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ALL ARTICLES ON DRC

Business 21/03/2023

Forestry permit audit in DR Congo poses threat to several industry tycoons Free

Eve Bazaiba, DRC Environment Minister, 3 October 2022. © Justin Makangara/Reuters

Spotlight

Energy Mining Commodity traders 17/03/2023

Pressure mounts on CEMAC to relax foreign exchange rules

Abbas Mahamat Tolli, governor of the Bank of Central African States, in Paris in 2018. © Henri Szwarc/Abaca

Diplomacy 16/03/2023

MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

Bintou Keita, the head of the UN mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, will travel to New York on 29 March to report to the UN Security Council on the current state of play.

Mining Commodity traders 15/03/2023

Double act takes over from Trafigura trader Economou to ensure cobalt continuity

The discovery of major fraud in Trafigura's nickel business, which could cost the Swiss firm up to $577m, pushed its trader Socrates Economou towards the exit. Mehdi Wetterwald and Daniel von Arx are taking over from him and will head to DR Congo to secure the group's supplies of cobalt.

Defence 14/03/2023

Kinshasa eyes Chinese fighter jets after buying Beijing's drones

A high-level delegation from the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corp (CATIC) travelled last week to Kinshasa, accompanied by officers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), to try to sell its JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to DR Congo.

In Focus

Defence Diplomacy 13/03/2023

As fight against M23 continues, Kigali and Kinshasa wage war of intelligence

Intelligence reports are also used as weapons of war in the M23 crisis between Rwanda and the DRC. © Studio Pachamama/Isaac Kasamani/Amanuel Sileshi/AFP

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DRC

Diplomacy 13/03/2023

AU and UN spurn ECCAS investigation into October protests in Chad

The AU and UN have yet to appoint a representative to help shed light on the repression that followed the 20 October protests in Chad in 2022 despite their pledges to do so to the authorities in N'Djamena.

Defence Diplomacy 10/03/2023

Paris embarrassed by presence of French veterans in eastern DRC

At least three French former officers now working in the private sector are providing logistical support to the Congolese army in the east - a source of embarrassment at the highest levels of the French state.

Mining 08/03/2023

Albert Yuma's young guard take helm of DRC's Gécamines

The state miner's new chairman and general managers appointed by Kinshasa to give Gécamines a new lease of life were all in the good books of the firm's all-powerful former boss Albert Yuma Mulimbi. They also each worked at one time for private mining firms operating in DRC, such as AngloGold and Glencore.

Defence Diplomacy 08/03/2023

Security Council sends mission to Kinshasa

A United Nations Security Council delegation should arrive in Kinshasa on 9 March to enquire about the political and security situation in the country.

Diplomacy 07/03/2023

ECCAS-CEMAC merger project in limbo

The latest summit of the Economic Community of Central African States, held on 25 February, once again postponed the planned merger the bloc with two other regional entities.

Defence Diplomacy 03/03/2023

Luanda and Doha support M23 mediation efforts as Kinshasa loses faith

Qatar and Angola have been consolidating their bilateral ties as they look for ways of supporting various sub-regional initiatives to mediate between the M23 rebel group and the DRC government.

Politics Business 02/03/2023

NB Mining court case left hanging as judge goes awol

Just as the ex-governor of Katanga Moïse Katumbi was about to leave the coalition government, the commercial court judge presiding over the case involving him and the French businessman Pascal Beveraggi sent a letter of resignation to Félix Tshisekedi alleging that he was being pressured into finding in favour of the Frenchman.

SpotlightDefence Diplomacy 01/03/2023

M23 manoeuvres to destabilise Kinshasa

While clashes continue around the city of Goma, the M23 is implementing its strategy of expansion from a position of strength. The rebel movement is in control of parts of North Kivu province and and aims to consolidate its proto-state.

M23 fighters at Rumangabo camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on 6 January 2023.

Mining 01/03/2023

Luc Gérard Nyafé finally takes over Banro gold miner

The Congolese entrepreneur's purchase of Banro Corporation has been approved by the Canadian gold company's board. Nyafé, who lives in Colombia, has taken over the investment vehicle that bought all of Banro's assets in DRC, not only the Namova mine.

Luc Gerard Nyafe at the presidential offices in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on 20 April 2021.

Diplomacy 24/02/2023

Business and culture on the agenda for Macron in Kinshasa

French President Emmanuel Macron's official visit to DR Congo will be a busy one on March 4.

Diplomacy 23/02/2023

Tshisekedi and Kagame clash over M23 at African Union

At the recent session of the AU Peace and Security Council, the DRC president adopted an aggressive stance as he urged his peers to unreservedly condemn Rwanda's interference in the east of his country and its support for the M23 rebel group, but his tone and language were not universally welcomed.

The DRC president Félix Tshisekedi leaving the AU Peace and Security Council session held in Addis Ababa on 17 February 2023.

SpotlightDefence 21/02/2023

Kinshasa calls on armed Chinese drones and Foreign Legion vet to take on M23 rebels

The Congolese army is struggling to contain the M23 rebel group. In seeking to reverse the balance of power, Kinshasa has bought military drones from China and hired private Romanian soldiers operating under the command of a French Foreign Legion veteran.

CASC Rainbow CH-4, an unmanned aerial vehicle in Zhuhai, China, 8 November 2022.

Diplomacy 21/02/2023

Ali Bongo keen to mediate between Kinshasa and Kigali while head of ECCAS

Gabonese head of state Ali Bongo, who will shortly take over ECCAS's rotating presidency, is keen to be involved in resolving the DRC-Rwanda crisis.

Finance 20/02/2023

Public debt has nearly doubled under Tshisekedi

The DRC's public debt has risen from $5.6bn to $10bn since Felix Tshisekedi came to power four years ago. The number of new projects has increased sharply, while budget arrears have continued to accomulate.

Mining 20/02/2023

DRC mines minister N'Samba Kalambayi turning to Japan

DRC sent its mines minister and a Tshisekedi adviser to Japan seeking partners to bolster Congolese mining exploration.

Defence 15/02/2023

Bridgeway Foundation takes fight to ADF with backing from Washington and Kampala

Bridgeway Foundation is a member of the camp of those fighting the armed group known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The US foundation claims to have helped several fighters defect from the group, and that it is running a private intelligence, lobbying and public relations operation.

Defence 15/02/2023

Pretoria launches airlift to supply its peacekeepers in DRC

The South African army is operating a cargo plane chartered by Sapsan Airline that leaves Pretoria on an almost daily basis to supply its peacekeepers in eastern DR Congo. In a context of high tension between Kinshasa and M23 rebels, the South African military wants to be prepared for any eventuality.

Defence Finance 14/02/2023

M23 rebels force massive rise in DRC military spending

The resurgence of M23 rebels is costing the DR Congo army a fortune in military expenditure. But despite the massive increase in funding - from $459m in 2021, to $700m in 2022 - the Congolese army is failing to subdue the insurgents.

Diplomacy 13/02/2023

Blinken and Ruto discuss M23

The situation in the eastern DRC was discussed at length during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's call to Kenyan President William Ruto.

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Algerian secret services in survival mode in North Mali

As fight against M23 continues, Kigali and Kinshasa wage war of intelligence

ALL ARTICLES ON DRC

Forestry permit audit in DR Congo poses threat to several industry tycoons Free

Pressure mounts on CEMAC to relax foreign exchange rules

MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

Double act takes over from Trafigura trader Economou to ensure cobalt continuity

Kinshasa eyes Chinese fighter jets after buying Beijing's drones

As fight against M23 continues, Kigali and Kinshasa wage war of intelligence

AU and UN spurn ECCAS investigation into October protests in Chad

Paris embarrassed by presence of French veterans in eastern DRC

Albert Yuma's young guard take helm of DRC's Gécamines