Latest news with #JudithSuminwa
Russia Today
26-02-2025
- Health
- Russia Today
Unknown disease kills dozens in conflict-torn African state
At least 53 people have been killed by an unknown illness in recent weeks in the northwestern part of Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported. The organization said 431 cases had been recorded in two outbreaks in remote areas of the African country's Equateur province as of February 15. In the village of Bomate, 45 people have died out of 419 known cases. A total of eight deaths out of 12 cases had earlier been reported in the nearby villages of Boloko and Danda, it stated. Symptoms include fevers, chills, headache, body aches, sweating, neck stiffness, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Nearly half of the deaths are believed to occur within 48 hours of the first signs appearing, according to the WHO. 'The outbreaks, which have seen cases rise rapidly within days, pose a significant public health threat. The exact cause remains unknown,' WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told a briefing on Tuesday. In a recently published bulletin, the global health agency said samples from 12 active cases and one deceased person had tested negative for Ebola and Marburg. Health teams are investigating other possible causes, including malaria, viral hemorrhagic fever, food or water poisoning, typhoid fever, and meningitis, WHO added. The latest crisis, which reportedly began in Boloko after three children ate a dead bat and died within 48 hours, comes amid other public health challenges in the Central African country. The DR Congo has been identified as the epicenter of a severe outbreak of the Mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, with over 2,000 new suspected cases weekly, according to the WHO. In December, the former Belgian colony's Health Ministry identified a previously unknown disease that had spread in the southwestern Kwango province as a severe form of malaria. The illness, which causes fevers, headaches, coughing, runny noses, and body aches, claimed 143 lives in November. The country has also been devastated by armed clashes in its eastern region since the beginning of the year, driven by militants of the M23 group, one of dozens of rebel groups fighting the government for control of territories and mineral resources. About 7,000 people have been killed in the fighting, Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa told a high-level meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. The WHO has warned that the escalating violence will 'further destabilize the region, heighten public health risks, and worsen human suffering' if immediate action is not taken.
Russia Today
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
DR Congo conflict has claimed 7,000 lives
In a recent address to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Judith Suminwa, reported that ongoing battles in the country's eastern regions have led to the deaths of about 7,000 people since January. Suminwa said that approximately 3,000 of these deaths occurred in Goma, a major city in the eastern part of the country. Additionally, nearly 90 displacement camps have been destroyed, leaving around 450,000 people without shelter. DRC has been plagued by decades of violence, particularly in the eastern part of the country, as dozens of armed groups, including M23, fight local authorities. In their latest offensive, the rebels have seized Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. According to the UN, M23 has appointed de facto authorities, including a governor and mayor in Goma. The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of providing support to M23 rebels – a claim Kigali has consistently denied. The prime minister called for international intervention, urging the global community to impose 'dissuasive sanctions' on Rwanda in response to a humanitarian crisis marked by mass displacements and reports of summary executions. She emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, 'It is impossible to describe the screams and cries of millions of victims of this conflict.' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the same meeting, expressed deep concern over the global state of human rights, referencing the alarming abuses occurring in the DRC. He underscored the critical need to address violations of territorial integrity to prevent further deterioration of the situation. On Saturday, the rebel coalition Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), including M23 militants, expressed readiness for talks with the DRC government to end fighting in the east. AFC spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka announced the group's commitment to a negotiated solution and a unilateral ceasefire declared on February 4. The ceasefire aims to support resolutions from recent regional peace conferences calling for political dialogue with the Congolese government. Kanyuka urged the government to fully implement these agreements. Meanwhile, the African Union has warned of a potential DRC breakup, and the UN fears regional escalation. On Friday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding M23 cease hostilities, withdraw from occupied areas, and dismantle illegitimate parallel administrations in the country.
Al Jazeera
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Fighting in eastern DRC killed about 7,000 people since January, PM says
More than 7,000 people have been killed in fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since last month, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa says, with a 'significant' number of civilians among the dead. Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Switzerland on Monday, Suminwa warned that 'the security situation in eastern DRC has reached alarming levels'. About 3,000 deaths were reported in Goma, the capital of the eastern DRC's North Kivu province, the prime minister said. She added that more than 2,500 bodies were buried without being identified while another 1,500 were still in morgues. 'There is a significant mass of civilians who are part of these dead,' Suminwa said. Since January, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has captured swaths of the eastern DRC, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. The group's rapid offensive has prompted concern from world leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who recently warned that the fighting could 'push the entire region over the precipice'. Rwanda has rejected allegations from the DRC, the UN and Western governments that it supports the rebels with weapons and troops. During Monday's address in Geneva, Suminwa urged the world to act and to impose 'dissuasive sanctions' on Rwanda amid mass displacement and reports of summary executions. 'It is impossible to describe the screams and cries of millions of victims of this conflict,' she said. Guterres also told the Human Rights Council that the situation in the country was 'a deadly whirlwind of violence and horrifying human rights abuses'. 'The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected,' the UN chief said. 'As more cities fall, the risk of a regional war rises. It's time to silence the guns.' Rebel fighters took control of Bukavu just over a week ago after first capturing Goma last month. About 40,000 people have fled the violence to neighbouring Burundi over a two-week span, the UN said on Friday. The M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of the eastern DRC's trillions of dollars in mineral wealth. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 soldiers from neighbouring Rwanda, according to UN experts.
Al Jazeera
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Fighting in eastern DRC kills about 7,000 people since January, PM says
More than 7,000 people have been killed in fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since last month, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa says, with a 'significant' number of civilians among the dead. Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Switzerland on Monday, Suminwa warned that 'the security situation in eastern DRC has reached alarming levels'. About 3,000 deaths were reported in Goma, the capital of the eastern DRC's North Kivu province, the prime minister said. She added that more than 2,500 bodies were buried without being identified while another 1,500 were still in morgues. 'There is a significant mass of civilians who are part of these dead,' Suminwa said. Since January, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has captured swaths of the eastern DRC, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province. The group's rapid offensive has prompted concern from world leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who recently warned that the fighting could 'push the entire region over the precipice'. Rwanda has rejected allegations from the DRC, the UN and Western governments that it supports the rebels with weapons and troops. During Monday's address in Geneva, Suminwa urged the world to act and to impose 'dissuasive sanctions' on Rwanda amid mass displacement and reports of summary executions. 'It is impossible to describe the screams and cries of millions of victims of this conflict,' she said. Guterres also told the Human Rights Council that the situation in the country was 'a deadly whirlwind of violence and horrifying human rights abuses'. 'The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected,' the UN chief said. 'As more cities fall, the risk of a regional war rises. It's time to silence the guns.' Rebel fighters took control of Bukavu just over a week ago after first capturing Goma last month. About 40,000 people have fled the violence to neighbouring Burundi over a two-week span, the UN said on Friday. The M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups vying for control of the eastern DRC's trillions of dollars in mineral wealth. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 soldiers from neighbouring Rwanda, according to UN experts.
