Latest news with #DemocraticRepublicoftheCongo
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Ex-DRC President Kabila holds talks in M23-held city of Goma: Reports
Former President Joseph Kabila has returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just days after he lost his immunity amid accusations he has helped armed rebels fighting in the eastern DRC, according to the Reuters and AFP news agencies. Kabila, on Thursday, was visiting the eastern city of Goma, which had been seized by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia along with several other areas in the resource-rich east of the country earlier this year. A team of AFP journalists saw Kabila meet local religious figures in the presence of M23's spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, without giving a statement. Citing three unidentified sources close to Kabila, Reuters also said the ex-president held talks with locals in Goma. The visit comes despite the former president facing the possibility of a treason trial over his alleged support for M23. Earlier this month, the DRC Senate voted to lift Kabila's immunity, paving the way for him to be prosecuted. The ex-president, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2023, denies the allegations and has slammed the charges against him as 'arbitrary decisions with disconcerting levity'. On Thursday, a member of Kabila's entourage told AFP that though no formal alliance existed between his party and M23, both shared the 'same goal' of ending the rule of President Felix Tshisekedi. The United Nations and the DRC's government say Rwanda has supported the M23 with arms and troops – an accusation the neighbouring country denies. The renewed violence has raised fears of igniting a full-blown conflict, akin to the wars that the DRC endured in the late 1990s, involving several African countries, which killed millions of people. The current fighting has already displaced about 700,000 people this year, according to the UN. On Tuesday, Amnesty International accused M23 of committing abuses against civilians in areas under its control, 'including torture, killings and enforced disappearances'. 'These acts violate international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,' the group said in a statement. M23 says its goal is to protect ethnic minorities against the government in Kinshasa.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Upemba Lechwe: Super rare African antelope photographed for the first time
A super rare antelope has been photographed by conservationists for the very first animal - called a Upemba Lechwe - was spotted in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in central say that unlike other antelopes in the area, Upemba Lechwe are known for their lack of dark stripes on their legs and lack of dark patches on their thought there are only around 100 of the species living in the wild. What did experts find? The rare Upemba Lechwe were spotted by wildlife researchers during an aerial survey of the Kamalondo Depression, an area in the south of the to the study, published in the African Journal of Ecology, this was the first attempt to count the species in more than 50 say they spotted just ten of the antelopes, which suggests that their population is below one of the researchers was able to quickly take a picture of one of the animals through the window of the aeroplane before it ran away. Manuel Weber, who was part of the team and led the survey, told the BBC it was "extremely nerve-wracking" but that he was "relieved" to get the image."It stood still for just a couple of seconds before running," Mr Weber added that the area where the Upemba Lechwe were found is "a magical place in terms of biodiversity."Conservationists say that a number of issues, including increasing human population, fishing and hunting, put the local ecology "at risk" and warned that the rare antelopes will "vanish" without "urgent protection".
Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
M23 accused of possible ‘war crimes' in eastern DRC: Rights group
M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have committed serious abuses against civilians, 'including torture, killings and enforced disappearances', in areas under their control, according to Amnesty International. 'These acts violate international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,' Amnesty said in a statement on Tuesday. The allegations come amid a renewed surge in violence that erupted in January, when the Rwandan-backed M23 group captured the strategic city of Goma in North Kivu province. The rebels went on to seize Bukavu in South Kivu in February, escalating a conflict that has displaced hundreds of thousands. Between February and April, Amnesty researchers spoke to 18 people who had been detained by M23 in Goma and Bukavu. Many said they were held on accusations of supporting the Congolese army or government – claims for which no proof was presented. Several were not told why they were being held. According to Amnesty, detainees were crammed into overcrowded, unhygienic cells, lacking adequate food, water, sanitation and medical care. Some of those interviewed said they saw fellow prisoners die due to these conditions or from acts of torture. Witnesses described gruesome scenes, including two detainees being bludgeoned to death with hammers and another shot dead on the spot. All of the former detainees said they were either tortured or saw others being tortured with wooden sticks, electric cables or engine belts, the rights group said. Relatives searching for the missing were often turned away by M23 fighters, who denied the detainees were being held – actions Amnesty says amount to enforced disappearances. 'M23's public statements about bringing order to eastern DRC mask their horrific treatment of detainees. They brutally punish those who they believe oppose them and intimidate others, so no one dares to challenge them,' said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International's regional director for East and Southern Africa. 'Regional and international actors must pressure Rwanda to cease its support for M23,' added Chagutah. The United Nations and DRC's government say Rwanda has supported M23 by providing arms and sending troops – an accusation Kigali denies. The UN estimates that about 4,000 Rwandan soldiers support M23. M23 is among roughly 100 armed groups fighting for control in eastern DRC, a region rich in minerals and bordering Rwanda. The ongoing conflict has driven more than seven million people from their homes, including 100,000 who fled this year alone. Despite recent pledges by the Congolese army and the rebels to seek a truce, clashes have continued. M23 previously threatened to advance as far as the capital, Kinshasa, more than 1,600km (1,000 miles) away. In April, Rwanda and DRC agreed to draft a peace deal by May 2, committing to respect each other's sovereignty and refraining from providing military support to armed groups.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ivanhoe Mines Responds to Inaccuracies Made in a Press Release by Zijin Mining About Kamoa-Kakula's Operations
Ivanhoe Mines to provide a detailed update on Kamoa-Kakula operations by Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2025) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) today provides clarification to inaccuracies made in a press release by Zijin Mining released earlier today. The press release was made in relation to the temporary suspension of operations at the Kakula underground mine, as announced by Ivanhoe Mines on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The press release by Zijin Mining refers to "…multiple roof-falling and rib-spalling in the eastern section of the [Kakula] mine." Ivanhoe Mines does not agree with this statement. Ivanhoe Mines and Kamoa Copper senior management, supported by geotechnical specialists, continue to conduct a thorough inspection of the Kakula underground mine, which commenced on May 20, 2025. The inspection is ongoing and has been advancing further into the eastern section of the mine. Results so far show that there is no evidence of collapsing stopes or structural pillars. Preliminary indications suggest that seismic activity, which was experienced during the last week and has subsequently subsided, resulted in a redistribution of forces underground and caused "scaling", or rock falls, from the sidewalls of certain mining areas. The operational teams are currently focused on safely repairing damage caused to the cables and pipework that support the underground pumping infrastructure. Once this activity is complete, focus will shift to returning to normal mining operations starting with the western side of the Kakula Mine. Once the underground investigation is completed, Ivanhoe Mines will determine whether the temporary suspension of underground operations will impact annual production guidance of the Kamoa-Kakula Mining Complex. Ivanhoe Mines will provide a more detailed update by Tuesday May 27, 2025. About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa; the expansion of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC, the ramp-up of the ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC; and the phased development of the tier-one Platreef platinum-palladium-nickel-rhodium-gold-copper Mine in South Africa. Ivanhoe Mines is exploring for copper in its highly prospective, 54-100% owned exploration licences in the Western Forelands, covering an area over six times larger than the adjacent Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, including the high-grade discoveries in the Makoko District. Ivanhoe is also exploring for new sedimentary copper discoveries in new horizons including Angola, Kazakhstan and Zambia. Follow Robert Friedland (@robert_ivanhoe) and Ivanhoe Mines (@IvanhoeMines_) on X. Information contact Investors Vancouver: Matthew Keevil +1.604.558.1034 London: Tommy Horton +44 7866 913 207 Media Tanya Todd +1.604.331.9834 Forward-looking statements Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified using words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Such statements include, without limitation: i) statements regarding Ivanhoe Mines to provide a detailed update on Kamoa-Kakula operations by Tuesday, May 27, 2025; ii) statements regarding the operational teams are currently focused on safely repairing damage caused to cables and pipework that support the underground pumping infrastructure. Further, that once this activity is completed, focus will shift to returning to normal mining operations starting with the western side of the Kakula Mine; and, iii) statements regarding once the investigation is completed, Ivanhoe Mines will determine whether the temporary suspension of underground operations will impact annual production guidance. Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether such results will be achieved. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed above and under the "Risk Factors" section in the company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2025, and its current annual information form, and elsewhere in this news release, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors outlined in the "Risk Factors" section in the company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2025, and its current annual information form. To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Malawi battles mpox as cases of the infectious disease surge in Africa
Malawi's ministry of health has announced three new cases of mpox in the capital, Lilongwe, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 11 since the country's first was reported in April. Malawi is one of 16 countries in Africa reporting mpox outbreaks as health officials battle with vaccine shortages as well as limited testing and hospital capacity. The Public Health Institute of Malawi said the patients were aged between 17 and 41. 'Investigations are under way to establish the possible source of infection and trace contacts,' the department said in a statement last week. The first cases in Malawi come after US government aid cuts to healthcare, including HIV programmes, badly hit the country and raised fears of an escalation of infectious diseases. HIV medication programmes have been severely depleted by the cuts, said Richard Mvula, spokesperson for the Lilongwe district health office. 'A commonality about these cases is that some were immunocompromised,' he said, adding that people who had been on ART (antiretroviral therapy) had stopped taking their medication because of shortages brought about by the US cuts. HIV can worsen the risk and severity of mpox, while effective HIV treatment can help manage the risk. People living with HIV, especially those with uncontrolled viral loads, may experience a more severe form of mpox. Malawi had been on alert since the global mpox outbreak began in 2022 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and several other African countries. The news of the first cases last month prompted fears of an outbreak. While most cases have been restricted to Lilongwe, a two-year-old was found with the condition in Mangochi district, about 150 miles (240km) from the capital. While recorded cases remain low in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, mpox has surged in the region overall. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports 52,082 cases since the beginning of 2025, with more than 1,770 deaths during the outbreak as a whole. In a briefing to journalists last week, Africa CDC officials said they were seeing different patterns of transmission between countries. In Sierra Leone, where cases are rising 'exponentially', the clade IIb form of the virus is circulating. In the DRC and its neighbours it is clade Ia and Ib that dominate. They said the continent would need about 6.4m doses of vaccine, but was still far from having that available, with only 1.3m received so far. They also highlighted a lack of testing capacity in many countries, and warned that in Sierra Leone patients were being treated two to a bed. Malawi's health system faces many challenges, including long distances to clinics, insufficient funding, a shortage of equipment and a lack of qualified personnel. In March this year, the Joint UN Programme on HIV and Aids drew attention to the immediate risks of the US funding cuts on HIV programmes in Malawi. The programme cited thousands of HIV prevention drugs (PrEP) which were expiring. It said the government has instructed the remaining implementer to continue with the scaling up of injectable PrEP but to only recruit new pregnant and lactating women. The US government had been providing more than $350m (£282m) to Malawi annually, according to the US Department of State. Knowledge of mpox around the country is low, reminiscent of the Covid-19 outbreak where myths were rife and people resorted to tree leaves and herbs to cure the symptoms. Thousands of people died. A series of interviews across the capital showed most people have no knowledge of mpox. In central Lilongwe, taxi driver Steven Banda outlined what he knew. 'I came across an official from the ministry of health who was explaining about it and advised that we should be careful since it is dangerous. She described the symptoms including swellings, and mentioned some of the districts affected. I'm not aware of any cases in my area or seen anyone suffering from the disease. We don't know much about it,' he said. Dr Victor Mithi, the president of Malawi's Society of Medical Doctors, said there is need for significant vigilance among practitioners within hospitals to make sure that 'as we perform our day-to-day clinical procedures, we are able to screen those patients that may be having this condition'. 'It is a big concern because in Malawi, most people live in crowded houses and still believe that as a form of expression of love, you need to shake hands, you need to hug people and all those things which are basically the risk factors in the transmission of this disease.' Mithi said that with the lessons drawn from Covid-19 and other infectious diseases, Malawi had the capacity to manage mpox, at clinical and community level. 'The challenge exists though because of the withdrawal of the US aid; the capacity of our healthcare system is no longer the same. Almost 60% of our healthcare system is donor dependent, of which more than 50% of the donor aid was coming from [the US]. So the withdrawal means that our healthcare system is completely shaken, we are left in a state where we didn't build internal capacities to sustain ourselves,' Mithi added.
