UN Security Council Delegation Concludes DRC Visit
A delegation from the UN Security Council concluded a three-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) yesterday, where it called for a negotiated end to a security crisis involving the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group; a cease-fire planned to take effect last week fell through, and shelling on Saturday killed five people (AFP)
Congolese Rebels Clash With Security Forces Despite Scheduled Cease-Fire
For the past two days, fighters from the rebel March 23 Movement (M23) have clashed with soldiers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; a cease-fire was due to take effect yesterday (AFP)
DRC President Says Violence Could Delay December Elections
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi warned of the potential delay during a news conference with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron; Tshisekedi urged Macron and the EU to support a peace plan to stem surging violence in the eastern Congo (Bloomberg)
UN Suspends Humanitarian Flights in Two Congo Provinces After Attack
The World Food Program said the flights in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu and Ituri Provinces were suspended after unidentified assailants attacked a UN Humanitarian Air Service helicopter on Friday (Reuters)
UN: $2.25 Billion Needed for Victims of DRC Displacement
In the last year, more than six hundred thousand people have been uprooted from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amid an upswing in violence linked to the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group, the UN coordinator for the country said (Reuters)
Rwanda: DRC Soldiers Attacked Army Border Post
A brief exchange of fire erupted at a Rwandan border checkpoint as soldiers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo entered the neutral zone close to the western province of Rusizi, according to the Rwandan military; DRC authorities have denied the accusation (Al Jazeera)
Militia Attack Kills Twenty-Two
A local official and a human rights group said a militia killed twenty-two people in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province in two separate attacks; ten people were killed in the first attack on the town of Mongbwalu, and twelve villagers were killed in the second attack in the Irumu territory (VOA)
Seven DRC Soldiers Receive Death Sentence
A court in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced seven soldiers to death for fleeing during the advancement of M23 rebels and causing the death of two people by recklessly discharging their arms (BBC)
UN Troops Kill Eight Civilians in Convoy Attack
The governor of North Kivu province said United Nations peacekeepers fired “warning shots” after civilians attacked their supply convoy in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); eight civilians were killed, and twenty-eight were wounded as a result (Al Jazeera)
In a town near the major eastern Congo city of Goma, hundreds of civilians fled after heavy gunfire raised fears and concerns about the advance of M23 troops (Reuters)
Opposition Parties Claim DRC Voter Registration is Flawed
Opposition candidates have raised concerns over delays and alleged irregularities in voter registration; a CENI election commission document showed some many centers were closed or not operational as of February 1, with only 52 percent of forecasted voters registered in the registration zone of ten provinces that includes the capital Kinshasa (Reuters)
M23 Rebels Seize Kitshanga
After days of fighting, M23 rebels seized control of Kitshanga in the eastern DRC, drawing condemnation from the UN; Lawrence Kanyuka, M23′s political spokesman, accused government troops of attacking civilians and said M23 was “obliged to intervene and stop another genocide” (Al Jazeera)
On Africa Tour, Pope Francis Criticizes ‘Economic Colonialism’
Pope Francis presided over mass for an estimated one million people in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kinshasa, today as part of a six-day tour through the DRC and South Sudan (WaPo)
In a speech yesterday, Francis criticized the “economic colonialism” he said has replaced overt political exploitation in the region; he has also repeatedly called for peace in the long-running conflict in the eastern DRC (NYT)
Pope Begins Tour of Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan
Pope Francis is expected to call for peace in both conflict-stricken countries and highlight a “colonialist mentality” among foreign powers that seek to exploit African countries (AP)
DRC Military Plane Allegedly Violates Rwandan Airspace
Rwanda’s government said it shot at a fighter jet from the Democratic Republic of Congo that violated its airspace (Reuters)
Tensions over the M23 rebel insurgency have strained relations between the countries; Congolese military planes have entered Rwandan airspace three times in recent months, according to a spokesperson from the Rwandan government (Bloomberg)
Rwandan President Threatens To Evict DRC Refugees
In a speech, President Paul Kagame said Rwanda will evict thousands of Congolese refugees if his government continues to be accused of supporting rebels in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (VOA)
UN Flags Potential Cease-Fire Violation by Rebels in Northern Congo
Internal UN documents seen by Reuters showed that rebels from the March 23 Movement (M23) could be active in parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that they had pledged to withdraw from by December 23 (Reuters)
Rwanda Accuses DRC Plane of Breaching Its Airspace
The accusation comes amid bilateral tensions over allegations that Rwanda is backing rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (AFP)
UN: M23 Movement Killed At Least 123 Civilians
A UN investigation found that the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group killed at least 131 civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on November 29 and 30 (AFP)
M23 Rebel Group Announces Intent To Withdraw From Eastern DRC
The March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group said it was ready to withdraw from an area it occupied in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and pursue peace talks with the government; ongoing talks do not currently include a representative of the group (AFP)
South Sudan to Send 750 Troops to DRC
South Sudan’s personnel will support a new regional force aimed at reducing the DRC’s current instability (AP)
Catholic Church Leads Peace Marches Throughout DRC
The Catholic Church led anti-violence protests in cities across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) yesterday after militants allegedly killed more than one hundred civilians in an eastern village last week (AFP)
Fresh Round of Congo Peace Talks Opens in Kenya
Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta is facilitating the talks, which aim to disarm militant groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on behalf of the East African Community regional bloc (AP)
DRC Soldier Killed By Rwandan Forces After Crossing Border
Rwanda’s military said its forces killed a Congolese soldier who crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and began shooting at Rwandan guard towers (East African)
Talks Between DRC Government and Armed Groups Set to Begin
Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta traveled to Kinshasa on behalf of the East African Community regional bloc to prepare for talks between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and local armed groups (East African)
DRC Expels Reuters Journalist
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) expelled a French journalist working for Reuters after denying her request for accreditation; the journalist told Reuters that the authorities did not provide justification for the move (Reuters)