Latest news with #ThérèseKayikwambaWagner
Business Insider
31-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
FC Barcelona seals deal as DR Congo's third international sports tourism sponsor
As part of the deal, all of Barça's professional teams will wear the emblem 'R.D. Congo — Cœur d'Afrique' on the back of their training kits from the 2024/25 season through to 2028/29. The DRC will also be designated as the 'Official Empowerment Partner for Sports and Culture,' reflecting a shared vision to promote athletic development and cultural exchange. In addition, the Spotify Camp Nou will host the 'House of the DRC,' a dedicated space that will showcase Congolese culture and serve as a hub for engagement, creativity, and visibility at one of the world's most iconic football venues. ' This agreement signifies a shared commitment to fostering multi-sport development within the DRC,' the club said in an official statement. ' The collaboration will contribute to enriching the training of the country's young athletes by transferring its ecosystem of values, an indisputable pillar of the Barça model and style.' The sponsorship deal worth more than 40 million euros ($46.37 million) was earlier reported by Business Insider Africa in June, highlighting the DRC's broader strategy to use sports diplomacy as a tool to strengthen its global image and attract foreign investment. With this latest agreement, the DRC continues to position itself at the intersection of sports, culture, and international diplomacy, leveraging football's global reach to promote a renewed image of the country as youthful, ambitious, and open to the world. Barcelona-DRC deal mirrors Rwanda's tourism play with Arsenal, PSG FC Barcelona's newly announced four-year strategic partnership with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reflects a growing trend among African nations leveraging elite global football platforms to enhance national branding and soft power. Similar to Rwanda's high-profile ' Visit Rwanda' campaigns with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain which placed the East African country's tourism brand prominently on the kits of top European clubs, the DRC's new 'Cœur d'Afrique' (Heart of Africa) emblem will appear on Barça's training shirts over the next four seasons. However, these types of sponsorships have not been without controversy. In both Rwanda and the DRC, critics have raised concerns that such high-visibility international partnerships are being pursued at the expense of more urgent domestic priorities. In Rwanda's case, the government's ties to elite football clubs have drawn mounting criticism amid ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. Earlier this year, Congo's Foreign Minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, called on Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain to end what she described as ' blood-stained' sponsorships with 'Visit Rwanda,' citing the country's alleged involvement in fueling regional instability. Now, similar scrutiny is being directed at the DRC itself. The government's deal with FC Barcelona has sparked backlash from opposition voices and civil society groups, who argue that Kinshasa is failing to address the country's long-running crises including insecurity, displacement, and poverty, while investing in global image-building initiatives. Critics say that, just as the DRC accused Rwanda of using football sponsorships to deflect attention from conflict, the Congolese government risks doing the same by prioritizing international branding over concrete solutions to a decade-long humanitarian emergency. Still, the partnership with Barcelona reveals a strategic ambition: to project a modern, culturally rich, and youthful image of the DRC to the world.
IOL News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Washington Agreement masks complex regional dynamics
US SECRETARY of State Marco Rubio (C) hosted a peace agreement signing with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner (R) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. Image: AFP Dr. Sizo Nkala Earlier this year, the DRC President Felix Tshisekedi reached out to US President Donald Trump for security assistance in the form of training and equipment supplies for his forces to enable them to push back the rebel advance in North and South Kivu provinces. In return, US companies would get exclusive access to the DRC's abundant reserves of critical minerals such as cobalt, coltan, lithium and tantalum, among others, which are important for the US industrial competitiveness and technological dominance. This overture led to the Trump administration's active mediation of the conflict involving Rwanda and the DRC, culminating in a peace agreement signed by the two countries on the 27th of June in Washington, DC, United States. Mediated by the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the deal seeks to end the deadly conflict in eastern DRC that has been raging for decades and has put the two countries at loggerheads. The United Nations and the DRC government have claimed that Rwanda has not only been funding the biggest rebel group in eastern DRC, the M23, but also has up to 4000 soldiers fighting alongside the M23. While Rwandan President Paul Kagame has denied the allegations, he has described Rwanda's involvement in the DRC debacle as 'defensive measures'. On its part, Rwanda has accused the DRC government of funding and arming the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) – a militia group made up of members of the Hutu ethnic group, accused of participating in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The goal of the FDLR is to topple the Kagame regime, which hounded them out of the country when it took power in 1994. The peace deal comes amidst the escalation of the conflict, which has seen the M23 rebels capturing major cities and airports in Congo's North and South Kivu provinces in recent months. The group is also helping itself to the lucrative critical minerals like cobalt, coltan, and lithium found in huge deposits in some of the areas it has key commitments were made in the peace agreement. Firstly, under the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, both countries agreed to implement the Harmonised Plan Neutralisation of the FDLR and Disengagement of Forces/Lifting of Defensive Measures by Rwanda, which they agreed to in October 2024 under the auspices of the Luanda Process mediated by the Angolan President Joao Lourenco. This is a tacit admission by both parties that they have been supporting non-state forces to counter each other. Concerning Rwanda, the phrase 'disengagement of forces' may be referring to the alleged presence of members of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) fighting alongside the M23. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Secondly, they agreed to a ceasefire by refraining from any acts of aggression against each other, resolving their differences peacefully through the dispute resolution mechanism established by the agreement, and restraining or withdrawing support for armed groups in their territories. This ceasefire already seems to be shaky as the fighting has reportedly continued even after the signing of the deal. Thirdly and crucially, the parties committed to the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration of the members of non-state armed groups into the community and the DRC security forces, including the army and the police. This will be a test for the Washington Agreement, as previous peace agreements – the Pretoria Agreement of 2002 and the Nairobi Agreement in 2013 – have collapsed because of the failure to disarm and reintegrate members of the rebel groups. Further, DRC and Rwanda agreed to set up a Joint Security Coordination Mechanism within 30 days, which will monitor and verify the withdrawal of support for and the disbandment of rebel groups. The safe return of refugees to their countries, the return of internally displaced people to their homes and the opening up of a humanitarian corridor were also among the commitments made by the two parties. Importantly, the agreement also enjoined Rwanda and the DRC to jointly produce a regional integration economic framework within three months to, among other things, promote investment and trade in critical mineral supply chains and block the illicit flow of minerals. The framework will promote bilateral economic cooperation, including joint work on 'formalised end-to-end mineral value chains (from mine to processed metal) that link both countries, in partnership, as appropriate, with the U.S. government and U.S. investors'. Finally, the agreement established the Joint Oversight Committee, made up of the African Union facilitators, the US, and Qatar, to help resolve differences and complaints in the implementation of the agreement. However, the published part of the agreement does not reveal anything about the US commitments to military assistance for the DRC. Just like his minerals for security deal with Ukraine earlier this year, it seems Trump has dodged making any security guarantees to the DRC. The agreement demands that the DRC create a safe investment environment first to pave the way for US investment. But the DRC does not have the capacity to address the security situation without direct assistance from the US. What is needed in the DRC is state-building, which the agreement does not address. If its dismal misadventures in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya are anything to go by, the US is clueless when it comes to state-building in foreign countries. Further, the enforcement of the agreement is placed on the laps of the DRC and Rwanda – two countries that share mutual distrust. It takes no genius to see that their leaders working together in good faith on such delicate issues as disarmament and demobilisation is almost impossible at the moment. Another key weakness of the agreement is that it excludes the rebel groups, particularly the M23, which is the most potent and primary military actor in eastern DRC. The group's leaders have already said they will not be bound to an agreement they are not part of. Without the buy-in of the M23 and other rebel groups, a ceasefire, as demanded by the agreement, will not be possible. There have been many ceasefire agreements previously that were invariably honoured in the breach. This agreement does not provide any special safeguards to ensure that the ceasefire will hold. Neither were representatives of civil society organisations, and the various ethnic groups found in the DRC included in the negotiations, which makes the agreement feel like a shallow elite pact devoid of legitimacy.
IOL News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
'DRC, Rwanda Peace Deal Entrenches Economic Colonialism'
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) hosts a peace agreement signing with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner (R) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. Image: AFP Kim Heller The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a nation scarred by decades of bloodstained battles, is in desperate need of peace. A permanent ceasefire that heralds in lasting peace is the only passport to sustainable recovery, repair and development in the besieged nation. Conflict-related deaths and displacement are epidemic. The recent escalation of conflict saw the M23 rebel group gain control over major cities and airports. Previous peace talks and ceasefires have failed to quell the violence. The newly brokered US-Qatar peace accord for the DRC is being hailed as a turning point. Signed by the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda in Washington on June 27, 2025, the deal has sparked a measure of optimism. However, while there have been celebrations at the White House, attacks have continued on the ground in the DRC. On the very same day that the deal was struck, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO), a militia group, attacked a displacement camp in the Ituri Province, killing three women and eight children. The current President of the DRC, Felix Tshisekedi, has described the deal as a promise of peace for the people of eastern DRC. However, for former President Joseph Kabila, the peace deal is 'nothing more than a trade agreement'. The DRC appears to be trading its mineral riches and rights in exchange for US military support in a deal that resembles a new age neocolonial plunder scheme. What is being touted as a rescue plan for the Congo could well turn out to be little more than a schematic for daylight robbery, not only of the nation's treasure chest of mineral resources but of its priceless sovereignty. Those hoping that the Washington agreement is a magical potion for lasting peace in the DRC may find that it is little more than a prescription of US opportunism. The expedient and transactional character of Donald Trump is infamous. The United States' participation in promoting a peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda is undoubtedly part of his frenzied crusade for a Nobel Peace Prize. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Trump has already stated that he deserves recognition for his hand in forging a truce between the DRC and Rwanda. The US's ambition to secure its access to Congo's precious cobalt and coltan is no state secret. The geopolitical spinoffs of the deal will boost the US's position on the Continent and help to edge out China's growing influence and market potential. It is a jackpot for Trump. The agreement calls for disengagement, disarmament and conditional amalgamation of armed groups. Details on implementation and enforcement are sketchy. Proposals on joint security efforts and regional economic integration are not novel ideas. These have been recommended in previous peace bids and not accomplished. Kabila believes the Congolese people deserve more than propaganda and a diplomatic "show". Congratulatory handshakes in the US cannot block out red flags about the lack of active participation of the AU, the exclusion of M23 and other militia groups and the lack of dialogue with ordinary citizens, who are most impacted by the ongoing warfare. This belittles African agency. Long-standing, deep, and festering tensions, ever-inflamed regional security issues, and broken economies cannot be resolved on foreign soil. A peace deal manufactured in Washington sets a dangerous precedent for Africa. It emboldens a new era of foreign imperialism and downgrades sovereignty and self-determination. Often, international interference is cleverly packaged as international mediation. The winner is rarely Africa. This new peace deal will enable the US to secure valuable minerals and mining rights, thereby advancing its geopolitical standing on the Continent. For Qatar, this mediation is part of its long-game strategy of soft power diplomacy. Trump has microwaved a winning solution for his administration. He has recast the US as a force in the East African region. While the DRC and Rwanda economies may benefit from inflows of investment and new mineral trade value chains and routes, the primary beneficiary will be the US and US mining companies. Territorially, the peace deal could see Rwanda holding onto its control and influence over some of the eastern DRC, through its purported association with M23.
Irish Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on the central African deal: an uncertain peace
'We're here today to celebrate a glorious triumph,' Donald Trump announced last Friday as he oversaw the Oval Office signing of an imperfect peace agreement, supposedly bringing an end to the years of Rwandan incursion and bloody fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). US and Qatari mediation brokered the deal . 'They were going at it for many years, and with machetes – it is one of the worst, one of the worst wars that anyone has ever seen,' Trump said, without his usual exaggeration, before the signing, adding controversially that the US was now also going to get access to strategically important rare mineral deposits. The agreement leaves a lot of critical questions unanswered. Notably, its terms have yet to be signed up to by the brutal M23 militia which occupies large parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo. M23's resurgence over the last six months has seen thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes. With dozens of other non-state armed groups active in the area, it's not clear whether all will adhere to the ceasefire. Uganda and Burundi also have troops in eastern Congo. DRC foreign minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, called the signing a 'remarkable milestone', but emphasised its fragility, and pleaded with Trump to 'stay committed, stay on board . . . We need the US to make sure that this agreement holds and that you hold us accountable.' Her words were echoed by her Rwandan counterpart. READ MORE The US president was non-committal, alluding simply to 'very severe penalties, financial and otherwise' against those who violate the agreement. Unstated was the expectation the US would not stand by if its new interests came under attack. The deadly conflict has unfolded over three decades, since a genocide and civil war began in Rwanda in 1994. It has been fuelled by the same Tutsi-Hutu ethnic tensions, the struggle for mineral and other resources, and the disintegration of the DRC state. All these realities remain in play.
Saudi Gazette
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia welcomes signing of peace agreement between Rwanda and Congo
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Arabia welcomed the signing of the peace agreement between the Rwanda Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo, facilitated by the United States of America. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's hope that the agreement would fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the two peoples for development and prosperity, in addition to benefiting regional and international security and peace. The ministry commended the diplomatic efforts and constructive role played by the United States of America and Qatar in brokering the peace deal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio presided over the signing of the peace agreement by Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe in Washington on Friday.
