Latest news with #Goma
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
The would-be saint murdered 'mafia-style' for refusing bribes
Two days after he was kidnapped in July 2007, the bloodied and battered corpse of Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi was dumped outside a university campus in the city of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The newly graduated 26-year-old and devout Catholic was just three months into a job as a customs official - which he had taken on with his usual zeal, by refusing to be bribed. He had stood up to people wanting to smuggle in rice from neighbouring Rwanda that had spoiled and could have proven poisonous if eaten. No-one has ever been arrested for his killing. Fr Francesco Tedeschi, the man campaigning for Kositi to become a Catholic saint, told the BBC his "mafia-style" murder was meant to serve as a warning to anyone else who stood up to corruption - in a part of the world where guns tend to hold sway over the rule of law. Goma is the capital of North Kivu Province, which is rich in covetable minerals - such as those that power mobile phones - and plentiful in rebel and militia groups. But Fr Tedeschi believes the warning completely failed because of Kositi's legacy of love and justice, saying the kindness he had shown through his short life lives on today. His actions, in a place where corruption is the norm, were informed by his faith. It had made him strong enough to resist repeated offers by the smugglers. According to the Catholic Sant'Egidio community of which he was a member - Kositi was first offered $1,000 (£750), then $2,000 "and even more", but consistently said no. "He had received phone calls and pressure, even from public authorities, to turn a blind eye and take his fee as everyone had always done," the Community of Sant'Egidio said. Last year, the Catholic Church declared him a martyr - one of the steps to sainthood - as it felt his death was the result of his unwillingness to sacrifice his Christian values for money. In the Catholic tradition, a saint serves as a model of Christian life and is regarded as a hero of the faith through their exceptional actions of courage. Kositi has since been beatified - at a ceremony in Rome last month - meaning that once one miracle has been attributed to him, he will become a saint. So far this has been a remarkably fast journey, as canonisation - the process to sainthood - can sometimes take decades or centuries - though this is speeded up if the church decides someone died for their faith. Born in Goma in 1981, Kositi was the eldest of three siblings and eight half-siblings, according to a biography written by Sant'Egidio, which described him as coming from a "well-off family". His father was a bank clerk and his mother a border police officer. "Floribert Bwana Chui was an intelligent and eloquent child from birth. He was a polite boy who respected us, his parents. I saw a bright future in him. I was expecting him to be a boy who would get married, have a wife and children," his mother Gertrude Kamara Ntawiha told UN-sponsored Radio Okapi last month before travelling to Rome for her son's beatification - which was also attended by Kositi's two younger brothers. Despite the challenges of living in eastern DR Congo, Kositi was always curious about the world, did well at school and went on to study law at university. It was during his studies that he attended a regional student conference in Rwanda, in 2001, that changed the course of his life. An Italian priest gave a talk at the gathering which had brought together people to discuss ways to find, and live in, peace in the restive Great Lakes region. He was speaking on behalf of the Sant'Egidio community, a movement of both lay people and clergy, committed to social service - and the priest was encouraging the students to embrace a pastoral mission. Fr Tedeschi had barely finished speaking at the auditorium in southern Rwanda's leafy university town of Butare when Kositi approached him. "That speech very much touched Floribert as well as his other friends who had come from Goma," he told the BBC. "He wanted to begin a community of Sant'Egidio in Goma. [He was] a young man full of joy with a wish to be useful to the world, with a wish to change what he saw around him that did not work." Kositi took up his mission - and in particular his efforts focused on helping street children, Fr Tedeschi said. The region around Goma has known decades of conflict and is currently at the centre of a rebellion that has seen a powerful rebel group take over the city and swathes of territory surrounding it. What's the fighting all about? Inside the rebel-held Congolese mine vital to mobile phones Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo Kositi, "very affected" by the fate of children caught up in successive traumas, set up one of Sant'Egidio's "Schools of Peace" - which offer food and other assistance to get children an education. Today Goma's School of Peace is named in honour of him and has become an actual school. But in the early 2000s, the young undergraduate was often helping street children financially with school fees or food - or assisting them to become self-reliant in a city where almost everyone was struggling. "What struck me," said Fr Tedeschi, "was how Floribert was someone who took the life of others very seriously and more importantly, he would ask himself a lot of questions to understand what the roots of poverty were - the misfortunes of people. "He liked talking, to confront these problems." Kositi's reach went beyond DR Congo's borders. In Kigali, Rwanda's capital, some 100km (60 miles) east of Goma, Bernard Musana Segatagara, a Sant'Egidio fellow, also remembers him. "Changing Africa and building peace was our shared dream as we observed a growing network of friendship. I think living in a region of tension was making our friendship even more special," he told the BBC. After graduating in 2006, Kositi began training as a customs official in the capital, Kinshasa, before taking up a senior post on the border between Rwanda and DR Congo in April 2007. The rice dispute involved a consignment of around four or five tonnes - which he had tested as he was worried about its safety and then ordered that it be destroyed. "At first that pushed the smugglers to try and bribe him, and later to threaten him. And Floribert always refused," Fr Tedeschi said. "He refused based on his Christian principles. At one point he asked a doctor - a nun working in Goma, who was a friend - so he could really understand the dangers this rice would have represented to the civilian population. "And that's what led him to think: 'So me as a Christian, I can neither accept money nor that these people risk dying because of this poisoned food just because of corruption.'" For the priest this is what showed his "loyalty to the gospel, Christian values of love for one's neighbour [and] justice". Lawyer Jean Jacques Bakinahe, who studied with Kositi at the University of Goma and was also one of the leaders of Sant'Egidio in the city, agrees. He told the Rwanda Catholic Church TV channel that his friend "profoundly followed the gospel of peace… [which] really helped him categorically reject that act of corruption". But it ultimately led to his death. "[The smugglers] wanted to send a message… a mafia-style warning," said Fr Tedeschi. He acknowledged it might have scared some customs officials at the time but said it had "not succeeded in making [people] forget these testimonies of love and justice that Floribert gave us". When the late Pope Francis visited DR Congo in February 2023, he spoke to young people at the main stadium in Kinshasa - and urged them to follow Kositi's example. "A young person like yourselves, Floribert Bwana Chui… at only 26 years old, was killed in Goma for having blocked the passage of spoiled foodstuffs that would have been harmful for people's health," he said. "Since he was a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and he chose to be honest - saying no to the filth of corruption. "If someone offers you a bribe, or promises you favours and lots of money, do not fall into the trap. Do not be deceived! Do not be sucked into the swamp of evil!" he said. His successor, Pope Leo XIV, who presided over the beatification ceremony at the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in June, agreed a more promising future lay ahead for DR Congo's young people. "This African martyr, in a continent rich in youths, shows how young people can give rise to peace," the pontiff said. The Christian martyr, who now has the title of "blessed" before his name, was lauded in the basilica full of joyous Congolese faithful waving flags. "May the long-awaited peace in Kivu, in Congo, and across all of Africa come soon - through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and Blessed Floribert," said Pope Leo. If peace were to be delivered to Goma, where two joint peace processes are currently under way, that would indeed be a miracle worthy of a saint - and would give hope to the entire region. You may also be interested in: Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo WATCH: BBC goes inside rebel-held city of Goma How African popes changed Christianity How does someone become a saint? Africa remembers Pope who spoke for the continent Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Floribert Kositi: DR Congo's would-be saint murdered 'mafia style' for refusing bribes
Two days after he was kidnapped in July 2007, the bloodied and battered corpse of Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi was dumped outside a university campus in the city of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of newly graduated 26-year-old and devout Catholic was just three months into a job as a customs official - which he had taken on with his usual zeal, by refusing to be had stood up to people wanting to smuggle in rice from neighbouring Rwanda that had spoiled and could have proven poisonous if eaten. No-one has ever been arrested for his Francesco Tedeschi, the man campaigning for Kositi to become a Catholic saint, told the BBC his "mafia-style" murder was meant to serve as a warning to anyone else who stood up to corruption - in a part of the world where guns tend to hold sway over the rule of is the capital of North Kivu Province, which is rich in covetable minerals - such as those that power mobile phones - and plentiful in rebel and militia Fr Tedeschi believes the warning completely failed because of Kositi's legacy of love and justice, saying the kindness he had shown through his short life lives on actions, in a place where corruption is the norm, were informed by his had made him strong enough to resist repeated offers by the smugglers. According to the Catholic Sant'Egidio community of which he was a member - Kositi was first offered $1,000 (£750), then $2,000 "and even more", but consistently said no."He had received phone calls and pressure, even from public authorities, to turn a blind eye and take his fee as everyone had always done," the Community of Sant'Egidio year, the Catholic Church declared him a martyr - one of the steps to sainthood - as it felt his death was the result of his unwillingness to sacrifice his Christian values for the Catholic tradition, a saint serves as a model of Christian life and is regarded as a hero of the faith through their exceptional actions of has since been beatified - at a ceremony in Rome last month - meaning that once one miracle has been attributed to him, he will become a far this has been a remarkably fast journey, as canonisation - the process to sainthood - can sometimes take decades or centuries - though this is speeded up if the church decides someone died for their faith. Born in Goma in 1981, Kositi was the eldest of three siblings and eight half-siblings, according to a biography written by Sant'Egidio, which described him as coming from a "well-off family". His father was a bank clerk and his mother a border police officer."Floribert Bwana Chui was an intelligent and eloquent child from birth. He was a polite boy who respected us, his parents. I saw a bright future in him. I was expecting him to be a boy who would get married, have a wife and children," his mother Gertrude Kamara Ntawiha told UN-sponsored Radio Okapi last month before travelling to Rome for her son's beatification - which was also attended by Kositi's two younger the challenges of living in eastern DR Congo, Kositi was always curious about the world, did well at school and went on to study law at was during his studies that he attended a regional student conference in Rwanda, in 2001, that changed the course of his Italian priest gave a talk at the gathering which had brought together people to discuss ways to find, and live in, peace in the restive Great Lakes was speaking on behalf of the Sant'Egidio community, a movement of both lay people and clergy, committed to social service - and the priest was encouraging the students to embrace a pastoral Tedeschi had barely finished speaking at the auditorium in southern Rwanda's leafy university town of Butare when Kositi approached him."That speech very much touched Floribert as well as his other friends who had come from Goma," he told the BBC."He wanted to begin a community of Sant'Egidio in Goma. [He was] a young man full of joy with a wish to be useful to the world, with a wish to change what he saw around him that did not work." Kositi took up his mission - and in particular his efforts focused on helping street children, Fr Tedeschi region around Goma has known decades of conflict and is currently at the centre of a rebellion that has seen a powerful rebel group take over the city and swathes of territory surrounding the fighting all about?Inside the rebel-held Congolese mine vital to mobile phonesYour phone, a rare metal and the war in DR CongoKositi, "very affected" by the fate of children caught up in successive traumas, set up one of Sant'Egidio's "Schools of Peace" - which offer food and other assistance to get children an Goma's School of Peace is named in honour of him and has become an actual in the early 2000s, the young undergraduate was often helping street children financially with school fees or food - or assisting them to become self-reliant in a city where almost everyone was struggling."What struck me," said Fr Tedeschi, "was how Floribert was someone who took the life of others very seriously and more importantly, he would ask himself a lot of questions to understand what the roots of poverty were - the misfortunes of people."He liked talking, to confront these problems."Kositi's reach went beyond DR Congo's borders. In Kigali, Rwanda's capital, some 100km (60 miles) east of Goma, Bernard Musana Segatagara, a Sant'Egidio fellow, also remembers him."Changing Africa and building peace was our shared dream as we observed a growing network of friendship. I think living in a region of tension was making our friendship even more special," he told the graduating in 2006, Kositi began training as a customs official in the capital, Kinshasa, before taking up a senior post on the border between Rwanda and DR Congo in April rice dispute involved a consignment of around four or five tonnes - which he had tested as he was worried about its safety and then ordered that it be destroyed."At first that pushed the smugglers to try and bribe him, and later to threaten him. And Floribert always refused," Fr Tedeschi said."He refused based on his Christian principles. At one point he asked a doctor - a nun working in Goma, who was a friend - so he could really understand the dangers this rice would have represented to the civilian population."And that's what led him to think: 'So me as a Christian, I can neither accept money nor that these people risk dying because of this poisoned food just because of corruption.'" For the priest this is what showed his "loyalty to the gospel, Christian values of love for one's neighbour [and] justice".Lawyer Jean Jacques Bakinahe, who studied with Kositi at the University of Goma and was also one of the leaders of Sant'Egidio in the city, told the Rwanda Catholic Church TV channel that his friend "profoundly followed the gospel of peace… [which] really helped him categorically reject that act of corruption".But it ultimately led to his death."[The smugglers] wanted to send a message… a mafia-style warning," said Fr acknowledged it might have scared some customs officials at the time but said it had "not succeeded in making [people] forget these testimonies of love and justice that Floribert gave us".When the late Pope Francis visited DR Congo in February 2023, he spoke to young people at the main stadium in Kinshasa - and urged them to follow Kositi's example."A young person like yourselves, Floribert Bwana Chui… at only 26 years old, was killed in Goma for having blocked the passage of spoiled foodstuffs that would have been harmful for people's health," he said."Since he was a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and he chose to be honest - saying no to the filth of corruption."If someone offers you a bribe, or promises you favours and lots of money, do not fall into the trap. Do not be deceived! Do not be sucked into the swamp of evil!" he said. His successor, Pope Leo XIV, who presided over the beatification ceremony at the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in June, agreed a more promising future lay ahead for DR Congo's young people."This African martyr, in a continent rich in youths, shows how young people can give rise to peace," the pontiff Christian martyr, who now has the title of "blessed" before his name, was lauded in the basilica full of joyous Congolese faithful waving flags."May the long-awaited peace in Kivu, in Congo, and across all of Africa come soon - through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and Blessed Floribert," said Pope peace were to be delivered to Goma, where two joint peace processes are currently under way, that would indeed be a miracle worthy of a saint - and would give hope to the entire region. You may also be interested in: Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR CongoWATCH: BBC goes inside rebel-held city of GomaHow African popes changed ChristianityHow does someone become a saint?Africa remembers Pope who spoke for the continent Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DR Congo tries ex-president Joseph Kabila in absentia for treason
Former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia Friday on charges including treason over his alleged support for Rwanda-backed militants. The trial of Kabila, who returned to live in Goma in May this year, began on Friday at a military court in the Gombe district of the capital Kinshasa. The former president faces charges of plotting to overthrow the government of President Felix Tshisekedi – which could result in a death sentence – as well as homicide, torture and rape linked to the anti-government force M23. Other charges include "taking part in an insurrection movement", "crime against the peace and safety of humanity" and "forcible occupation of the city of Goma". Kabila denies the charges, did not appear at the hearing and has asked to be tried in absentia. He returned to Goma in May, following two years of self-imposed exile in South Africa, after M23 rebels took control of the city in January. According to the charge sheet, seen by France's AFP news agency, Kabila allegedly helped form the Congo River Alliance (AFC) – the M23's political wing. He's accused of colluding with Rwanda to try to "overthrow by force the power established by law". Kabila's successor, President Tshisekedi, has branded him the brains behind the rebel movement, which has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwanda's help. The militia and the government signed a pledge in July to seek a permanent ceasefire. Congo Hold-Up: on the trail of Joseph Kabila's mystery company 'Political' trial Emmanuel Shadari, secretary-general of Kabila's People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), dismissed the trial as "political" arguing it would "divide the Congolese people" during peace negotiations. The proceeding "is anything but a fair trial. With a justice system that is not independent, the conviction is already decided – the rest is theatre, a ridiculous staging," Shadari said. Deputy Justice Minister Samuel Mbemba told reporters at the hearing: "The courts do not negotiate, they will do their work independently." M23 and AFC leaders deny any affiliation with the former president. Benjamin Mbonimpa, the groups' executive secretary, said that the government should not "label him an AFC/M23 member" just because he had come to the city. He branded the trial part of a "malevolent strategy" against the ex-president. Kabila, 54, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019, has rejected the trial as "arbitrary" and accused the judiciary of acting as "an instrument of oppression". The Senate lifted his immunity as senator for life to allow the case to proceed. Former DR Congo president Kabila loses immunity over alleged M23 rebel ties The hearing was adjourned after several hours to 31 July, following a request by prosecutors for extra time to review documents. Eastern DRC has endured armed conflict for decades, with violence escalating since M23's resurgence in 2021. Rwanda denies military support for the group, though UN experts say its army has played a "critical" role in M23's operations. The DRC lifted a moratorium on the death penalty last year but no judicial executions have been carried out since. From 1960 to present day, 11 dates that explain the conflict in the DRC (with newswires)
Miami Herald
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
32-year-old gorilla gives birth to ‘bundle of joy' at CO zoo. See it cling to mom
A gorilla had her third baby at a Colorado zoo, and keepers are calling it a 'bundle of joy.' The zoo was filled with 'pure joy' on July 21, after welcoming the newest baby gorilla, according to a Facebook post by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The baby's mom, 32-year-old Asha, a critically endangered Western lowland gorilla, is bonding with her new baby, and the pair 'seem to be doing well,' zookeepers said. 'Asha is sitting and lying down with the baby and gently patting its back, which is really adorable,' Ashton Asbury, the Primate World animal keeper, said in the post. 'The baby hangs onto Asha while she's moving around and she supports it with one hand. They're bonding really well, and we have seen her licking the baby's head and grooming it.' Even first-time dad Goma, 34, 'is showing interest in the baby, too,' zookeepers said. 'He seems to want to stick close to her and the baby,' Asbury said. 'I heard him making happy gorilla grumbles at them, and Asha is doing a good job of showing him the baby while keeping a comfortable distance.' Asha was born at the zoo in 1992, and Goma came in 2016 as part of the Western Lowland Gorilla Species Survival Plan, zookeepers said. The baby, who hasn't been named and whose sex hasn't been identified, is already meeting milestones, like 'nursing and clinging to its mom,' zookeepers said. Asha has had two other babies at the Colorado Springs-based zoo, and the 'goal is to let Asha take the lead on newborn care,' zookeepers said. The baby will 'likely cling to Asha for the first several weeks' as it gets to know their dad, zookeepers said. Facebook users rushed to the comments to congratulate Asha, with one person saying, 'SO PRECIOUS.' 'This is so beautiful,' another wrote. 'That baby is cuuuuuttttteeeee! **squeel!*' another said. Colorado Springs is about a 70-mile drive southeast from Denver.
Zawya
22-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Hydrocarbons Ministry to Lead High-Level Delegation at United States (U.S.)-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) 2025
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is intensifying its focus on upstream development and strategic U.S. partnerships ahead of the U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) 2025 ( taking place on August 6-7 in Houston. Leading the effort is a senior delegation from the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, delivering a clear message: the DRC is open for investment, with exploration and downstream development as top priorities. As part of its hydrocarbons roadmap, the DRC is seeking partners to bring capital, technology, and expertise into its exploration efforts, with a focus on high-potential onshore and offshore blocks. Many of these basins – including the Cuvette Centrale and Coastal regions – remain underexplored. While the DRC currently produces around 18,000 barrels per day (bpd), the Ministry of Hydrocarbons is targeting a major production scale-up to 300,000 bpd. This growth is expected to be driven by new offshore discoveries and a forthcoming petroleum code designed to clarify investor terms and enable joint development ventures. The Ministry is also seeking to engage U.S.-based downstream and petrochemicals companies as part of a broader push to expand value-added processing and strengthen domestic energy infrastructure. USAEF 2025 offers a key platform for direct dialogue with U.S. investors, paving the way for new deals, technical partnerships and cross-regional energy trade. Current initiatives include the development of a new oil terminal in Goma to stabilize fuel supply in the east, along with upgrades to fuel storage and distribution networks nationwide. These projects create strong opportunities for U.S. engineering, technology and EPC firms to support infrastructure modernization, modular refining and local capacity-building. Under efforts to foster new technical partnerships and attract capital investment, the Ministry will hold meetings at USAEF 2025 with upstream operators, seismic and drilling service providers, and petrochemical firms interested in entering or expanding in the Congolese market. The DRC is positioning itself as a strategic partner for American energy companies seeking access to a frontier market with significant geological potential, a reform-minded government and growing regional demand for refined products and petrochemicals. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, please contact sales@ or visit Join us in Houston to connect with the leaders shaping Africa's energy landscape and experience the momentum that drives ECP's events worldwide. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
