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 […]
“Hands off Africa!”: Pope blasts foreign plundering of Congo
Kinshasa, Congo AP Pope Francis demanded Tuesday that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources for the “poison of their own greed” as he arrived in Congo to a raucous welcome by Congolese grateful he was focusing the world’s attention on their forgotten plight. Tens of thousands of people lined the main road into the […]
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 […]
Residents of Congo’s capital mourn after deadly floods and landslides
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Fidele Mbala, a primary school teacher in Democratic Republic Congo’s capital Kinshasa, woke up at around 3am on Tuesday morning to the sound of torrential rain battering his tin shack. He got out of bed and went to check for damage, a move that saved his life. Others were […]
Belgian King reiterates regrets for colonial past in Congo but no apology
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters Belgium’s King Philippe reaffirmed his deepest regrets on Wednesday for the exploitation, racism and acts of violence during his country’s colonisation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, but again stopped short of formally apologising. Philippe became the first Belgian official two years ago to express regret for colonisation, and some […]
Hundreds of Ugandan troops cross into Congo as offensive widens
Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters Hundreds of Ugandan soldiers in armoured vehicles crossed the border into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, two witnesses said, as a joint offensive against an Islamic State-linked armed group appeared to expand. Late on Tuesday Congo said special forces from both countries would be deployed to secure […]
Lack of planning, finances crippling Congo’s state of siege: report
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters Poor planning, a lack of objectives and insufficient funding have hobbled President Felix Tshisekedi’s pledge to end the bloodshed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a confidential parliamentary report seen by Reuters on Friday. In May the government replaced civilian administrations in North Kivu and Ituri provinces with […]
Dozens of Congo’s rebels lay down weapons in the east
Kitshanga, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters Dozens of militia fighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo have laid down their weapons and surrendered, the first to do so since President Felix Tshisekedi announced martial law to tackle worsening security in two eastern provinces. Around 140 men from various local armed groups sang and clapped as they […]
Congo President says Kinshasa hospitals ‘overwhelmed’ by coronavirus
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters Hospitals in Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa are “overwhelmed” by a rise in COVID-19 infections, President Felix Tshisekedi said on Saturday, as the country was hit by a third wave of the disease. Like many African countries, Congo has officially registered relatively few cases. But the virus has killed […]
Congo volcano observatory failed to predict eruption due to mismanagement, say workers
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoReuters Researchers at an eastern Congolese volcano observatory on Saturday said they could have predicted the deadly eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in May if their work had not been impeded by alleged mismanagement and embezzlement. At least 31 people died when the volcano sent a wall of lava spreading towards Goma […]