Latest news with #Congo
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Patrice Lumumba is symbol of freedom for all Africa
Patrice Lumumba remains more than a national hero of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo); his name has come to embody the very essence of African freedom, his daughter, Juliana Lumumba, has said. Speaking to RT, she explained that Lumumba's ideals resonate far beyond the country's borders, uniting a continent in its quest for dignity, sovereignty, and true independence. Juliana Lumumba, the former DR Congo minister of culture, described her father as a 'truly iconic figure' of African dignity, a man who 'symbolizes... liberation, the Africa that he wanted to see independent, standing on its own feet, united.' 'He was not alone. Lumumba is part of a whole galaxy of our founding fathers of independence,' she added. She went on to say that her father's struggle for justice and independence gained global recognition, especially in the former Soviet Union. She pointed to the naming of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia after her father as 'geopolitical continuity' from a country that viewed Lumumba as 'the embodiment of freedom against colonialism and neocolonialism.' Today, she said, Russia has carried this torch forward. The university still bears his name, and continues to produce thousands of African professionals, including many Congolese. Juliana expressed deep gratitude to the Russian people and government for their steadfast recognition of her father's legacy, noting that Russia was among the first to honor Lumumba on his 100th birthday, through a tribute by the country's ambassador to the DR Congo. 'This solidarity, balanced, strong, real, must continue to move even further forward,' she said. Patrice Lumumba was born in 1925 and died in 1961. He was an independence leader and first democratically elected prime minister of the DR Congo following its liberation from Belgian colonial rule in 1960.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Gertler, a ‘King' in Congo, Describes Mine Payments in Arbitration Testimony
An arbitration decision seen by Bloomberg describes Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler's testimony about how he won rights to lucrative Congolese natural resources, made previously undisclosed payments to one of the former president's associates, and held and sold stakes in ventures on behalf of him and local partners. The non-public decision revolves around a dispute between Gertler and two former investors. But the document also details for the first time, in his own words, how he paid an associate of the Democratic Republic of Congo's former president to distribute money in local communities, making Gertler 'a king in Congo,' at the same time as he amassed a vast portfolio of mining and oil assets.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
BBC gains rare access to the Congolese mine powering mobile phones
M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo recently allowed the BBC to visit a huge mining site under their control which is vital to the production of the world's mobile phones - and over its vast expanse not one person was idle. Thousands of miners dotted the landscape covered with pits and tunnels. Some were deep underground digging up ore with shovels, others then hoisted sacks of the extracted rock containing coltan, which is used to make many electronic devices, on to their shoulders. They then took it to assembly points where others washed and filtered it with spades and by hand. "We usually have more than 10,000 or more people working here daily," Patrice Musafiri, who has supervised the Rubaya mining site since the rebels took control of it in April last year, told the BBC. It is tricky terrain to navigate - our team needed the aid of walking sticks, as well as Mr Musafiri's guidance, to stop us falling - yet for most of the men it is the only life they have known. It may be onerous and dangerous, but it allows them to make a small living. "When we are deep in the mines, temperatures are very high - digging the mineral is also very hard... plus there can be other harmful gases," mineworker Peter Osiasi told the BBC. "Sometimes cold air is pumped inside so that we can continue working," he said. But the young man said he was grateful that since he began mining five years ago, he has been able to save a little money for a dowry and is now married with children. "My life has really changed. Mining has really helped me." The swathe of golden scarred earth they mine is found in the sprawling, lush Masisi Hills of North Kivu province - around 60km (37 miles) north-west of the city of Goma - and holds 15% of the world's coltan supply and half of the DR Congo's total deposits. Little wonder that global investors have their eyes on this area. It has provided immense wealth over the years to the various armed groups that have overseen it at different times, including the army. We arrived at the mine, which is around 10km outside Rubaya town, several days after a ceasefire deal was signed in Washington by DR Congo and Rwanda as part of the peace process aimed at ending three decades of instability in the region. The roots of the insecurity in the east of DR Congo are notoriously complicated. There is an ethnic dimension, with many rebel groups operating here - including an ethnic Hutu militia linked to the Rwandan genocide of 1994, which Kigali believes has Congolese backing. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? Ceasefire deal still faces many challenges The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo In Washington both sides committed on 27 June to disarm and disengage their alleged proxies (despite denying having any). The M23 was not party to the deal. Mainly led by ethnic Tutsis, it controls large parts of eastern DR Congo - and since January has taken control of Goma, the city of Bukavu and two airports. Rwanda has been accused by many — including the UN — of backing the M23. However, the authorities there deny sending military or financial aid. The US's involvement in the process seems to hinge on getting access to DR Congo's mineral resources - though nothing has so far been specified. "We're getting for the United States, a lot of the mineral rights from the [DR] Congo," said US President Donald Trump ahead of the signing. During our brief visit - we were allowed access for around 45 minutes - there was no hint that the chain of command was about to change. The supervisor, appointed by the M23, was keen to explain how the set-up at Rubaya had been reorganised over the last year and how the rebel group had brought security to allow miners to work without fear - specifying that no armed men were allowed on the site. "We have already solved so many issues," Mr Musafiri said. "Presently we have a mining department that regulates and monitors safety issues and also resolves internal disputes within the mines. If a tunnel becomes dangerous, people are told to leave to avoid accidents. "People from different groups come here to mine daily and others to buy the minerals and now we have a huge market in Goma where they can resell what they buy here." In December, a UN experts' report detailed how the M23 makes hundreds of thousands of dollars each month from taxing coltan, much of it was sent directly to Rwanda - allegations both the M23 and Kigali deny. Surrounded by his colleagues wearing jeans, sweaters and wellington boots, all of whom buy permits to work at the site, Mr Osiasi agreed that conditions were better. "Business is going on very well here because we have at least some semblance of peace, but the pay is very low. We are paid very little money," the miner said. Trump's second term coincided with the M23's seizure of much of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and the humiliating retreat of the Congolese army. Political analyst Akramm Tumsifu says DR Congo decided to use its rich mineral reserves as a bargaining chip to get US assistance - for months it had sought military support. With a tentative peace process under way, the Congolese authorities' great hope, he told the BBC, was that American firms would be in a position to make "massive investments" in its mining sector, which is currently dominated by Chinese companies. US companies are reportedly already looking to cash in on the opportunity to invest in Rubaya's mining sector. The Rubaya supervisor told us investment would be welcomed, but only initiatives aimed at boosting the local economy - with jobs, schools and hospitals - would be allowed. "Any foreign investor can come here, as long as they come with development for our people and increase daily wages for the miners," Mr Musafiri said. Despite the country's colossal natural endowments, most mining communities have little infrastructure, without even accessible roads to the mines where the wealth is scooped from the ground. Mr Tumsifu reckons the presence of American investors could also act as a "caution against fighting or a resurgence of other armed groups". But it is not yet clear how or with whom an investor would do business given the M23 is still very much in control in the east. A parallel mediation effort led by Qatar - which involves direct talks between the armed groups and the Congolese government - may yield more clarity in the coming months. The M23, which is part of the broader Congo River Alliance, said the Washington-backed deal had fallen short of addressing the causes of the long conflict. It maintains it took up arms to protect the rights of the minority Tutsi group in DR Congo. While the belligerents try and hammer out their preferred pathways to peace, local people at the Rubaya mine, like elsewhere in eastern DR Congo, only hope for a definitive end to the fighting and bloodshed which has seen hundreds of thousands of people flee their homes. "My appeal to fellow young men and our leaders is to keep and maintain peace in our area," said Mr Osiasi. As he prepared to go back to hours of more digging, he added: "I also appeal to the owners of the mines to increase our pay because it's very little." Additional reporting by the BBC's Robert Kiptoo and Hassan Lali Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal met with scepticism in rebel-held city How DR Congo's Tutsis become foreigners in their own country Goma under M23 rule: 'They killed all these young people' 'They took all the women here': Rape survivors recall horror of DR Congo jailbreak Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Islamic State-aligned rebels kill 66 civilians in eastern Congo
KINSHASA, Congo — Rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group killed 66 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Saturday. Fighters with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to IS, killed civilians in the area of Irumu in the east of the country bordering Uganda. The attack comes as eastern Congo may see an end to its ongoing war with M23, a separate rebel group which is backed by Rwanda, another of Congo's neighbors. Jean Tobie Okala, the spokesperson for the United Nations mission in Ituri in eastern Congo, called the attack a 'bloodbath.' 'Around 30 civilians were killed between Thursday and Friday, July 11, in the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom, Irumu territory, in Ituri,' said Okala in a statement to the Associated Press. 'Based on information from civil society, the death toll has risen from 31 to 66 civilians killed.' The ADF is a Ugandan Islamist group that operates on both sides of the porous border. All the victims, including women, were killed with machetes, said the president of a local civil society, Marcel Paluku. The number of people taken hostage is unknown. The attack is suspected to be in response to an escalating bombing campaign by joint Congolese and Ugandan forces that started on Sunday. The number of ADF fighters in Congo is unclear, but they are a significant presence in the region and regularly attack civilians. The group originated in the late 1990s in neighboring Uganda and became affiliated with IS in 2019. Muslims make up about 10% of the Congolese population, most of them in the east. In recent years, attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces have intensified near Congo's border with Uganda and spread towards Goma, eastern Congo's main city, as well as the neighboring Ituri province. Rights groups and the United Nations have accused the ADF of killing hundreds of people and abducting even more, including a significant number of children. In December, the ADF killed at least 10 people and abducted several more in another village in North Kivu.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Islamic State-aligned rebels kill 66 civilians in eastern Congo
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group killed 66 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Saturday. Fighters with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to IS, killed civilians in the area of Irumu in the east of the country bordering Uganda. The attack comes as eastern Congo may see an end to its ongoing war with M23, a separate rebel group which is backed by Rwanda, another of Congo's neighbors. Jean Tobie Okala, the spokesperson for the United Nations mission in Ituri in eastern Congo, called the attack a 'bloodbath.' 'Around 30 civilians were killed between Thursday and Friday, July 11, in the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom, Irumu territory, in Ituri,' said Okala in a statement to the Associated Press. 'Based on information from civil society, the death toll has risen from 31 to 66 civilians killed.' The ADF is a Ugandan Islamist group that operates on both sides of the porous border. All the victims, including women, were killed with machetes, said the president of a local civil society, Marcel Paluku. The number of people taken hostage is unknown. The attack is suspected to be in response to an escalating bombing campaign by joint Congolese and Ugandan forces that started on Sunday. The number of ADF fighters in Congo is unclear, but they are a significant presence in the region and regularly attack civilians. The group originated in the late 1990s in neighboring Uganda and became affiliated with IS in 2019. Muslims make up about 10% of the Congolese population, most of them in the east. In recent years, attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces have intensified near Congo's border with Uganda and spread towards Goma, eastern Congo's main city, as well as the neighboring Ituri province. Rights groups and the United Nations have accused the ADF of killing hundreds of people and abducting even more, including a significant number of children. In December, the ADF killed at least 10 people and abducted several more in another village in North Kivu.
