UN peacekeeping mission says staff, vehicles attacked in Congolese capital
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo said its staff and vehicles were attacked in the capital Kinshasa on Saturday as a worsening eastern security crisis fuels a backlash against the mission. Crowds on motorbikes gathered in the riverside Gombe district, where the UN […]
Congolese President Tshisekedi sworn in for second term after disputed vote
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in for a second five-year term on Saturday after a landslide victory his opponents have refused to recognise due to widespread irregularities over the December general election. Authorities have acknowledged there were issues but dismissed allegations the vote was stolen. […]
Congo registers around 43.9 million voters for December general election
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters Congo’s electoral commission has registered around 43.9 million voters for general elections in December compared to 40.4 million in the previous poll, it said on Monday, with some among the opposition alleging irregularities. Political tension is on the rise in Congo ahead of 20th December polls in which President Felix […]
Pope urges Congo youth to reject corruption and they respond
Kinshasa, Congo AP Pope Francis led Congo’s young people in a rousing denunciation of political corruption on Thursday, turning an otherwise scripted meeting with church catechists into a rally that shook the capital’s sports stadium. Francis was repeatedly interrupted as some of the 65,000 people in Kinshasa’s Martyrs’ Stadium took up his call to say […]
Pope hears harrowing tales of Congo violence and says: ‘Enough!’
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Pope Francis heard harrowing accounts from victims of conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, including rape, amputation, forced cannibalism and sexual slavery, and he condemned the atrocities as war crimes. In a poignant encounter at the Vatican’s embassy in the capital Kinshasa, victim after victim told their […]
Catholics from eastern Congo make cross-country journey to meet Pope
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Father Adeodatus Muhigi is among the Roman Catholic faithful in Democratic Republic of Congo’s restive city of Goma who prepared to welcome Pope Francis last July, before the pontiff had to postpone a trip to Africa because of a knee ailment. Now instead of welcoming the pope in Goma […]
Quickfacts – Pope Francis heads to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan
Rome, Italy RNS Embarking next week on his 40th apostolic visit abroad, Pope Francis hopes to bring “a word of peace” and consolation during his long-awaited visit to Congo and South Sudan, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said. However, a recent surge in violence in Congo has raised concerns about the Pope’s safety when he touches […]
Congo’s Catholic church says ‘enlist and vote’ as election season looms
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Half-way through his homily, Father Victor Ntambwe brandished his voter card in front of the congregation in Saint Charles Lwanga church in Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital. With presidential elections just months away, he had an earthly message to deliver alongside the psalms and the sermon. He told the […]
Police demolish trader stalls in Congo capital ahead of Pope visit
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters Before dawn, sanitary police armed with crowbars and a bulldozer set about demolishing makeshift trader stalls crowding downtown streets in the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of a four-day visit by Pope Francis starting on 31st January. Officials say Kinshasa, a vast impoverished city of 17 million people, […]
Death toll after Congo capital floods rises to 169, UN says
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters The death toll after heavy flooding in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa this week has risen to 169, the United Nations’ humanitarian office (OCHA) said on Friday, citing authorities. Heavy downpour caused floods and landslides from Monday night through early Tuesday last week, leveling at least 280 houses in […]