The Embassy of India in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Sunday said it is closely monitoring the security situation in the central African country and asked all the Indian nationals in Bukavu to immediately depart to safer locations. The Embassy issued three advisories during the day and recommended that everyone prepare an emergency plan. There are about 1,000 Indian nationals in Congo. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured the eastern Congolese city of Goma and are looking at expanding their area of control. "There are reports of M23 being only around 20-25 kms away from Bukavu. Given the security situation, we once again advise all Indian nationals residing in Bukavu to immediately depart to safer locations by whatever means available while the airports, borders and commercial routes are still open. We strongly recommend against any travel to Bukavu," the advisory said. In the latest advisory, the Embassy recommended that everyone prepare an emergency plan and gave ...
At least 773 people were killed in eastern Congo's largest city of Goma and its vicinity this week amid fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels who captured the city in a major escalation of a decadelong conflict, Congolese authorities said Saturday. The rebels' advance into other areas was slowed by a weakened military that recovered some villages from them. Authorities confirmed 773 bodies and 2,880 injured persons in Goma's morgues and hospitals, Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya told a briefing in the capital, Kinshasa, adding that the death toll could be higher. These figures remain provisional because the rebels asked the population to clean the streets of Goma. There should be mass graves and the Rwandans took care to evacuate theirs, said Muyaya. Hundreds of Goma residents were returning to the city on Saturday after the rebels promised to restore basic services including water and power supply. They cleaned up the neighborhoods littered with debris from weapons and .
After Rwanda-backed M23 rebels took control of the biggest city in eastern Congo this week, the man who emerged from the shadows to assert his leadership was not the group's long-time military leader. Sultani Makenga, an ethnic Tutsi rebel leader sanctioned by both the US and the UN, was nowhere to be seen in Goma's Serena Hotel as the bearded Corneille Nangaa, in military fatigues, was ushered into the hall. Nangaa, who is not a Tutsi and who analysts say brings a more diverse, Congolese face to the group, told reporters of his plan to fight all the way to Kinshasa, the national capital a thousand miles away. The spectacle was significant because it captures the evolution of M23 from an ethnic Tutsi-dominated outfit more than a decade ago to one that's now actively seeking to be seen as a Congolese nationalist group. That's the case despite the military support it gets from neighbouring Rwanda, according to observers and analysts in Africa's Great Lakes region. From election chief
India on Friday called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Congo and said it is closely following the developments in the central African country. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured the eastern Congolese city of Goma and are looking at expanding their area of control. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said about 1000 Indian nationals were living in Goma and most of them had moved to safer places following the start of the conflict. "We are closely following the developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We remain concerned at the deteriorating security situation," he said. "We call for a peaceful resolution of the conflict," he said. Jaiswal said the Indian embassy in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, has issued advisories for Indians living in the Goma area. "There are about 1000 Indian nationals who were living in Goma, but most of them have moved to safer places since the outbreak of the conflict," he said. "The embassy remains in regul
M23 plans to govern the city of Goma - a key gateway to rich mining areas that produce valuable resources like gold, tin, and coltan - giving the armed group access to trade routes and economic power
Rwanda-backed rebels claimed they captured eastern Congo's largest city, Goma, early Monday, as the United Nations described a mass panic among its 2 million people and Congo's government said the rebel advance was a declaration of war." The M23 rebels announced the city's capture in a statement minutes before a 48-hour deadline expired that had been imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons. Early Monday morning, gunfire was heard throughout the city, according to two aid workers sheltering there who were not authorized to speak to the media. In a statement, the rebels urged residents of Goma to remain calm and for members of the Congolese military to assemble at the central stadium. The M23 rebels' offensive in the heart of the mineral-rich region threatens to dramatically worsen one of Africa's longest wars and further displace civilians. According to a United Nations report, over a third of the population of North Kivu province where Goma is located
'All Eyes on Congo' seeks to shine a spotlight on the protracted strife plaguing the African nation for decades
President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo has appointed the country's first female prime minister, fulfilling a campaign promise and making an important step towards the formation of a new government after being reelected late last year. Former planning minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka will step into the role at a time of worsening violence in the country's mineral-rich east, which borders Rwanda. The long-running conflict has displaced more than 7 million people according to the United Nations, making it one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Tuluka promised to work towards peace and development in her first speech following her appointment on state television. Still, it could be months before a new government is formed as the process requires intensive negotiations with the many political parties. My thoughts go out to the east and to all corners of the country, which today are facing conflicts with enemies who are sometimes hidden, she said, referring to
Flooding triggered by heavy rains in central Congo killed at least 22 people, including 10 from the same family, a local official said Tuesday. The hourslong rainfall in the district of Kananga in Kasai Central province destroyed many houses and structures, the province's governor, John Kabeya, said as rescue efforts intensified in search of survivors. Five more deaths were confirmed later on Tuesday in addition to the initially reported death toll of 17, he said. The collapse of a wall caused 10 deaths, all members of the same family in Bikuku, said Kabeya. There was significant material damage caused by the floods, according to Nathalie Kambala, country director of The Hand in Hand for Integral Development nongovernmental organisation. Flooding caused by heavy rainfall is frequent in parts of Congo, especially in remote areas. In May, more than 400 people died in floods and landslides brought on by torrential overnight rains in eastern Congo's South Kivu province. Among the ...
Congo was wrapping up its second day of voting Thursday after a chaotic rollout and lengthy delays forced officials to extend the balloting in the general election. The problems drew criticism from some opposition candidates as concerns mounted that the logistical hurdles could affect the credibility of the results. At stake was the future of one of Africa's largest nations and one whose mineral resources are increasingly crucial to the global economy. Congo has a history of disputed elections that can turn violent, and there's little confidence among many Congolese in the country's institutions. President Felix Tshisekedi, who is seeking his second and final five-year term, has spent much of his time in office trying to gain legitimacy after a disputed 2018 election. Some 44 million people almost half the population were expected to vote in this year's presidential contest and in legislative and provincial elections held simultaneously. Tshisekedi was the likely winner of the ...
The United States has imposed sanctions on six people it accuses of exacerbating violence in eastern Congo. The sanctioned Rwandan and Congolese individuals belong to one of four key militias or armed forces contributing to instability in the eastern (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and perpetrating serious human rights abuses, including targeting children and systematic sexual assault, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement Thursday. The new round of economic penalties comes amid a recent spike in armed conflict along Congo's northeastern border with Rwanda. Three decades of violence in the region displaced over 6 million people, according to the U.N., with the crisis intensifying since the rebel group M23 staged a resurgence in November 2021. M23, whose intelligence commander Bernard Byamungu is among those sanctioned, is one of more than 120 armed groups in the region fighting for control of valuable mineral resources, territory or community protection. Mass killings
A militia group armed with guns and machetes killed at least 10 people in intercommunal violence in southwestern Congo, local authorities said Saturday. The attack is the latest episode in a deepening crisis that has been overshadowed by conflict on the other side of the vast Central African nation. According to provincial government spokesperson Adelard Nkisi, a militia group known as the Mobondo attacked civilians and burned down several houses in the village of Ipongi, just over 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of the capital Kinshasa, on Friday. An unknown number of people were tied up and kidnapped by the militia members, who fled into the bush, Nkisi said. The provincial government sent defense and security forces to restore security in the area. Tensions flared in June 2022 over land rights and customary taxes in Congo's southwest, between the Teke, historical inhabitants of the region, and farmers from various other ethnic groups including the Yaka, who settled near the Con
March organisers have asked worshippers to gather after morning mass and "take our destiny in hand -- our beautiful country is suffering"