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United News of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
DRC – Rwanda backed M23 militia sign ceasefire agreement in Doha after months of wanton violence
Kinsasha/Kigali, July 19 (UNI) The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel militia have signed a new ceasefire agreement, bringing a halt to the massive violence that has ravaged the DRC's mineral-rich eastern region for months. The declaration, which includes a commitment to a permanent ceasefire, was signed today in Doha following three months of negotiations hosted by Qatar, reports France24. The agreement comes shortly after a separate peace deal was reached between the Congolese and Rwandan governments in Washington last month. Although the M23 had previously rejected that accord, claiming it failed to address key grievances, the latest deal aligns with the Washington agreement and sets a roadmap for further peace efforts. Eastern DRC has long been gripped by insecurity fuelled by ethnic tensions and the presence of numerous armed groups. Rich in valuable minerals such as coltan and cobalt, the region has been at the heart of repeated conflicts. The latest surge in violence, triggered by an M23 offensive in January and February this year, led to the deaths of thousands and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more. The rebel group took control of large areas, including parts of Goma and Bukavu, escalating an already strong humanitarian crisis. The Doha accord includes mutual pledges to refrain from hate speech, propaganda, and any fresh territorial advances. It also outlines steps for the restoration of state authority in rebel-held zones and the launch of direct negotiations aimed at a broader peace agreement. Implementation of the ceasefire terms is set for completion by July 29, with negotiations for the comprehensive agreement to begin by August 8. Congolese presidential envoy Sumbu Sita Mambu and M23's permanent secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa signed the deal in the presence of international observers. US special envoy Massad Boulos, who attended the ceremony, described the restoration of Congolese state control in the east as 'one of the most important clauses' of the agreement. The African Union welcomed the development as a 'major milestone' towards regional stability. Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya reiterated that Kinshasa's 'red lines' remain firm, including the full withdrawal of M23 from occupied territories. Despite the cautious optimism, previous ceasefires in the region have often collapsed, and questions persist around enforcement, timelines, and broader economic agreements involving the region's vast mineral wealth. UNI XC ANV RN
Observer
3 days ago
- Health
- Observer
After Gaza duty, Israeli soldiers kill themselves
Daniel Edri returned to Israel alive. He had served as a reservist in Gaza and southern Lebanon. When the missions ended, he carried no visible wounds. Yet he returned home unable to sleep, unable to escape the memories. He spoke to his mother about the smell of bodies and the civilians he had seen dying. He asked for psychiatric care but was refused. On July 5, 2025, he drove to a remote place and set himself on fire inside his car. Gaza didn't kill him — the war followed him home. Since Israel launched its campaign on Gaza in October 2023, at least 28 Israeli soldiers have died by suicide. The official figure for 2024 alone reached 21 — the highest annual number in more than a decade, according to Israeli and international media, including France24. Most of these soldiers served in Gaza or along the Lebanese front. Many were reservists — ordinary citizens turned into soldiers, instructed to destroy, then left to live with what they did. Their return is not marked by honour. They come back carrying psychological burdens that continue long after the fighting stops. Those who operated bulldozers to flatten neighbourhoods, those who launched drones at apartment buildings, those who entered homes with rifles — they are returning home with something that military training cannot manage: conscience. The Israeli military describes these suicides as being within expected norms. Yet even within Israeli society, there is growing doubt. Public trust in the army's transparency on suicide cases has declined sharply. According to France24, it dropped from 46 per cent in 2020 to 38 per cent in 2021. Behind the numbers lies a much deeper issue — one Israel's leaders would rather not confront. According to Israeli health ministry projections, more than 14,000 soldiers will require long-term medical or psychological treatment as a result of this war. Many are already being treated for post-traumatic stress, severe anxiety and depression. Most are young men in their early twenties. They were trained to carry out orders. They were not prepared to face what those orders meant. The damage they inflicted on Gaza is undeniable. Thousands of civilians have been killed. Entire families have been erased. Hospitals, mosques, schools and residential blocks have been levelled. These were not anonymous strikes. They were carried out by individuals with names, ranks — and now, silent trauma. When a soldier kills himself after returning home, it is not simply a private tragedy. It is a consequence of the very structure that sent him. ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-PROTEST Inside Gaza, people count their dead by the hundreds and thousands. In Israel, the war is beginning to claim soldiers through their own hands. These are not accidents. They are outcomes. An army that demands destruction cannot remain untouched by it. What began on the front lines has continued inside the minds of Israeli soldiers returning home. Israel has long invested in its military. It prides itself on discipline, technology and control. What it cannot control is what happens when the violence comes home. These suicides expose a contradiction: the state believes it can wage war without limits and still expect its soldiers to return to normal life. The deaths show otherwise. The responsibility for each suicide lies with every level of command — from the soldier on the ground to those who designed the campaign. When a soldier takes his own life, it exposes the moral emptiness of the structure he served. The war continues. So will these deaths. They are no longer confined to Gaza. They are no longer anonymous. Israel's army is absorbing a cost it does not fully acknowledge: the slow internal erosion of those it trained to obey. The rifles have been set down, but the memory of what they did remains loaded. Daniel Edri will not appear in Gaza's statistics. His name will not be among those buried in Gaza. Yet his story belongs to this war — a reminder that violence spreads beyond borders and returns in forms like silence, shame and the weight of actions that cannot be undone.
France 24
6 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Inside India's ignored conflict: where is Manipur's path to reconciliation?
43:05 Issued on: 43:05 min From the show Call it India's ignored conflict: it's been two years since violence in Manipur erupted, yet 60-thousand remain displaced by intercommunal tensions between the majority Meitei and the Kuki-Zo communities. We'll ask why mediation efforts have stalled and what's changed since the central government imposed President's Rule from Delhi at the start of the year. We'll ask why the prime minister's remained mostly silent on Manipur, why foreign journalists have to apply for special accreditation which is rarely granted. and ask our panel to react to our exclusive report filmed by France 24's local team. More broadly, what lessons can the rest of India draw, particularly in regards to unrest and insurgencies in other border areas like Kashmir and the mountains near China? Produced by Rebecca Gnignati, Elisa Amiri, Ilayda Habip.
Al Bawaba
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Protests in Jaramana demand the fall of Syrian regime
Published July 16th, 2025 - 11:18 GMT ALBAWABA - Less than a year following Assad's regime change in Syria, protests were reported in Jaramana city, southern Syria, on Wednesday, calling for the fall of the current regime in the country. Dozens of people were seen in the streets of Jaramana city calling for a regime change as they chanted: "Julani, what do you want?" and "Julani, take your clothes and leave". Some Syrian accounts on social media said that the "Druze community" in Jaramana has taken to the streets, demanding the overthrow of the "Jolani regime" over its clashes in Sweida. — Muhammad kassab (@mhdkassab) July 16, 2025 The protests came after the latest clashes between Syrian regime forces and the Druze community in Sweida. France 24 said that fighting between Syrian government forces and local Druze fighters continued in the southern Druze city today, violating a ceasefire that was announced by the Syrian government earlier. At the beginning, Syrian soldiers were dispatched to Sweida on Monday to quell fighting between Druze fighters and Bedouin men, but ended up clashing with the Druze militias. No official casualty figures have been released since Monday, but the Syrian Interior Ministry revealed that 30 people were killed in clashes. On the other hand, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed a bigger figure, saying over 250 people had been killed as of Wednesday morning, including four children, five women and 138 soldiers and security forces. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bridgitte Macron row: French First Lady 'born a man' theories surface, Paris court acquits two 'conspiracy theorists'
Two women who were previously convicted of defaming French First Lady Brigitte Macron by claiming she was 'born a man' have been found not guilty on appeal. Amandine Roy, 53, and Natacha Rey, 49, a blogger, were cleared of the charges as the judges of the Paris Appeal Court on Thursday ruled that they had every right to make those allegations, as reported by the Daily Mail. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They were subjected to 'intimidation by the authorities' as 'ultra protected' members of the authority tried to cover up a 'state secret.' Roy and Rey had appeared on a 4-hour-long YouTube video in December 2021, where they claimed that Brigitte was born a boy with the name Jean-Michel Trogneux. Brigitte Macron, 72, whose maiden name is Trogneux, has a brother called Jean-Michel. The defendants also asserted that Brigitte's first husband, André-Louis Auzière, did not actually exist before his reported death in 2020 at age 68. Macron had sued both women in January 2022 for defamation. In September last year, a lower court ordered the two women to pay €8,000 in damages to Brigitte Macron and an additional €5,000 (around $5,500) to her brother, as reported by France 24. Today's court ruling declared that the 18 passages from the video in question 'do not constitute defamation' but rather fall under 'good faith' free speech. The defendants no longer have to pay anything and can instead reiterate their allegations against Macron. Macron's lawyers informed that she was 'devastated' by the ruling and will now move to France's Cassation Court. This comes amid Brigitte Macron finds herself under attack not just in France but across the world. A controversial book named 'Becoming Brigitte,' published by journalist Xavier Poussard, is becoming the breeding ground for conspiracy theories. American commentator Candace Owens also posted on X, 'It was never defamation. It was a witch hunt. Legally speaking, the only proof Brigitte Macron is a woman is her word that she is. There is tons of proof however, that she lived as a man before 'becoming Brigitte'.' The ruling came as four male defendants face a cyber-harassment trial at the Paris Correctional Court, accused of comparing Bridgitte Macron to a child abuser.
