Latest news with #DemocraticRepublicOfTheCongo
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump says he doesn't know what ‘the Congo' is – that may explain why one Congo is on his travel ban and other isn't
Among the 19 countries President Donald Trump has issued a travel ban on is the Republic of the Congo, which, until now, the president has not singled out as a particular issue. Trump has accused 'the Congo' – the informal name for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a much larger country located next to the Republic of the Congo – of releasing prisoners into the United States. 'Many, many people come from the Congo,' Trump said during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last month. 'I don't know what that is, but they came from the Congo.' The DRC has firmly denied those allegations. Yet, the White House placed the Republic of the Congo, not the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on its restrictive travel ban list – saying Republic of the Congo visa holders overstay by a rate, on average, of 29 percent. One reason the DRC may have been excluded from the travel ban is because the country is trying to work out a mineral deal with the U.S. That deal could be finalized by the end of the month, according to the Financial Times. The Independent has asked the White House for further comment. Reviving the policy from his first administration, Trump announced full restrictions, for both immigrants and nonimmigrants, on Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial restrictions are also in place for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The Republic of the Congo has not publicly commented on the travel ban as of the publication of this story. But, the African Union Commission, the executive arm of the African Union, encouraged the U.S. to reconsider the full or partial ban on nine of it's countries. The commission said it 'remains concerned about the potential negative impact of such measures on people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and the broader diplomatic relations that have been carefully nurtured over decades.' 'While recognising the sovereign right of all nations to protect their borders and ensure the security of their citizens, the African Union Commission respectfully appeals to the United States to exercise this right in a manner that is balanced, evidence-based, and reflective of the long-standing partnership between the United States and Africa,' the commission said in a statement. So far, Venezuela has been the first country to verbally challenge Trump's travel ban policy. Diosdado Cabello, the minister of the interior, justice, and peace, hit back at Trump shortly after the partial travel ban was announced, saying people should not travel to the U.S. anyway. 'Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans,' Cabello said, according to translation. Cabello said those who govern the U.S. are 'fascist' and 'persecute our people… for no reason.' Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the U.S., urged the U.S. to engage in a conversation with the Somali government instead. 'Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,' Hassan said in a statement. Since the president began implementing strict immigration policies, other countries have also issued warnings about traveling to the U.S, including Germany, the U.K., Canada, France, Finland, and Denmark.
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) backs $8.7m initiative to unite African nations against extreme weather events in the Ubangi River Basin
Home to one of the largest tributaries of the Congo River, the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will benefit from a pioneering cross-border initiative to prepare for extreme climatic events and develop joint water resource management strategies with $8.7 million in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Approved this Monday by the GEF Council, the 'Regional program for integrated water resources management in the transboundary basin of the Ubangi River between the CAR and the DRC' aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two African nations while improving technical and institutional capacities for managing increasingly extreme floods, droughts and erratic rainfall patterns affecting the Ubangi River basin. The GEF implementing agencies of the project are the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the African Development Bank. A regional body and two national ministries are ensuring the execution of the initiative: the International Commission of the Congo-Ubangi-Sangha (CICOS), the Ministry of Rural Development of the DRC, and the Ministry of Development of Energy and Water Resources of the CAR. Thierry Kamach, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of CAR said: ' The degradation of natural resources is undeniable. The United Nations 2030 Agenda is an inspiring and unifying message to build strong resilience around a transformative project that will further strengthen ecosystem interdependence for a greener and more sustainable future.' Flowing between the CAR, the DRC and the Republic of Congo, the Ubangi stretches over 2,272 kilometres and is the main right-bank tributary of the Congo River. As such, it is part of the Congo River basin, the second-largest river basin in the world and a global biodiversity hotspot with over 1,000 fish species. The river basin's rainforest harbours more than 10,000 plant species and 2,500 animal species, including two-thirds of all primates, which are under pressure from deforestation and land cover clearing. In parallel, changes in hydrological regimes, riverbank erosion, sedimentation and mining pollution threaten the river's fish and shore fauna, which are becoming increasingly rare, and the Ubangi's role as a regulator of regional and global climates. These challenges will be addressed by the new GEF initiative in an integrated fashion, considering the nexus between biodiversity, climate and ecosystem degradation, and between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. ' This initiative is vital as it brings together the communities and institutions of two countries to conserve one of Africa's most ecologically and economically important river basins. By working across borders, these countries will strengthen their resilience to climate change while protecting biodiversity and the natural systems that sustain life ' said IUCN Director General, Grethel Aguilar. ' Through its strong on-the-ground presence in the Congo basin, IUCN will mobilise actors in the forest and environmental sectors to promote collaborative basin management and community-led nature-based solutions at the regional, national and local levels. Our focus will be as much on biodiversity and water resources, as it will on safeguarding the livelihoods of the region's 25 million inhabitants, many of whom depend on the Ubangi River for navigation, trade and agriculture '. ' This initiative is aligned with GEF's long-standing commitment and investments in the sustainable management of the Congo basin,' said GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez. ' By funding this crucial effort in support of sustainable management of water and land resources while averting pollution and land degradation, the GEF also contributes to maintaining the ecosystem functions of this gigantic forest system in supporting the stability of the regional and global hydrological cycle.' Over the past 30 years, changes in rainfall patterns have progressively decreased water levels and reduced runoff in the Ubangi River by up to 18%. Coupled with the erosion, this further accentuated the siltation of the river, which is not only detrimental to biodiversity but also cripples navigation, limits trade and restricts access to residential areas. Alternating with drought periods, destructive floods are another harsh reality affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the region over the last decade, leading to population displacement to neighbouring countries. The new GEF initiative will enable more effective binational cooperation in decision-making and the political monitoring of water crises by establishing a joint observatory and shared tools and data protocols between the DRC and CAR to enhance forecasting, prevention, and common crisis management measures. To combat biodiversity loss caused by human activities in the river basin, practical demonstrations of nature-based solutions —such as agroforestry, conservation farming and ecosystem rehabilitation— will be carried out on site. Ensuring social inclusivity and promoting a 'whole of society' approach, the project will roll out a framework for dialogue and exchange among stakeholders, including regional and local authorities, the private sector (particularly local small to medium-sized enterprises), young professionals, and female community leaders. This aims to strengthen local actors' capability to contribute to shared watercourse management through training and capacity-building, and to assist them in formulating strategies to resolve common challenges. Anthony Nyong, Director of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department at the African Development Bank, stated: 'The Bank welcomes this GEF-supported initiative to strengthen cooperation in the Ubangi basin, enhance local resilience, and promote women's leadership. Its nature-based, people-centred approach aligns with our High 5s and offers a model for basin-wide collaboration in Africa.' With $67 million mobilised in co-financing, the GEF initiative complements a pre-existing project entitled 'Regional Support Programme for the Development of Cross-border Water Infrastructure and Resources between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – PREDIRE', being implemented by the African Development Bank, by mainstreaming environmental, ecosystem and participative approaches into the sectors of water, agriculture and transport. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Contact: Sonia Borrini Communication Specialist Climate Change and Green Growth Department African Development Bank IUCN Contact: Priscila Jordão Communications Officer Global Communications Unit International Union for Conservation of Nature About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). With its presence in 41 African countries and an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: About IUCN: IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organisations and the input of more than 17,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. About the GEF: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) includes several multilateral funds working together to address the planet's most pressing challenges in an integrated way. Its financing helps developing countries address complex challenges and work towards meeting international environmental goals. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $26 billion in financing, primarily as grants, and mobilised another $148 billion for country-driven priority projects
NHK
6 days ago
- General
- NHK
5 non-permanent members of UN Security Council elected
The United Nations has elected five non-permanent Security Council members, whose two-year terms start in January of next year. The Security Council has five permanent members, including the United States, and 10 non-permanent members representing geographic regions. The non-permanent members serve two years, with half of them replaced each year. On Tuesday, the General Assembly voted for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Latvia, Colombia and Bahrain to serve as non-permanent members on the council. Latvia will be serving on the council for the first time. A neighbor of Russia, the country has consistently supported Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022. Bahrain and Colombia abstained, and the DRC did not vote, on a draft General Assembly resolution last February that called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Bahrain is one of the few Arab countries that have diplomatic ties with Israel. But it has strongly criticized Israel along with other Arab countries over its operation in Gaza. Colombia and the DRC are expected to contribute to the council's debates on UN peacekeeping operations based on their experiences. Colombia hosted a UN mission to disarm a now-defunct guerrilla group. A massive UN mission is still underway in the DRC.
Al Jazeera
7 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
The Rwanda-DRC peace deal must include the voices of the voiceless
More than three decades after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda plunged the African Great Lakes region into unprecedented turmoil, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to struggle in establishing collaborative and neighbourly relations for the collective benefit of their peoples. Following the genocide, in which approximately 800,000 people were killed in just 100 days, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans – including some members of the defeated Rwandan armed forces and militias responsible for the genocide – crossed into the DRC and settled in refugee camps in the country's east, close to the Rwanda border. This became a security concern for the new government in Rwanda. The eastern DRC has not seen peace since. In 1996, the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL), a coalition of Rwandan, Ugandan, Burundian, and some Congolese dissidents, launched a war against the government of Zaire. The AFDL, primarily a Congolese movement against the Zaire leadership but receiving significant support from the governments of Rwanda and Uganda, ousted President Mobutu Sese Seko and brought Laurent-Desire Kabila to power. However, this change in government and the brutal dismantling of Hutu refugee camps that accompanied it did not usher in meaningful intra-governmental collaboration or an end to Rwanda's security concerns. Over the subsequent decades, Rwanda's government continued to monitor the perpetual conflict in the eastern DRC, citing concerns about dissidents based there. According to United Nations reports, since 2012, this involvement has included direct support for the M23 rebel group waging an uprising against the DRC government. In January 2025, following numerous UN reports confirming Rwanda's support for M23, the DRC government severed diplomatic ties with Rwanda. Subsequently, Rwanda's development partners imposed sanctions on the country, some of its officials, and the Gasabo Gold Refinery, requesting Rwanda to halt support for M23 immediately and withdraw its troops from DRC territory. For the benefit of Rwanda, the DRC, and the entire region, the conflict in the eastern DRC and the decades-old tensions between the two neighbouring governments need to come to an end. As someone deeply invested in delivering democracy and development to all Rwandans, I have long called on the Rwandan government to engage in positive diplomacy to resolve its differences with the DRC government. Rwanda must engage in such diplomacy to overcome its structural constraints to development as a small, landlocked country with limited natural resources. If it resolves its issues with its neighbour, Rwanda could finally achieve true regional integration, participate in lucrative regional supply chains, and become a dependable partner to the wider international community. The peace deal the United States is currently attempting to broker between Rwanda and the DRC could put Kigali on the path to achieving all these gains. However, certain conditions are necessary for any peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda to be effective. As many have suggested, I agree that only a peace deal supported by a bilateral mineral cooperation incentive, guaranteed by a global power like the US – which would help control competition for natural resources – has a chance of succeeding. After all, there is little doubt that illicit trading of minerals has been used to finance the conflict in the eastern DRC. Yet this dark trade is not the fundamental cause of the conflict, and its cessation alone cannot resolve the issues between the two neighbours. The root cause of the eastern DRC conflict is, in fact, a lack of good governance and robust democracy across the African Great Lakes region. Lack of democracy, justice, and respect for human rights, coupled with social and economic exclusion, has caused Rwandans who survived the brutal dismantling of Hutu refugee camps not to return to Rwanda, and others to leave the country to seek refuge in regional states. Some Congolese have also made their way to Rwanda, escaping war, persecution and exclusion. According to the most recent figures by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, there are still more than 200,000 Rwandan refugees in the DRC and close to 83,000 Congolese refugees in Rwanda. There are more Congolese refugees in other regional states, such as Uganda, which hosts more than 600,000 of them. Some of these refugees have been enrolled in armed groups. All this has enabled power holders to abuse their authority and create chaos in the eastern DRC. While illicit trading of minerals has financed the conflict, the fundamental cause of the violence remains the lack of good governance and the inability or unwillingness of authorities to address the core concerns of refugees – the reasons why they sought refuge in either Rwanda or the DRC, and why they do not want to return to their countries of origin. The US can help address this problem and bring sustainable calm to the region by including a condition in the peace deal it is currently brokering that requires the Rwandan and Congolese governments to engage in direct dialogue with their respective opposition – both within and outside their borders – as well as with refugees, and commit to achieving good governance based on political inclusiveness, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. This would enable the voluntary and dignified return of refugees to their countries of origin and could finally put an end to the decades of chaos in the eastern DRC. Rwanda does not even need US pressure to embark on the path of positive diplomacy and dialogue, as a continuous quest for solutions through dialogue is one of the fundamental requirements of its constitution. The Rwandan opposition has already expressed its eagerness to enter into such constructive dialogue with the government. Four years ago, in June 2021, we submitted to the Rwandan government a roadmap for a promising future, officially requesting an inter-Rwandan dialogue to be organised. Similar efforts are under way in the DRC. Opposition figures in the country have recently called for an inter-Congolese dialogue to resolve internal governance issues. It is high time for Rwanda and the DRC to engage in dialogue with their respective refugees and opposition members, both within and outside their countries. This will ensure not only the long-term success of a Washington-brokered peace deal but also lead to trust-building between state officials on both sides and pave the way for true regional cooperation, which will help both nations prosper after finally achieving peace. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Nearly extinct ‘forgotten antelope' photographed for first time in DRC
A photograph of Africa's 'forgotten antelope' has been published for the first time as the elusive creature dives towards extinction. Fewer than 100 Upemba lechwe are thought to remain, with an aerial survey in the Kamalondo depression of the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo having recorded 10 individuals. Though the herd cantered too quickly out of sight to be recorded, one stopped for an instant, looking up at the scientists recording them. This allowed Manuel Weber, of Upemba national park's department of research and biomonitoring, to snap a quick picture, thought to be the first photo taken of a living Upemba lechwe since it was identified as a subspecies in 2005. The antelope stopped for 'literally a few seconds', Weber said. 'The feeling was unbelievable, I barely slept the nights before we found it, very worried that we would not be able to do the survey, that we would not find any (in that case we would be responsible for the extinction of a species), and the need to get that photograph to generate the awareness needed to save them,' Weber said. Findings published in the African Journal of Ecology provide the first population update in more than 50 years. 'This is a species on the very brink,' Weber, the lead author, added. 'The fact that they're still hanging on at all is extraordinary, but without urgent protection, they'll vanish.' The Upemba lechwe is now considered one of the world's rarest large mammals and is at imminent risk of extinction due to illegal poaching. The number one threat to its numbers is hunting, Weber said. 'Up to 22,000 individuals were counted in the early 1970s, that was before the Upemba lechwe was described as a species. In the early 1990s, the meat of dozens was shipped every week to Bukama, the largest city in the area, along the Lualaba River. 'I don't see any problem with meat harvesting by the communities in the landscape, but this is only possible when we have viable populations. The question is, how do we get back to those?' Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The authors urge rapid intervention to protect the last animals of their kind, and hope that this photograph helps galvanise attention and resources to the forgotten antelope. 'I knew that we needed that photograph – otherwise we would have no way to get any media attention for the cause, and I was devastated after the first day, since we did connect with a few Upemba lechwe, but they were running for their life, so no way to capture them on camera,' Weber explained. 'It was in the morning of the second day, that a single individual stopped for just a few seconds – long enough for me to press the trigger – before running off like the other individuals we have seen. 'We hope this image becomes a rallying cry,' Weber adds. 'Because this may be our only chance to save this species.'
