Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have exposed more than 200 unqualified magistrates, an official source said Tuesday. A commission of enquiry formed in October to probe the qualifications and recruitment conditions of more than 3,000 magistrates found that hundreds “should not be …
Read More »Year of anti-Kabila protests in DR Congo leaves 47 dead: UN
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | A government crackdown on demonstrations against President Joseph Kabila in Democratic Republic of Congo has led to the killing of 47 people in just over a year, a UN report seen by AFP said Monday. “Between 1 January 2017 and 31 January 2018, at …
Read More »UN mission in DR Congo urged to play stronger role in polls
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | A body linked to the powerful Catholic Church in Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday called on the United Nations to strengthen its role during December elections. The Lay Coordination Committee (CLC), which has held marches against President Joseph Kabila, said it was asking …
Read More »Dozens killed in troubled eastern DR Congo province
Bunia, DR Congo | AFP | Dozens of people were killed overnight in fresh clashes in DR Congo’s volatile northeastern Ituri province, sharpening an ethnic conflict that has already forced tens of thousands to flee, officials said Tuesday. At least 30 people were killed in the latest unrest, which came …
Read More »Exiled DR Congo opposition leader launches presidency bid
Muldersdrift, South Africa | AFP | Exiled Congolese opposition leader Moise Katumbi launched a campaign Monday to be elected president in polls scheduled for December, unveiling his new “Together for Change” party in South Africa. “We will fight the battle to take power — and we will win,” said Katumbi …
Read More »DR Congo enacts law to hike tax on minerals
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | DR Congo President Joseph Kabila enacted a law to hike taxes on so-called strategic metals and ordered government consultations with foreign companies worried by the change, an official said Sunday. “The law has been promulgated in the same form as was adopted by parliament,” …
Read More »DR Congo opposition rally behind exiled leader Katumbi
Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA | AFP | Democratic Republic of Congo opposition groups rallied behind exiled figure Moise Katumbi at talks in South Africa on Saturday aimed at forging a united front to fight elections due by the end of the year. Exiled Katumbi led dozens of opposition leaders at the …
Read More »UN chief hails ‘progress’ in DR Congo to hold long-delayed vote
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday hailed “progress” towards holding long-delayed elections in DR Congo but criticised the government for brutally putting down demonstrations against President Joseph Kabila. Kabila was due to stand down from office in December 2016, ending his second elected term. …
Read More »DR Congo president vows ‘constructive dialogue’ over mining levy
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | DR Congo President Joseph Kabila has promised to have “constructive dialogue” with mining companies worried over plans to hike taxes on so-called strategic metals, a category expected to include the booming market for cobalt and copper. Kabila on Tuesday held more than seven hours of …
Read More »Congolese warlord loses bid against $1 mln damages award
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | War crimes judges Thursday upheld an order that a former Congolese militia leader must pay $1 million in damages to his victims, after his forces rampaged through a village in 2003. Germain Katanga, 39, a former militia commander from the restive northeastern Congolese Ituri …
Read More »