US, China tussle over Congo minerals as resistance to Trump rises in Kinshasa as Tshisekedi accused of underselling nation’s wealth
Tshisekedi has offered US companies access to eastern Congo’s rich minerals – mostly untapped and estimated to be worth $24 trillion – as a bargaining chip for US support to help fight off rebels and build critical infrastructure in the region where Rwanda-backed rebels seized major cities last year.
Since Goma fell to rebels in eastern Congo diplomatic push has swelled but bloodbath persists
The United States and other international partners, with regular calls for de-escalation and dialogue, have struggled to significantly alter the conflict’s trajectory on the ground. In direct talks under Qatari mediation, Kinshasa demanded M23’s full withdrawal and the restoration of state authority, while the rebellion insisted on direct dialogue to address what it describes as the “root causes” of the conflict, particularly governance issues.
UN accused of abetting forced transfers of refugees from M23-held areas in Congo to Rwanda
UNHCR’s role in the deportations has raised major concerns, as the agency’s mandate allows it to repatriate refugees only when they fully consent to return to their countries of origin. At the transit centre in Goma, UNHCR staff sought to determine nationalities, but people were not informed that they had a choice about leaving, according to the five affected people.
DRC peace lie: What attracts Washington, Doha and other powers is strategic minerals, not tears of displaced families
The Washington deal committed DRC’s army to neutralise the FDLR – which is referenced far more in the deal than the M23 – and Rwanda to end what the text terms “defensive measures”, a euphemism Kigali uses for its deployments.
Killed and displaced with guns, residents of eastern Congo face another crisis: Land grabs and assassinations by M23 rebels in Rutshuru
It is widely believed that Rwanda’s current support for the M23 is driven by geopolitical and economic interests, although the Congolese army has given it a pretext by allying with various militias, including the FDLR, to strengthen its ranks against the rebels.
Former Congo President Kabila resurfaces at political meeting in Kenya despite absentia death sentence
Joseph Kabila was filmed in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, at a ceremony attended by a dozen other Congolese leaders who oppose President Felix Tshisekedi.
Swapping devils: Hallmark of life after M23 takeover in eastern Congo is forced labour and fears of by arrest rebels
Residents say local community leaders and institutions have been put to the service of the M23, who are imposing their own taxation system and compelling people to provide labour for military services.
Inside Congo’s killing fields, sickly and exploited artisanal miners slave away for world’s indifferent tech economies
Josaphat Musamba, a Congolese researcher and PhD student at Ghent University in Belgium, said suppressing the militia would be a tall order for the DRC’s military, which is no longer present in large swathes of M23-controlled territory.
Cry, the beloved country: How Congo’s mines power world’s tech industry that reciprocates with guns and bombs
According to a December UN report, the scale of the trade reached new heights after the capture of Rubaya by M23. The rebels went on to establish a parallel administration controlling mining activities, trade, transport and the taxation of the minerals produced there, the UN reported.
Congo, Rwanda bicker over withdrawal of M23 rebels from cities in the east hours after signing ceasefire deal in Qatar
In it, both parties committed to “building trust” through various measures, including an exchange of prisoners and detainees as well as restoring state authority in all parts of the country, including rebel-held areas.
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