Wanted Warlord Surrendered Five Years After Escape from Prison
Gedeon Kyungu, a wanted warlord in southeastern DRC, has surrendered five years after he escaped from prison following a conviction for crimes against humanity, the provincial governor said (Reuters)
Opposition Leader Arrested for Anti-Government Demonstrations
An opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was arrested for his role in anti-government demonstrations in September in which more than fifty people died (Reuters)
Civilians Killed as Rebels Clash With Army
At least eight civilians have been killed during a firefight between the army and rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the town of Beni in North Kivu overnight, with eight civilians, a soldier, and an ADF fighter shot dead (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Senior DRC Officials After Election Delay
The United States has imposed sanctions on two senior officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo in an apparent warning to President Joseph Kabila to respect the constitution and call elections later this year. The decision to sanction followed “increasing indications that the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to suppress political opposition in the country, often through violent means”, said the US Treasury (The Guardian)
Death Toll From Militia Clashes Higher Than Reported
At least forty-nine people were killed in militia clashes with security forces last week, more than three times the number originally reported (VOA)
Pope Francis II Meets with President Kabila in Private Audience
Pope Francis II and President Joseph Kabila met at the Vatican on Monday to discuss recent violence in the capital, Kinshasa, which followed protests over the upcoming presidential election (Africa News)
Seventeen Killed in DRC Protests
The United States and France threatened to impose sanctions on senior officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo after at least seventeen people were killed during protests to demand that President Joseph Kabila step down when his term runs out in December (Al Jazeera)
Opposition offices were also torched after the protests, leaving at least two dead inside (Al Jazeera)
Government Establishing Mining Defense Force
The government will create a paramilitary security force to protect mining assets, partially funded by the United States and the United Arab Emirates; it aims to deploy as many as 3,000 security officers by December and 20,000 by 2028 (Bloomberg)
The plans follow an order from DRC President Felix Tshisekedi to crack down on illegal mining in the country (Reuters)
DRC and M23 Sending Hundreds of Fighters to Frontlines
Their conflict has escalated in spite of mediation efforts by Qatar and the United States (Reuters)
In June, Washington and Doha brokered a deal between the DRC and Rwanda, which the UN says backs the rebels (CFR)
In July, Qatar brokered a deal between the DRC and the rebels, pledging to reach a peace agreement by August 18, but that deadline has come and gone (Reuters)
Officials Restrict Travel as Ebola Outbreak Spreads
The outbreak, declared last week, is the country’s first in three years; local authorities have reported at least eighteen people dead, while aid workers have expressed concern that the response is underfunded (Reuters)