DR Congo - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

DR Congo landslide kills at least 12, more than 50 still missing

AT least 12 people were killed and more than 50 are still missing after heavy rain caused a ravine to collapse onto a river in the southwest Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official and a civil society leader said. The landslide occurred around midday on Saturday in Dibaya Lubwe commune in Kwilu province. It sent a cascade of clay and debris down to the banks of the Kasai River, where a boat was docking and people were washing clothes. Interim provincial governor Felicien Kiway said 12 bodies had been pulled from the rubble so far, including nine women, three…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

DR Congo president appoints country’s first female prime minister

NEWS

DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi appointed the country's first-ever female prime minister, naming planning minister Judith Suminwa to the role. Her appointment ends weeks of uncertainty. Tshisekedi's inauguration for a second term in January kickstarted a lengthy search for a majority coalition in the National Assembly - a key step before a prime minister could be named and a government formed. "I am aware of the great responsibility ... We will work for peace and the development of the country," Suminwa said on national television. The authorities face a raft of challenges including a worsening conflict and humanitarian crisis in…

Mar

2024

By CLAUDE MUHINDO SENGENYA and JACOB GOLDBERG

GiveDirectly cash aid fraud led to broken families and mounting debts in DR Congo

NEWS

ViVICTIMS of a $1.2 million fraud scheme perpetrated by staff at cash aid NGO GiveDirectly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo say their lives were upended by debts and broken promises, and remain so long after the fraud was discovered in January 2023. “This fraud has complicated the lives of many residents,” said one mother of six who enrolled in the aid programme but received no payments, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear she could be disqualified from any future assistance. “Many have plunged themselves into debt that they should have avoided, believing they would pay it…

Feb

2024

By The African Mirror

US condemns worsening violence in east of DR Congo, accuses Rwanda

NEWS

THE United States condemned worsening violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), blaming it on M23, an armed group it said is backed by Rwanda. A statement from the U.S. State Department called on M23 to cease hostilities immediately and withdraw from its current positions around Sake and Goma. "The United States condemns Rwanda's support for the M23 armed group," the statement said. It called on Rwanda to immediately withdraw all of its military personnel from the DRC and remove surface-to-air missile systems, saying these threatened the lives of civilians, U.N. and other regional peacekeepers, humanitarian workers and…

Feb

2024

By MARK GLEESON

Success possible for DR Congo 50 years after last Cup of Nations triumph

AFCON 2023

THE Democratic Republic of Congo suddenly has a chance of unexpected Africa Cup of Nations success as they prepare to take on hosts Ivory Coast in Wednesday’s semi-final in Abidjan 50 years after their last triumph. The Congolese might be perennial participants, this being their 19th Cup of Nations tournament, but they have long since not been considered a major force in the African game, losing the prominent position they once held after decades of political instability, and economic and infrastructure decline. As the former Zaire, they won the Cup of Nations in 1974 and the same year went to…

Jan

2024

By The African Mirror

DR Congo advance to Cup of Nations last-16 after Tanzania draw

AFCON 2023

THE Democratic Republic of Congo has set up a last-16 clash with record seven-time winners Egypt after playing to a 0-0 draw with Tanzania in their final Africa Cup of Nations Group F fixture. The Congolese finish second in the pool with three points following a trio of draws and advance along with group winners Morocco, who take on South Africa in the next round. It was a game of very few chances for the 12,847 crowd at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium but they could at least celebrate that Ivory Coast had secured a place in the last-16 as…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Why Ebola sex abuse victims may never find justice

NEWS

PAISLEY DODDS KETSIA* said she was working as a part-time cleaner for the World Health Organization during the 2018 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when a doctor invited her to his house and offered her a promotion in exchange for sex. He tried to rape her, but she managed to escape. Weeks later, her contract was terminated. Had Ketsia been a UN staffer, she would have had access to the UN’s own internal justice mechanisms, where workers have been awarded judgments equalling two years’ worth of salaries – sometimes as much as $200,000. Similarly, had she taken such a case…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Man builds micro power station for DR Congo, using spare parts

NEWS

ROSE NGOY MUMBI, BIRD STORY AGENCY GEMMY Musati is trimming a client's beard at his barbershop in Mushaki village, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) province of North Kivu, Two customers sit on a bench, awaiting their turn on the barber's chair. Above the hum of electric clippers, Musati explains how his business and his life have changed since a regular power supply became available in the village, thanks to the efforts of a socially-minded local mechanic. "I started working in this barbershop with a generator, and it was so difficult because fuel was costly, and sometimes…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

In DR Congo, Pope Francis will see a dynamic local Catholic Church

RELIGION

ROSE NGOY, BIRD STORY AGENCY AS Pope Francis began his first official visit to Africa this week, the 86-year-old head of the Catholic Church found himself in a country where a huge Catholic following plays a substantial role in the country's public services, including health and education. According to Vatican statistics, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has more than 52 million Catholic believers, out of a total population of 90 million. It is a flock that plays a significant role in Congolese society, not only spiritually but also in the provision of key services in a country that sprawls…