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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ex-Radio Rwanda journalist detained in France over 1994 genocide
Representative image (AI) PARIS: A journalist at the government Radio Rwanda during the 1994 genocide of ethnic Tutsis was charged and detained in France at the end of April, a source close to the case told AFP on Thursday. The anti-terrorism prosecutor's office (PNAT) confirmed that Hyacinthe Bicamumpaka was indicted for genocide, complicity in crimes against humanity and conspiracy. His pre-trial detention was upheld on appeal on May 9, according to a judicial source. Alongside Radio Mille Collines, which was nicknamed "Radio Genocide" or "Hutu Power Radio", Radio Rwanda was the official Hutu government radio station during the genocide. Bicamumpaka was a "prominent journalist" who was "very close to the main planners of the genocide", the executive secretary of the genocide survivors' group Ibuka, Naphtali Ahishakiye told AFP. In 2021, French online investigative news outlet Mediapart said Bicamumpaka was in France with two other Rwandans suspected of having taken part in the genocide. France's OCLCH crimes against humanity unit began an investigation soon after. Bicamumpaka arrived in France in June 1994, with Rwanda in the grip of the genocide, according to French authorities. His refugee request, consulted online, stated that the Hutu origin journalist claimed he could not return to his country where "members of his ethnic group are now persecuted", and said he actively worked through his broadcasts to promote peace. His asylum claim was rejected, with the refugee commission stating that Radio Rwanda was a "vehicle of government propaganda at a time when the Rwandan government notoriously tolerated and encouraged a genocide against the Tutsi population". As a journalist for the station, "Mr Bicamumpaka could not ignore that he contributed, even indirectly, to the perpetration of mass murder", it added. The genocide by the Hutu regime in power between April and July 1994 resulted in about 800,000 deaths, according to the UN. The overwhelming majority were from the Tutsi minority.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
France drops genocide probe against widow of former Rwandan president Habyarimana
French judicial authorities have closed the investigation against the widow of Rwanda's former president Juvenal Habyarimana into claims she played a role in the country's 1994 genocide, without pressing any charges against her, several sources close to the case told French news agency AFP. Agathe Habyarimana, 82, who has been living in France since 1998 and whose extradition has been repeatedly requested by Kigali, will not face trial by a French court at this stage, the sources said, asking not to be named. The former first lady fled Rwanda with French help just days after her husband's plane was shot down in April 1994, triggering the genocide which saw around 800,000 people slaughtered in one of the 20th century's worst atrocities. Remembering Rwanda's genocide The investigation has been under way since 2008, when a French-based victims' association filed a legal complaint against Habyarimana who was questioned over suspicions that she was part of the Hutu inner circle of power that planned and orchestrated the killings of mainly ethnic Tutsis. In the investigation she had the status of assisted witness, which in France's legal system is between being a witness and being charged. The investigating magistrates in charge of the case said in a ruling delivered on Friday that "at this stage, there is no serious and consistent evidence that she could have been an accomplice in an act of genocide" or could have "participated in an agreement to commit genocide". (AFP) Read more on RFI EnglishRead also:Life sentence upheld for ex-gendarme Philippe Manier in Rwandan genocide caseRwanda marks 30 years since France's contested mission to stem 1994 genocideMacron acknowledges France's 'failure to heed warnings' of looming massacres in Rwanda
Epoch Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
US Peace Efforts in DRC Could Usurp Chinese Regime's Grip in Region: Analysts
The United States has taken a major step toward breaking Beijing's stranglehold on critical minerals by helping broker a cease-fire in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eastern DRC has some of the world's largest deposits of such The United States is pushing the DRC and Rwanda to sign peace accords, along with bilateral minerals agreements in Washington, within two months. The accords could bring billions of dollars in Western investment to the region, according to Massad Boulos, President Donald Trump's senior Africa adviser. Boulos added that the DRC and Rwanda will finalize bilateral economic agreements with Washington to support mining and mineral processing. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet the foreign ministers of both countries in mid-May to finalize the peace deal. However, Boulos made it clear that before the White House signing ceremony can go ahead, Washington expects Rwanda to pull its troops out of the DRC and end its support for the M23 rebels, while the DRC must address Rwanda's security concerns with militias. More than 6 million people have been The latest fighting has pitted rebels from the M23 group, backed by Rwanda, against DRC troops operating under President Felix Tshisekedi's government in Kinshasa and U.N.-sanctioned forces from several southern African countries. The U.S. Treasury has imposed The sanctions extend to Kabarebe, M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, and two of Kanyuka's companies. Rwandan President Paul Kagame's administration in Kigali has justified the presence of its troops in eastern DRC by accusing Kinshasa of supporting militias that allegedly participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, during which extremists from the Hutu ethnic group killed Critical Minerals Jean-Pierre Okenda, director of DRC-based nonprofit Sentinel Natural Resources, told The Epoch Times that M23 rebels have seized mines across eastern DRC and are using profits from the sale of critical minerals and metals—mainly coltan, gold, tantalum, tin, and tungsten—to buy weapons and ammunition. U.N. experts said in a 2024 A miner holds a cobalt stone at the Shabara artisanal mine near Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Oct.12, 2022. Junior Kannah/AFP via Getty Images Another indication of continued American interest in the DRC, said Mike Smith, global trade specialist at the International Trade Institute of Southern Africa, is the Trump administration's support for a scheme initiated by former President Joe Biden. The Lobito Corridor Project, partly funded with $553 million from the U.S. International Development Finance Corp., will result in an 800-mile railway connecting eastern DRC to the port city of Lobito in Angola. The United States will also construct a new harbor at Lobito from which minerals and metals will be shipped across the Atlantic. The U.S. International Development Finance Corp. But first, there must be peace. 'Without peace this mission is dead in the water,' said Abraham Miniko, a senior researcher and policy analyst in peace, security, and conflict resolution at Istanbul University in Turkey. He told The Epoch Times that war in the DRC 'has been very kind to China for almost 40 years,' allowing the Chinese regime to control the region's extractive industry. Companies linked to Beijing own or operate 80 percent of critical mineral production in the DRC, according to several studies, including one While war in eastern DRC drove American mining firms out of the region, the conflict had the 'opposite effect' on their Chinese competitors, said Umesh Bawa, foreign policy analyst at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. 'The instability brought to DRC was very good for China. It took advantage of the chaos by being the only player willing to operate in the area. Unlike others, it had no qualms sending its people into danger, and it didn't pull out even when Chinese mining employees were killed in attacks,' he told The Epoch Times. In July 2024, a militia attack on a gold mine in northeastern Congo killed six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers. China has actively prolonged the violence by providing weapons, including Smith told The Epoch Times that China's 'low' environmental and human rights standards and 'paltry' labor costs had allowed it to control global supplies of critical minerals. China has a near Countering China 'If the United States has a gateway into DRC, it has taken a huge step toward minimizing China's power [in minerals markets],' Smith said. Should there be peace in DRC, he said, it's likely U.S. mining companies will return to begin fulfilling Trump's Trump and many research organizations, including the East Asia Forum, have Luhihi gold mine in the foreground and Lake Kivu in the background in South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on May 13, 2023. Alexis Huguet/AFP via Getty Images According to a 'China is restricting exports of seven minerals in particular,' said David van Wyk, an independent mining and minerals consultant working in Africa. He said these include terbium, dysprosium, holmium, and erbium—elements used in powerful magnets, lasers, fiber optics, and electric vehicles. 'These minerals are known as 'heavy rare earths' because they're very difficult to refine. They are used a lot by the military and defense sectors, to make the heavy magnets needed for certain equipment in tanks and fighter jets and other military equipment,' van Wyk told The Epoch Times. 'The rest of the world hasn't developed capacity to process these elements and so relies on China. That leaves the U.S. ... in a very vulnerable position.' The Trump administration will also have to keep Rwanda happy, Miniko said. 'The war has brought Rwanda a lot of income through the sale of minerals, and if peace comes to eastern DRC and Rwanda loses all this money, it obviously won't be happy. If Kagame is not appeased in some significant way, bad feeling will simmer and eventually things will explode again,' he said. 'Rwanda will have to be included in a deal that benefits it economically, not just politically.' Smith stated that Washington is 'obviously confident' that its peace efforts will be successful, or else the 'big guns' wouldn't be about to invest in the region. As the diplomacy plays out, KoBold Metals, According to the International Trade Association, in 2022, the DRC was the world's largest cobalt miner, producing nearly 68 percent of the world's cobalt. Some of the country's copper mines contain significantly higher grades of metal than the global average. With analysis of the DRC's mining registry data showing that just 11 percent of the country is covered by mining activity, the material potential is evident. 'The Congolese people themselves don't benefit from the riches that they walk over every day of their lives,' Okenda said. Okenda said that should the United States reenter the DRC's extractive sector, it should be careful not to make the same mistakes that China has made. 'American presence in eastern DRC must benefit the Congolese people. Otherwise, America's stay in the region is going to be short, because anti-American rebel groups will emerge and a new cycle of conflict will begin,' he said.
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Minerals, mobile phones and militias: how war unfolded in DRC
H ello and welcome to The Long Wave. This week, after three months of fighting, a peace agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the works. I spoke to our east Africa correspondent, Carlos Mureithi, about the conflict, how quickly it escalated and the prospects for peace. The long shadow of the 90s Flag bearers … People scale a monument during an anti-government rally in Bukavu in February. Photograph: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images In late January, in a fast and shocking development, the M23 militia group seized Goma, one of the largest cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Weeks later, these rebels captured Bukavu, another large city of strategic importance, thwarting the Congolese army's attempts to halt their march. M23's mobilisation and rapid gains were the culmination of decades of political and economic tensions. Carlos tells me that the roots of this conflict lie in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, during which millions of refugees crossed from Rwanda to DRC and brought with them Hutu and Tutsi parties still litigating ethnic agendas. M23 is led by ethnic Tutsis, who took up arms more than 10 years ago and have engaged in several skirmishes since. The justification for the military action is that M23 needs to protect the minority group from further threats and marginalisation. Hundreds of thousands of Tutsis were slaughtered in the genocide by Hutu extremists. Carlos says that although this conflict has raged for decades, M23's progress this year seems to have a different momentum, as the group has made larger inroads and significant territorial gains in a short space of time. 'This year, [the fighting is] the worst we have seen.' Conflict minerals Heavy metal … DRC is the largest producer of cobalt from mines, accounting for more than 70% of global production last year. Photograph: Junior Kannah/AFP/Getty Images M23's advance amounts to a grave breach of DRC's sovereignty. Carlos says this is especially the case because the Rwandan government is backing the rebel group. 'Rwanda denies it but according to the UN [and the international community], it is Rwanda that funds M23.' The country claims whatever support it is extending to M23, it is not full sponsorship, only an attempt to 'protect Tutsis, who were targeted in the genocide', Carlos adds. But according to experts on the region, Rwanda is heavily invested in securing proxy control over parts of DRC, not only because of political enmeshment through overlapping ethnic demographics, but also due to DRC's abundance of lucrative natural resources. Notoriously known as conflict minerals, these assets are of significant interest to Rwanda, Carlos says, a covetousness that is extending and entrenching military strife in eastern and southern DRC. It is striking that these areas are rarely spoken of in terms of their extraordinary beauty and almost otherworldly natural habitat of hills, lakes and soil tinged with red and orange. Buffeted between political and economic agendas, the region became the site of an ethnic and now commercial battle. While the conflict began as friction between communities, minerals also play a huge role, Carlos explains. Such minerals are exceptionally bountiful in DRC and are some of the most critical in modern technology. Cobalt, lithium and coltan are used in lithium-ion batteries in circuit-board electronics and power laptops, smartphones and electric vehicles. DRC is home to a staggering 60-70% of the world's supply of these minerals. Carlos says vast sums of money are made from capturing and trading these natural materials, which are a source of funding for even more territorial gains. A deadly wave of violence Uprooted … People displaced by war arrive from Goma on a handmade boat near Minova, South Kivu province, DRC. Photograph: Alexis Huguet/AFP/Getty Images 'Fast and violent' is how Carlos describes the events of the past three months. He stresses that this period is only the latest chapter in a conflict that 'has created one of the largest and deadliest humanitarian crises in the world. Since 1996, it has caused more than 6 million deaths and displaced a similar number of people internally and outside the DRC.' In March, Carlos was in Cibitoke, Burundi, which neighbours DRC and has become one of the destinations to which refugees fled the fighting. Those escaping the violence revealed 'really horrible ordeals'. As M23 progressed through south-east DRC, refugees saw hundreds of Congolese military personnel fleeing – some wounded. Carlos says: 'To show how desperate the situation was, these soldiers were telling civilians: 'We are running away from M23. We have been overpowered, they are coming here. If you can, the best thing for you is to leave this town.'' skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Those who could, took whatever belongings they had and walked to the Burundi border, crossing a dangerous river on the way, one in which several people drowned. It was really striking to Carlos just 'how helpless the Congolese army was. It was a very desperate situation.' Eastern DRC – a remote area in a vast country Sunset in Bulambo, DRC … The shadow of war looms large in a country known for its diverse animal species and landscapes. Photograph:/500px One of the peculiar features of the DRC conflict is how localised it is, which perhaps goes some way towards explaining the tepid response from the army and security forces. The capital, Kinshasa, is a world away from Goma – a 47-hour car drive and a ferry journey. The refugees Carlos spoke to shared one thing: they blamed the government, and felt that the ruling powers in Kinshasa had neglected eastern DRC. The government is also in business in the region and is among a host of parties extracting minerals and handing out contracts to foreign companies. Carlos says people believe that as long as politicians can keep making money from the region, they will let the fighting continue. Potential for peace Peace pact … The emir of Qatar speaks to the Rwandan president (left) and his DRC counterpart in Doha last month. Photograph: Mofa Qatar/AFP/Getty Images That might be changing, as M23's advance threatens to destabilise Kinshasa. Carlos tells me that only a couple of weeks ago 'the warring parties were not willing to just sit down and talk'. But sit down they did, and talks in Doha yielded a promise by both sides to provide draft peace documents. The Trump administration has also weighed in, expressing a strong interest in sponsoring a peace deal. These discussions are the most promising in recent history, Carlos says. An end to the fighting is urgent and welcome – but a permanent resolution can only come about if there is no return to the turbulent status quo. The key to an enduring peace is a commitment to extract DRC from the quagmire once and for all while loosening the grip of history and geography. To receive the complete version of The Long Wave in your inbox every Wednesday, please subscribe here.
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
White House set to host Rwanda-DRC peace deal signing in June
With backing from the United States, Rwanda and the DRC move closer to finalising a peace agreement to end the deadly M23 conflict in eastern Congo. M23 soldiers stand at the mining pits in Rubaya on 5 March 2025. Picture: Camille Laffont / AFP Rwanda's foreign minister on Tuesday said a final peace deal to end a crisis gripping the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo would be signed in mid-June in Washington. M23 fighters, who UN experts and the United States say have received military support from Rwanda, have made rapid advances in the eastern DRC since January, seizing key cities and vast areas of territory in fighting that has killed thousands. Draft agreement gains momentum Last month, the DRC and Rwanda agreed at talks in the United States to reach a draft peace deal by May 2, raising hopes of an end to the crisis sparked by the M23's lightning offensive. Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told AFP there was still no agreement on the content of the deal but the next steps would involve 'consolidation of the contributions of the parties into a single text'. This would be followed by the 'finalisation of the draft peace agreement by foreign ministers in a meeting to take place in Washington during the third week of May'. The process was expected to lead to 'the signing of the agreement mid-June at the White House', Nduhungirehe said. ALSO READ: SANDF says withdrawal from DRC has started, but it's 'not a sign of weakness' An 'important' step It comes a day after US special envoy for Africa Massad Boulos said on X that he had received 'draft text on a peace proposal' by the DRC and Rwanda. 'This is an important step toward fulfilling the commitments made in the Declaration of Principles,' said Boulos, who is father-in-law to US President Donald Trump's daughter Tiffany. Last month, Boulos visited both countries and called for Rwanda to halt support to the M23 and pull out troops. Regional tensions and genocide legacy complicate talks Rwanda has denied military support for the M23 but says its security has long been threatened by armed groups in eastern DRC, notably the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda created by former Hutu leaders linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Since its 2021 resurgence, the M23 has seized swathes of the eastern DRC, displacing hundreds of thousands of Congolese and triggering a widespread humanitarian crisis. Multiple ceasefires have been made and broken in the last four years. NOW READ: Concerns raised about 'disorganised' withdrawal of SA troops from DRC
