exams. "Our presence in the eastern part of our country does not make this a separate country," Bisimwa said. "The education of our children is apolitical. It must be protected against any political divergence because we all work for the interest and well-being of our children." Human rights groups have repeatedly accused M23 of executing civilians including children - allegations the group has denied. Exauce Katete was among the students who sat for exams at a school in the South Kivu regional capital Bukavu, which fell under M23 control in February and where insecurity including vigilante violence has increased since then. "Yes, security is there. I can still see a few people outside, responsible for keeping us safe. There are no disturbances, no noise, everything is going well," Katete said, referring to plainclothes officers positioned by M23 outside the school. Mwayesi, the local education official, said that of 44,000 students who registered in his zone, nearly 42,000 showed up, speculating that the remainder may have been displaced by fighting. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Japan Today
01-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
U.S. pushes Congo, Rwanda for peace accord and billion-dollar mineral deals
FILE PHOTO: Members of the M23 rebel group mount their vehicles after the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo By Andrew Mills The U.S. is pushing Congo and Rwanda to sign a peace accord at the White House in about two months, accompanied by bilateral mineral deals that would bring billions of dollars of Western investment to the region, President Donald Trump's senior advisor for Africa told Reuters on Thursday. "When we sign the peace agreement ... the minerals deal with the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) will be signed on that day, and then a similar package, but of a different size, will be signed on that day with Rwanda," Massad Boulos said in an interview in the Qatari capital, Doha. A U.S.-backed peace accord would come amid an unprecedented advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in Congo, the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict, in a region rich in minerals including tantalum and gold. Rwanda denies backing the group. Rwanda and Congo are expected to submit separate drafts of a peace agreement on Friday, according to a peace process agreed in Washington last week as part of diplomatic efforts to end violence in eastern Congo. The Congolese government did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. In mid-May U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet in Washington with the Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers in an effort to agree on a final draft peace accord, Boulos said. But before that accord can be signed, Boulos said, Rwanda and Congo must finalise bilateral economic agreements with Washington that will see U.S. and Western companies invest billions of dollars in Congolese mines and infrastructure projects to support mining in both countries including the processing of minerals in Rwanda. "The (agreement) with the D.R.C. is at a much bigger scale, because it's a much bigger country and it has much more resources, but Rwanda also has a lot of resources and capacities and potential in the area of mining as well ... not just the upstream, but also midstream and downstream to processing and refining and trading," Boulos said. Boulos said U.S. and Western companies have told Washington they would make multi-billon dollar investments in the region once the bilateral minerals deals are signed. Boulos also said before the White House signing ceremony can go ahead, Washington expects both countries to address a number of security concerns. For example, Rwanda must pull its troops out of Congo and end its support for M23 rebels. Congo must address Rwanda's security concerns with militias such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Boulos said that on Wednesday a follow-up committee was appointed to monitor both countries' progress towards the peace deal, which includes the U.S., Qatar, France and Togo, which is representing the African Union. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
US pushes Congo, Rwanda for peace accord and billion-dollar mineral deals
FILE PHOTO: Members of the M23 rebel group mount their vehicles after the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo DOHA - The U.S. is pushing Congo and Rwanda to sign a peace accord at the White House in about two months, accompanied by bilateral mineral deals that would bring billions of dollars of Western investment to the region, President Donald Trump's senior advisor for Africa told Reuters on Thursday. "When we sign the peace agreement ... the minerals deal with the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) will be signed on that day, and then a similar package, but of a different size, will be signed on that day with Rwanda," Massad Boulos said in an interview in the Qatari capital, Doha. A U.S.-backed peace accord would come amid an unprecedented advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in Congo, the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict, in a region rich in minerals including tantalum and gold. Rwanda denies backing the group. Rwanda and Congo are expected to submit separate drafts of a peace agreement on Friday, according to a peace process agreed in Washington last week as part of diplomatic efforts to end violence in eastern Congo. The Congolese government did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. In mid-May U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet in Washington with the Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers in an effort to agree on a final draft peace accord, Boulos said. But before that accord can be signed, Boulos said, Rwanda and Congo must finalise bilateral economic agreements with Washington that will see U.S. and Western companies invest billions of dollars in Congolese mines and infrastructure projects to support mining in both countries including the processing of minerals in Rwanda. "The (agreement) with the D.R.C. is at a much bigger scale, because it's a much bigger country and it has much more resources, but Rwanda also has a lot of resources and capacities and potential in the area of mining as well ... not just the upstream, but also midstream and downstream to processing and refining and trading," Boulos said. Boulos said U.S. and Western companies have told Washington they would make multi-billon dollar investments in the region once the bilateral minerals deals are signed. Boulos also said before the White House signing ceremony can go ahead, Washington expects both countries to address a number of security concerns. For example, Rwanda must pull its troops out of Congo and end its support for M23 rebels. Congo must address Rwanda's security concerns with militias such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Boulos said that on Wednesday a follow-up committee was appointed to monitor both countries' progress towards the peace deal, which includes the U.S., Qatar, France and Togo, which is representing the African Union. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Japan Today
25-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Congo and Rwanda sign pathway to peace in U.S.-brokered agreement
FILE PHOTO: Members of the M23 rebel group mount their vehicles after the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo (CADECO) which will serve as the bank for the city of Goma where all banks have closed since the city was taken by the M23 rebels, in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo By Sonia Rolley and Jessica Donati Congo and Rwanda vowed to come up with a draft peace deal by May 2 and refrain from providing military support to armed groups, according to an agreement signed in Washington on Friday as part of diplomatic efforts to end violence in eastern Congo. The agreement, reached amid an unprecedented advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in Congo, is expected to bring significant U.S. public and private investment to the region, which is rich in minerals including tantalum and gold, the final text said. It raises hopes that the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict rooted in the Rwandan genocide might ease. However, previous ceasefire calls have not produced a sustained break in the fighting. Both parties also agreed to explore a joint security coordination mechanism to crack down on armed groups and criminal organizations. The two countries' foreign ministers signed at a ceremony with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also signed as a witness. "To our countrymen and women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in the east, we know you are watching this moment," said Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner. "You have every reason to expect more than promises," she added. Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said it opened the door to a definitive peace agreement. "We are discussing how to build new regional economic value chains that link our countries, including with American private sector investment," he said. Building on the investment potential outlined in the agreement, Washington is in talks to invest billions of dollars in minerals in Congo, which has vast deposits of not only tantalum and gold but also copper, cobalt and lithium, used in mobile phones and electric cars. Separately, Rwanda said this week it was also speaking to Washington about a possible minerals deal. "A durable peace in the Great Lakes region will open the door for greater U.S. and broader Western investment, which will bring about economic opportunities and prosperity," Rubio said at the ceremony. "Our firms are good corporate citizens, American firms, and they'll bring good governance and ensure responsible, reliable supply chains for things like critical minerals." The agreement is a "declaration of principles", which a diplomatic source described as "very broad objectives to work towards". Both sides will finalise the specifics in a few months and then sign the agreement, the source said. Congo has seen a surge in violence after M23 launched a major offensive in January that led to the capture of the two largest cities in the east. The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to M23. Rwanda denies backing M23 and says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo's army and a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide. Both Qatar and the U.S. have shown an interest in mediating a resolution. Qatar in March brokered a surprise sit-down between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame during which the two leaders called for a ceasefire. Qatar has also hosted talks between Congo and M23, and this week the two sides issued a statement vowing to work towards peace. The Qatari foreign affairs ministry said the agreement signed in Washington was a "positive and important step toward fostering peace and stability". The Trump administration has taken a special interest in Congo since a Congolese senator contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal this year. Washington wants greater access to minerals that are currently exploited predominantly by China and its mining companies. The State Department has said the U.S. is interested in a deal and expects any agreement to involve private sector partners. Already positioned to support a partnership is prominent Trump backer Erik Prince, who agreed earlier this year to help Congo secure and tax its vast mineral wealth. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
25-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Congo and Rwanda sign pathway to peace in US-brokered agreement
FILE PHOTO: Members of the M23 rebel group mount their vehicles after the opening ceremony of Caisse Generale d'epargne du Congo (CADECO) which will serve as the bank for the city of Goma where all banks have closed since the city was taken by the M23 rebels, in Goma, North Kivu province in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo Congo and Rwanda vowed to come up with a draft peace deal by May 2 and refrain from providing military support to armed groups, according to an agreement signed in Washington on Friday as part of diplomatic efforts to end violence in eastern Congo. The agreement, reached amid an unprecedented advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in Congo, is expected to bring significant U.S. public and private investment to the region, which is rich in minerals including tantalum and gold, the final text said. It raises hopes that the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict rooted in the Rwandan genocide might ease. However, previous ceasefire calls have not produced a sustained break in the fighting. Both parties also agreed to explore a joint security coordination mechanism to crack down on armed groups and criminal organizations. The two countries' foreign ministers signed at a ceremony with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also signed as a witness. "To our countrymen and women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in the east, we know you are watching this moment," said Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner. "You have every reason to expect more than promises," she added. Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said it opened the door to a definitive peace agreement. "We are discussing how to build new regional economic value chains that link our countries, including with American private sector investment," he said. Building on the investment potential outlined in the agreement, Washington is in talks to invest billions of dollars in minerals in Congo, which has vast deposits of not only tantalum and gold but also copper, cobalt and lithium, used in mobile phones and electric cars. Separately, Rwanda said this week it was also speaking to Washington about a possible minerals deal. "A durable peace in the Great Lakes region will open the door for greater U.S. and broader Western investment, which will bring about economic opportunities and prosperity," Rubio said at the ceremony. "Our firms are good corporate citizens, American firms, and they'll bring good governance and ensure responsible, reliable supply chains for things like critical minerals." 'VERY BROAD' The agreement is a "declaration of principles", which a diplomatic source described as "very broad objectives to work towards". Both sides will finalise the specifics in a few months and then sign the agreement, the source said. Congo has seen a surge in violence after M23 launched a major offensive in January that led to the capture of the two largest cities in the east. The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to M23. Rwanda denies backing M23 and says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo's army and a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide. Both Qatar and the U.S. have shown an interest in mediating a resolution. Qatar in March brokered a surprise sit-down between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame during which the two leaders called for a ceasefire. Qatar has also hosted talks between Congo and M23, and this week the two sides issued a statement vowing to work towards peace. The Qatari foreign affairs ministry said the agreement signed in Washington was a "positive and important step toward fostering peace and stability". The Trump administration has taken a special interest in Congo since a Congolese senator contacted U.S. officials to pitch a minerals-for-security deal this year. Washington wants greater access to minerals that are currently exploited predominantly by China and its mining companies. The State Department has said the U.S. is interested in a deal and expects any agreement to involve private sector partners. Already positioned to support a partnership is prominent Trump backer Erik Prince, who agreed earlier this year to help Congo secure and tax its vast mineral wealth. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
