First Independent Mena Newspaper
Former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Joseph Kabila, has been sentenced to death in absentia by a military court on charges of treason, war crimes, and conspiracy linked to the brutal M23 rebellion in the country’s east. The verdict, delivered Tuesday (30 September) in Kinshasa, marks a dramatic fall from grace for […]
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces a renewed threat of conflict as peace efforts between the government and the Congo River Alliance — a coalition that includes the M23 rebels — are faltering. The insurgent group has accused the Congolese government of systematically violating ceasefire agreements and undermining Qatari-led peace talks. Under a Doha-brokered […]
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel group have resumed negotiations in Qatar, aiming to revive a faltering truce signed in July. Despite the Qatari-brokered agreement, fighting has intensified in eastern Congo, particularly in North and South Kivu, displacing over two million people this year alone. Talks in Doha focus on a […]
Hailed as a step toward peace, the 19 July ceasefire signed in Doha between the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group has been met with deep skepticism — and renewed bloodshed. While the Doha Declaration was hailed by the United States, United Nations, and the African Union as a diplomatic breakthrough, on the ground, […]
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s top cobalt producer, has extended its export ban on the metal for an additional three months, intensifying its grip on a turbulent global market. The extension, announced Saturday (21 June) by the strategic minerals regulator ARECOMS, comes as prices remain depressed and cobalt stockpiles high. Originally imposed […]
The United States has outlined strict conditions for brokering a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), centering on the full withdrawal of Rwandan forces from eastern Congo. A draft agreement, verified by multiple diplomatic sources, requires Rwanda to remove its troops, weapons, and equipment before any deal can be finalized. […]
The African Union’s (AU) Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is making significant strides, with 39 African nations now part of the initiative, promising the make air travel around the continent more affordable. Speaking at the AU Summit, AU commissioner for infrastructure and energy, Amani Abou-Zeid, emphasized that the SAATM is a critical component in […]
The East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have agreed to come together for a high-level joint summit later this week (7-8 February) in a bid to find a common ground on the escalating crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This follows an agreement between the Chairman of SADC […]
At least 129 people were reportedly killed while trying to escape from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) largest and chronically overcrowded prison in the capital Kinshasa. Congolese Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo said in a post on X on Tuesday (3 September) that “he provisional toll is 129 dead, including 24 by gunfire, after warning,” […]
Democratic Republic of Congo army foiled an attempted coup early Sunday (19 May), the country’s authorities have said, alleging that the coup plotters included some US and UK citizens, and they were led by a Congolese “naturalized American” named Christian Malanga. The streets of DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, appeared calm on Sunday after the army announced […]