Democratic Republic Of Congo

SAMIDRC was deployed on December 15, 2023, to support the DRC government in restoring peace and stability in the eastern region, following the withdrawal of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).

It raises hopes that the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict rooted in the Rwandan genocide might ease, with both countries hoping to attract significant US investments in minerals.

The nurse based at Masisi General Referral Hospital is the second MSF staff member to be killed in Masisi town in the past two months and the third to be fatally shot in North Kivu this year.

Douglas Dunia Masumbuko, the M23-appointed South Kivu governor, told Reuters on Thursday that the death toll at the Luhihi mine had reached 10 "and could rise given the number of injuries."

Each side released the same statement separately after their delegations departed Qatar earlier in the week, following more than a week of discussions.

Of Kinshasa’s two flood risks, the impact of Congo River flooding can be observed in large cities located along major rivers, and typically peaks around January.

The interior ministry announced that activities of the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), which Kabila still leads, are "suspended across all the national territory."

The boat was carrying as many as 500 passengers, including women and children, when it overturned in the Congo River

Sources revealed that Kabila travelled through Kigali, Rwanda, before reaching Goma. The former president, who has been officially residing between Zimbabwe and South Africa since 2023, had earlier announced his return to the DRC.

Local rains combined with runoff from torrential rains coming from neighbouring Congo Central Province quickly overwhelmed the city’s small urban tributaries. The Ndjili River and its tributary (Lukaya), which run through the city, overflowed and flooded homes on either side.

In recent weeks, heavy rains caused River Rugumba to overflow, flooding large parts of the Kalemie and Nyunzu territories. The water destroyed homes, schools and farmlands, forcing many to flee with nothing.

The toll from the clashes was not immediately clear. A government statement on Saturday night said 52 people had been killed in and around Goma, though the figure could not be independently verified.

With M23 advancing militarily, civilians bearing the brunt, and rival mediation tracks emerging, the question is no longer who leads the talks — but whether Africa can truly own its peace.

Members of both delegations confirmed their presence in the Qatari capital and said there was a face-to-face meeting on Wednesday, but they were still discussing the framework for talks.

The UN system, in partnership with countries affected, needs to get ahead of the game, facilitating solutions for displaced persons while working to prevent displacement wherever possible, Mazou said, underscoring the importance of scaling up humanitarian support for those repatriated.

Joseph Szlavik-Soto, a lobbyist working for Kinshasa, said the Congolese had also agreed to pay for the damage caused by protesters who attacked the US embassy and other missions earlier this year.

The deaths represent a major loss for the park, which has been working to increase the number of hippos in recent decades after poaching and war reduced the population from over 20,000 to a few hundred by 2006. The park now holds about 1,200 hippos.

The rainfall began late Friday and continued through Saturday morning, leaving major transport routes impassable.

All seven active-duty personnel, including two non-commissioned officers and five professional soldiers, took parental leave between 2023 and 2025. During this period, they engaged in security operations for Romanian private military companies operating in the DRC.

The fighting has raised fears of a wider regional war, as Congo's neighbours, Uganda and Burundi, also have troops in the region.

M23 has seized eastern Congo's two largest cities in a swift advance since January that has resulted in thousands of deaths and forced hundreds of thousands more from their homes.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, which has vast reserves of cobalt, lithium and uranium, among other minerals, has been fighting M23 rebels who have seized swathes of its territory this year.

The Americans were among some 50 people, including US, British, Canadian, Belgian and Congolese citizens, who stood trial last year following the botched attempt to overthrow the government in May.

The formation of the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CPR) by Thomas Lubanga comes as Congo's army faces an unprecedented advance by M23 rebels elsewhere in eastern Congo.

Qatar hosted a second round of talks between the two countries beginning on Friday and met separately with M23 representatives. Congolese officials and M23 have not yet met, sources said.

The International Criminal Court secured its first conviction against Lubanga in 2012 on charges of recruiting child soldiers and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

The plane, which was reportedly expected to land at Kavumu Airport in Bukavu to transport Red Cross International staff to Entebbe, came under attack as it approached its destination.

Congolese and Rwandan officials held talks on Friday, while M23 representatives met separately with Qatari mediators, said two sources from the Congolese government and two from the rebels.

The experts warned that children are increasingly becoming victims of indiscriminate attacks, sexual violence, and recruitment by armed groups amid the worsening conflict.

AFC/M23 will also coordinate the freedom of movement for the withdrawing troops according to the agreed principles.

At an event organised by Amnesty International, experts from Human Rights Watch, and other organisations exposed the dire situation, calling for more action to highlight the plight of the affected population.

Those facing acute hunger are classified as Phase 3 or higher in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Of the 28 million in Congo, 3.9 million are Phase 4, meaning they are experiencing emergency levels of hunger.

Leaders from the main Southern and Eastern Africa political blocs had met on Monday to advance a plan aimed at securing a ceasefire in a conflict rooted in the long fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and competition for control of mineral riches.

The expanded panel will support former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in navigating the complex and volatile conflict that has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo.

Health officials said in February that the condition was suspected to be either malaria or food poisoning.

The medical humanitarian organisation called on all state and non-state armed groups in Ituri to spare civilians as well as healthcare facilities, which are sanctuaries essential to the survival of local communities.

Angola's presidency announced it would "free itself from the responsibility of mediator" in order to focus more on broader African Union priorities.

The prospect of a ceasefire in the strategic town of Walikale, which the M23 rebels captured last week, had briefly fuelled hopes of reviving stalled diplomatic efforts to resolve eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's biggest conflict in decades.

Qatar's mediation efforts have brought Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the table, leveraging strong economic ties to facilitate crucial peace negotiations.

The mineral-rich eastern DRC remains a focal point of conflict, with various armed groups vying for control over resources such as coltan, tin, tantalum, and gold.

It would have been their first direct engagement with DR Congo's government after President Felix Tshisekedi reversed his longstanding refusal to speak to the rebels.

Walikale is the farthest west the rebels have reached in an advance that has already overrun eastern Congo's two largest cities since January.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been internally displaced, while more than 100,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries in less than three months due to fighting between the M23 group and the Congolese army, according to the UNHCR.

Burundi has received nearly 66,000 Congolese refugees, with the number of new arrivals doubling in recent weeks.

One of the main topics will be AFC/M23’s demand for direct talks with the Congolese government.

Mahmoud said the Luanda process has contributed significantly to creating conditions for dialogue and regional and international engagement.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame had called on Tuesday for an immediate ceasefire after a surprise meeting in Qatar's capital Doha, their first direct talks this year.

Walikale, which is in an area rich in minerals including tin, is the farthest west M23 has reached during its unprecedented advance this year.

At Tuesday's meeting in Qatar, Tshisekedi and Kagame "agreed on the need to continue the discussions initiated in Doha in order to establish solid foundations for lasting peace," the joint statement said.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) urged a broader and more inclusive panel of peace facilitators—effectively pushing back on an earlier list circulated by President William Ruto.

Many residents of Goma expressed confusion over what they saw as the rebel group's disproportionate response to European sanctions.