Latest news with #JudithSuminwaTuluka
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DR Congo, M23 rebels to hold peace talks in Angola
The Democratic Republic of Congo's government and the rebel group M23 will meet in Angola for peace talks on March 18. The date was confirmed by Angolan President Joao Lourenco, whose country has been trying to mediate an end to the conflict for months. Until now, the Congolese government has refused to engage in talks with the rebels. In December, an initial attempt at peace talks collapsed when Rwanda demanded Congo engage with M23 directly. Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka said that she would only negotiate with Rwanda. "The fact remains that the aggressor of the territorial integrity and of the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo is Rwanda," she told the BBC. Suminwa Tuluka claimed that at least 7,000 people have been killed in the last two months, though that number has not been independently verified. The conflict escalated in January when the M23 group seized the mineral-rich city of Goma in eastern Congo. Rwanda, which borders Congo to the east, has been accused of backing the rebels. Rwanda continues to deny these allegations. M23 has been active in eastern Congo since 2012. In addition to the violence carried out against Congolese people, they have been accused by Human Rights Watch of attacking journalists and media members. A political-military organization to which M23 belongs denied these accusations, calling them a "blatant attempt to spread false information" and saying the militia "has always upheld press freedom and remains open to both national and international journalists." Rebuttal to Human Rights Watch's Baseless Allegations Against AFC/M23 categorically reject the unfounded allegations presented in Human Rights Watch's (HRW) dated March 12,th, 2025. This publication is a blatant attempt to spread… — Lawrence KANYUKA (@LawrenceKanyuka) March 12, 2025 Edited by: Sean Sinico
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DR Congo defies pressure over talks with rebel M23
Despite growing international pressure, the Democratic Republic of Congo is standing firm on its decision not to have direct talks with the M23 rebel group that has made major advances in the east of the country in recent months. Last week, the UK government added to calls for the group to be part of an "inclusive dialogue" to help find a political solution to the conflict. But in an interview with the BBC, DR Congo Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka said her government wants to negotiate with neighbouring Rwanda, which it accuses of backing the M23. At least 8,500 people have been killed since fighting escalated in January, according to the Congolese authorities. Hundreds of thousands have also been forced from their homes amid the chaos triggered by the fighting, in which UN experts and others see Rwanda as having a key role. "The fact remains that the aggressor of the territorial integrity and of the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo is Rwanda," Suminwa Tuluka said, citing a UN experts' report from last year that stated that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan troops had crossed into Congolese territory and were fighting alongside the M23. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo Peace talks brokered by Angola hit a deadlock last December after Rwanda demanded that the Congolese government talk directly to the M23. The rebel group then advanced swiftly, taking control of the cities of Goma and Bukavu in January and February. At a joint East and Southern African mediation effort last month, regional leaders called for a ceasefire, the exit of "uninvited foreign armed forces" from Congolese territory and also urged for direct negotiations between "state and non-state parties... including M23". Rwandan President Paul Kagame did not deny the presence of his troops in DR Congo when asked about it. "I don't know," he said in a CNN interview. The conflict across the border has seen his country, often viewed as a darling of the West, now lose favour fast across the board. Pressure is mounting on it to withdraw its forces from Congolese soil. "But it has not yet effectively done so," Suminwa Tuluka said. She welcomed US sanctions imposed on Rwandan government minister James Kabarebe, saying they would help "put pressure on the aggressors". Rwanda, however, dismissed them as "unjustified and ineffective in resolving the crisis". The European Commission for its part has suspended "defence consultations" and placed "under review" a memorandum of understanding it signed last year with Rwanda on raw materials. The Congolese prime minister welcomed the EU Commission's decisions, saying that "the illegal exploitation of resources - that is one of the causes of the conflict". DR Congo accuses Rwanda of illegally exploiting its mineral deposits in the east of the country, which Rwanda denies. Adding to the chorus against Rwanda, the UK said last week that among other measures it would pause aid except the money meant for the poorest and most vulnerable groups, unless the country withdraws its troops, engages "meaningfully" in talks and a ceasefire is achieved. Rwanda described the decision as "punitive", saying it was unreasonable to expect it to compromise its national security. The Congolese prime minister said that Rwanda was ignoring all the calls to withdraw its troops. "So, who is standing in the way of [resolving the conflict]? It is not the Congolese government," she argued. Rwanda has previously acknowledged deploying its forces "defensively and offensively" during the ongoing conflict, claiming the right to defend its territory. It has also repeatedly accused the Congolese government of harbouring and working with the militant group the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), whose members include fighters from the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Asked about that, Suminwa Tuluka denied that the Congolese army works with FDLR rebels, but said her country would engage in a process of "neutralising" the militants. When it came to what would solve the problem if direct talks with the M23 were ruled out, the prime minister said that along with negotiating with Rwanda, the answer was simple for what would guarantee a ceasefire. "Ensure that Rwandan troops withdraw from Congolese territory and that their M23 stop killing the Congolese populations," she said. How DR Congo's Tutsis become foreigners in their own country 'They took all the women here': Rape survivors recall horror of DR Congo jailbreak The DR Congo rebel leader whose fighters have created turmoil Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Euronews
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Explosions rock meeting of M23 rebel leaders in DR Congo
Dozens of people are reported to have been hurt by two explosions that went off during a meeting between M23 rebel leaders and residents in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The attack took place in the city of Bukavu, which M23, a Rwanda-backed group, seized earlier this month. Videos and photos posted on social media show a crowd of people fleeing the scene, with bloodied bodies lying on the ground. A journalist who was present at the meeting said that the blasts rocked the area as rebel leaders were leaving the podium. They included Corneille Nangaa, who runs the Congo River Alliance (AFC), of which M23 is a member. Eastern DRC, an area rich in valuable minerals, has suffered decades of fighting. Over the last few months, M23, one of many armed groups vying for control in the region, has achieved a series of sweeping victories against the national army. In January, the rebel group captured Goma, the largest city in the east of the country, before taking Bukavu, the second largest, soon afterwards. They have even vowed to seize the capital, Kinshasa, which is over 1,600km away. More than 7,000 people have been killed during this year's surge in fighting, according to DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, who said the security and humanitarian situation in the east had reached 'alarming levels'. UN experts say that M23, whose soldiers have been accused of rape and of killing children, is supported by roughly 4,000 Rwandan troops. As M23 attempts to capture more territory, pressure is growing on Rwanda from international actors such as the European Union. Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, has called DRC's territorial integrity 'non-negotiable', saying the bloc will review its raw materials deal with Rwanda in light of its support for M23. While M23 claims it is seeking to protect ethnic Tutsis and people of Rwandan origin in the region, analysts say Rwanda is using this as a pretext for its involvement.
CNN
25-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
7,000 killed since January in fighting in DRC, prime minister says
Some 7,000 people have died since January in fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), its prime minister told a high-level meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. Some 450,000 people are without shelter after 90 displacement camps were destroyed, Judith Suminwa Tuluka added. The M23's advance is the gravest escalation in more than a decade of the long-running conflict in eastern Congo. The rebel group's capture of swathes of the east and valuable mineral deposits has fanned fears of a wider war. Rwanda rejects allegations from Congo, the United Nations and Western powers that it supports M23 with arms and troops. The prime minister urged the world to act and to impose 'dissuasive sanctions' amid mass displacements and summary executions. 'It is impossible to describe the screams and cries of millions of victims of this conflict,' she added. In the opening remarks at the 58th UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN chief Antonio Guterres said that human rights around the world are being 'suffocated' and referred to horrifying human rights abuses in the DRC. Since the start of the year, the DRC has faced back-to-back losses in North and South Kivu provinces, fueling criticism of the authorities' military strategy. This story has been updated.
LBCI
24-02-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
7,000 killed since January in fighting in DRC: Congo prime minister
Some 7,000 people have died since January in fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the prime minister of the DRC told a high-level meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. Some 450,0000 people are without shelter after 90 displacement camps were destroyed, Judith Suminwa Tuluka added. The M23's advance is the gravest escalation in more than a decade of the long-running conflict in eastern Congo. Rwanda rejects allegations from Congo, the United Nations and Western powers that it supports M23 with arms and troops. The prime minister urged the world to act and to impose "dissuasive sanctions" amid mass displacements and summary executions. "It is impossible to describe the screams and cries of millions of victims of this conflict", she added. In the opening remarks at the 58th UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN chief Antonio Guterres said that human rights around the world are being "suffocated" and referred to horrifying human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Reuters
