Newspapers in DR Republic of Congo
The distribution of newspapers in the Congo is very limited (3 newspaper
excl. Per 1,000 residents, 2000). There are seven newspapers, but the editions
are small and no newspaper has national distribution. The most important are
Elima and Salongo, both published in French in Kinshasa. The press is privately
owned, but largely state-controlled and publishing can easily be stopped. From
1990, freedom of the press increased and the newspapers became more critical,
but since the beginning of the civil war in 1996, the media have been forced to
work with great caution.
La Voix du Congo, which broadcasts radio programs in French, Swahili
and several bantu languages, has a relatively large spread, while the
partly-financed television (Télévision Congolaise) reaches relatively
few. Both are state and subject to strict scrutiny. There are 386 radio and 2 TV
receivers per 1,000 residents (2000).
Culture
Congo-Kinshasa has rich cultural traditions
and several people's groups are prominent in wood
carving, crafts, sculpture, painting, music and dance.
In traditional music, harps, lutes, xylophones and
especially drums are used. Popular music, soukous, mixes
traditional rhythms and instruments with loans from
other continents. Especially large influence during the
colonial era had Cuban and other Latin American dance
music. From the 1960s and later, Congolese music has
borrowed a lot from Western rock. Soukous music
developed at clubs in Kinshasa and spread throughout the
world, especially since many of the most popular artists
emigrated in the early 1990s. Among the biggest soukos
artists are Sam Mangwana and his band African All Stars,
Papa Wemba (who passed away in 2016) and the group Viva
la Musica, singer Kanda Bongo Man and guitarist Diblo
Dibala.
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Countryaah:
Latest population statistics of Democratic Republic of the Congo, including religious profiles and major languages spoken as well as population growth rates in next three decades.
Staff Benda Bilili, a music group where most have
physical disabilities and previously lived in shelters
or on the street, has made international success after
the first Très album was released in 2009. A documentary
film about their veracity has been shown in cinemas
around the world.
In the fall of 2011, the first feature film produced
in the country in 25 years premiered: Viva Riva!
directed by Djo Tunda Wa Munga.
There is no older written literature, but a rich oral
tradition of songs, fairy tales, myths and sayings.
Modern fiction has developed rapidly and is usually
written in lingual or french.
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Songaah: List and lyrics of songs related to the country name of D.R. Congo. Artists and albums are also included.
2019
December
Huturebeller is handed over to Rwanda
Congo-Kinshasa surrenders 71 Hutu rebels and around
1,500 relatives to Rwanda. Those who are extradited
belong to a group that broke out of the FDLR hutumilis,
created in Congo-Kinshasa by Rwandan Hutu who moved
there after the 1994 Rwanda genocide. South Kivu.
Nearly 700,000 flee in eastern Congo-Kinshasa
December 18
Doctors Without Borders expresses concern over the
situation in eastern Congo-Kinshasa, where nearly
700,000 people have been forced to flee violence. During
the first seven months of the year, the organization has
treated over 11,000 children who suffered from
malnutrition. At the same time, sexual violence
continues to increase, especially in Nordkivu. At the
beginning of the month, MSF temporarily withdrew its
foreign personnel from the Biakato region after an armed
group, probably a Mai Mai militia, tried to enter the
organization's territory.
Tshisekedi promises power against corruption
December 11
President Félix Tshisekedi promises to take action
against corruption in the country, but without
presenting many details. However, he says he is aware
that there are major problems, and that corruption is
channeled through large networks. This happens both in
the EU and in the IMFand a number of domestic
organizations expressed concern over the situation in
the country following a report from the Congolese
Financial Inspectorate. It mentions, among other things,
Tshisekedi's cabinet chief Vital Kamerhe in connection
with the $ 15 million which has disappeared from the
Ministry of Finance. Prosecutors announced in August
that this would be investigated, but since then not much
has happened. It is speculated in Congo-Kinshasa whether
Kamerhe used the money to strengthen his own position
ahead of the next presidential election in 2023.
Tshisekedi has also previously made similar statements
on the fight against corruption, without having any
major consequences.
Congo-Kinshasa receives loans from the IMF
December 17
The IMF approves a loan to Congo-Kinshasa of just
over $ 368 million for the government to be able to pay
its expenses. The growth rate in the economy has slowed
down in 2019, GDP is expected to grow by about 4.5
percent in 2019, compared with 5.8 percent in 2018.
10,000 families are moved from cobalt deposits
December 17
10,000 families are now being offered money to leave
their homes in the city of Kasulo in Lualaba Province,
which is located in a place rich in cobalt. 600 families
have already moved. They have been offered compensation
of between $ 1,500 and $ 10,000 per household. The
cobalt deposits in the area are believed to be worth
about $ 100 billion. Richard Muyej, governor of Lualaba,
says that what is in the ground does not belong to any
individual but the state.
Tech giants sued for child laborers death
December 16th
Several major international big companies, including
Apple, Google, Tesla and Microsoft, are sued by the
rights organization International Rights Advocates,
which acts for 14 families whose children were killed or
severely injured when working in cobalt mines in
Congo-Kinshasa. According to International Rights
Advocates, the companies have known that child laborers
may have been used in the mines from which they buy
cobalt. Cobalt is found in batteries used in electric
cars, smart phones and laptops.
Over 30 dead in new attacks in Beni
December 15
At least 22 people are killed the night of December
15 in Ntombi in the Beni area of eastern
Congo-Kinshasa. The next day another act of violence
takes place in Kamango in the same region. The Islamic
ADF-Nalu guerrilla with roots in Uganda, is believed to
have done the killing. According to local sources, the
victims in Ntombi were peasants, and 13 of them were
women who were hacked to death by the assailants. Just
since the beginning of November, more than 100 people
have been killed in similar acts in the area. The
residents of Beni have repeatedly protested that the UN
forces Monusco and the government army have done nothing
to protect the civilian population.
November
27 dead in new massacres in Nordkivu
November 27th
At least 27 people have been killed in a new massacre
in Beni areas in North Kivu. This time, too, the
Islamist rebel movement ADF-Nalu is suspected to be
behind the deed. This means that at least 107 people
have been killed in the region since November 5.
ICC dismisses Bemba's appeal
November 27th
The ICC rejects the appeal filed by former Vice
President and Miles leader Jean-Pierre Bemba. Thus, the
one-year prison sentence is set against him. He is
convicted of bribing witnesses in the trial against him.
However, he does not have to serve any punishment
because of the time he has already spent in jail. Bemba
was sentenced in 2016 for war crimes and crimes against
humanity , but was released in June 2018 by the ICC
Court of Appeal . The verdict means it will be difficult
for Bemba to get involved in Congolese politics. For
example, he was not allowed to participate in the
presidential elections held at the end of 2018.
Concerns over Beni require dozens of lives
November 25
New acts of violence near Beni in North Kivu in the
eastern part of the country are provoking protests from
the city's residents who accuse the UN and government
forces of not doing enough to protect them. The
protesters set fire to a UN facility and the City Hall
on fire and urge the UN force Monsuco to leave the area
as it still does not intervene in the violence. Seven
people are killed in connection with this, and even more
are injured, including three soldiers. The trigger was a
night before eight civilian Congolese were killed. The
Islamistthe rebel movement ADF-Nalu is suspected to be
behind the deed. More than 60 civilians have been killed
in the area around Beni in the month of November since
the Congolese army launched its own offensive against
ADF-Nalu. Representatives of Monsuco say it cannot
participate in operations in a war zone without special
permission for it. President Félix Tshisekedi responds
by promising that the UN and the government army will
carry out joint operations to protect civilians. Later,
Monusco begins an investigation into what happened
around the protests in Beni, when a UN soldier is
suspected of shooting a protester. ADF-Nalu tos have
killed over 1,000 civilians in Congo-Kinshasa since
2014.
Bosco Ntaganda is sentenced to 30 years in prison
November 7
Former rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda, also called
Terminator, whom the ICC sentenced for war crimes and
crimes against humanity in July (see July 8,
2019). He is now sentenced to 30 years in
prison for the assaults committed in Ituri in eastern
Congo-Kinshasa in 2002 and 2003, when he was one of the
leaders of the UCP militia and its military branch FPLC,
and attacked all who did not belong to the home group.
It is the longest sentence the ICC has issued so far and
this is the first time the court has convicted anyone of
sexual slavery. In 2013, he became the first person to
voluntarily surrender to the ICC after defeating the
rebel movement he belonged to then, M23.
October
Army announces offensive in eastern Congo-Kinshasa
October 31st
The Congolese government army announces an offensive
against the many militia groups that are causing havoc
in the eastern part of the country. A spokesman for the
army, General Richard Kasonga, says the goal is to wipe
out all these groups, both those who have roots in the
country and those who have their origins in neighboring
countries. The operation begins in Nordkivu, where among
other things ADF-Nalu, originating in Uganda, has killed
hundreds of people. Another group is FDLR, with Rwandan
roots. Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and
Tanzania should have agreed earlier in October to act
jointly against the groups. This has led the UN to make
a statement that its forces in Congo-Kinshasa will not
participate in any military operations carried out by
neighboring countries. Leila Zerrougui, commander of the
Monusco Peace Force,
New Ebola vaccine is introduced in Nordkivu
October 14
A new Ebola vaccine will be deployed in North Kivu in
eastern Congo-Kinshasa in November. This is stated by
Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the doctor who leads the national
effort against the infectious viral disease. It is
primarily the residents of some special areas in
Nordkivu that are primarily to be vaccinated, as well as
some of those who engage in small-scale trade with
Rwanda and therefore regularly travel to neighboring
countries. But if all goes well, the vaccination program
should be extended to Sydkivu and Ituri. To date, at
least 2,144 people have died in Ebola since the epidemic
began in 2018.
September
55 are convicted of massacres in Ituri
September 29th
A military tribunal in Bunia sentenced 55 people to
life imprisonment for their role in several massacres in
the Djuguter Territory in eastern Ituri province 2017
and 2018 (see February , March
and April 2018). They are convicted of
crimes against humanity , murders, rapes, looting and
for burning down entire villages. Among those convicted
are a soldier, a police officer and a representative of
the intelligence service, said a spokesman for the
Congolese army. Seven people are acquitted.
A new Ebola vaccine is expected to receive a clear
sign
September 23
WHO looks to introduce a second vaccine against the
Ebola virus disease in Congo-Kinshasa. Previously, this
was stopped because of opposition from Oly Ilunga,
Minister of Health until this summer. He argued that it
was not appropriate to introduce yet another vaccine
among a population where distrust of government is
strong.
Doctors Without Borders criticizes WHO
September 23
Doctors Without Borders accuses WHO of rationing
vaccine against Ebola in Congo-Kinshasa, where at least
2,100 people have died in the infectious disease since
summer 2018. To date, 225,000 people have been
vaccinated, but that's not enough to protect those who
are in the risk zone for being infected. Doctors Without
Borders say this happens despite knowing the vaccine is
working. WHO denies that there is anything in the
accusation but says that you do everything you can to
stop the epidemic.
Democratic activists are arrested in Goma
September 21
36 Democratic activists from the Luar Movement are
arrested in Goma in North Kivu in the eastern part of
the country as they protest against Indian telecom
company Airtel's pricing policy and demand that it be
able to activate its GPS function to assist in the
search for kidnapping victims. They are accused of
having made "insulting statements" against the company.
New attacks in Ituri
September 19
At least twelve people have been killed in three
different attacks on refugee camps in Ituri in
northeastern Congo-Kinshasa. The deaths can be more when
at least four people are missing. Several buildings that
house internal refugees are burnt down in connection
with the death. Earlier in the week, 14 people were
killed in connection with similar assaults and in the
summer, 160 fatalities were claimed in the same area
(see June 2019). A group called "Ngudjolo
men" are often blamed for the attacks, but no one seems
to know for sure who is behind them.
Hutumilis leader killed
September 17th
Warlord Sylvestre Mudacumura, one of the leaders of
the FDLR hutumilis, is shot dead by Congolese soldiers
in North Kivu in the eastern part of the country. The
government in neighboring Rwanda describes the event as
"good news for peace and security in the region".
Another four FDLR members are killed at the same time.
Mudacumura was wanted by the ICC for suspected war
crimes such as rape, torture and looting. FDLR was
formed by Hutus who moved from Rwanda to the neighboring
country after the 1994 genocide. Today, according to the
UN, FDLR consists of between 500 and 600 active members.
Former Health Minister is accused of embezzlement
September 15th
Former Health Minister Oly Ilunga is arrested in
Kinshasa and accused of embezzling the equivalent of
just over $ 4 million in public funds. Money that would
have been used to fight the Ebola epidemic in the
eastern part of the country. Ilunga resigned as health
minister in July after being denied responsibility for
leading the effort against Ebola. In connection with his
departure, Ilunga criticized the WHO's decision to use a
relatively unproven vaccine against Ebola.
New strike against journalists
September 3
Dozens of media companies, most in the provinces of
Kasai and Equateur, have been forced to close in recent
weeks because of attacks against journalists. It reports
the Congolese press organization journalists in danger
(JED) who say that journalists have been arrested and
badly beaten.
Mukwege starts global fund to help rape victims
1 September
Doctor Denis Mukwege, who was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize 2018, for his work with rape victims at the
Panziklinken in Congo-Kinshasa, announces that he will
start a global fund to help people who have been
subjected to sexual violence. He hopes, through this, to
help spread the Panzi Hospital's program to help victims
of other conflict-affected countries such as Burundi,
Central African Republic and Iraq.
The UN commander promises continued support for the
military
1 September
UN Secretary-General António Guterres visits
Congo-Kinshasa and promises continued UN support to the
Congolese army, and that the UN force Monusco, which
today consists of 16,000 men, will continue its
cooperation with the country's military and police. He
also promises reinforcements in the Ebola-affected
eastern part of the country. The UN effort cuts around a
billion dollars a year and has been repeatedly
criticized for lack of efficiency. Former President
Joseph Kabila wanted the UN force to leave the country,
while his successor Félix Tshisekedi wants to continue
cooperation with the UN.
August
New government ready, dominated by Kabilatrogen
ministers
August 26th
Congo-Kinshasa finally gets a new government, seven
months after Félix Tshisekedi took office as president.
As previously announced, there will be a coalition
government where two-thirds of the seats (42) go to
people with ties to former President Joseph Kabila,
while Tshisekedi's alliance gets 23 ministerial posts.
Most of the ministers lack experience in government
work. New finance minister becomes Sele Yalaghuli,
former head of the Congolese tax office, from Kabila's
camp. Defense Minister becomes Ngoy Mukena, who stands
close to Kabila and becomes Deputy Prime Minister Marie
Tumba Nzeza and responsibility for the mines goes to
Willy Samsoni, who also belongs to the Kabila loyalists.
Marie Tumba Nzeza, from the presidential party UDPS,
becomes new foreign minister and Gilbert Kankonde, from
the same party, becomes new interior minister. 13 of the
ministers are women.decree . The process has dragged on
when Tshisekedi on August 14 first rejected the Prime
Minister's proposal for a new government and then asked
for it to be changed further.
July
FCC and Cach form government
July 26
Half a year after Félix Tshisekedi's victory in the
presidential election (see December 2018),
the two political opposition camps FCC and Cach merge
into a pact to form a joint government. Government
formation has dragged on over time because defeated
President Joseph Kabila's FCC party won clear majorities
in both chambers of Parliament. Now, the FCC is entering
into a government collaboration with Thisekedi Cach.
Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba will remain in
office and lead a government with 65 members: 42 from
the FCC and 23 from Cach.
WHO announces international crisis situation due to
Ebola
July 17
After the first Ebola incident has now been reported
from the big city of Goma in Nordkivu, the WHO decides
to announce an "international crisis situation". The
hope is, among other things, that it will get major
donor countries to donate more money for efforts against
the Ebola epidemic in Congo-Kinshasa. However, the WHO
emphasizes that the disease is not a threat in the
region at a global level, and that no boundaries need to
be closed or trade must be restricted. So far, nearly
1,700 people have died as a result of the disease since
the summer of 2018. A new Ebola case has also been
reported in Uganda, where close to 600 people have been
searching for who have been in contact with the affected
woman.
The first ebola case is discovered in Goma
July 15
The first case of the viral disease ebola has now
been discovered in Goma in Nordkivu in the eastern part
of the country. The infected is a pastor who had visited
Ebola-infected people in the town of Butembo, some 20
miles north of Goma. and who got sick during the bus
ride home. The authorities are reducing the risks of
getting the disease fixed in the city, which has over a
million residents. Since the outbreak began in the
summer of 2018, almost 2,500 people have been infected
by more than 1 600 have died as a result of the disease.
Bosco Ntaganda is convicted of war crimes
July 8
The ICC blames rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda, also
called Terminator, for war crimes and crimes against
humanity . The conviction involves 18 charges including
murder, rape, sexual slavery and the recruitment of
child soldiers, crimes that must have been committed in
2002 and 2003 when he was leader of the UPC militia in
Ituri, eastern Congo. He later joined another rebel
group M23, which dropped its weapons in 2013. The
penalty will be announced at a later date. Ntaganda
defense lawyers argue that the former rebel leader
should also be seen as a victim when he himself was
recruited as a soldier when he was a child. He is now
the fourth person to be dropped by the ICC.
Tshisekedi commands offensive against militia groups
in the east
July 2
President Félix Tshisekedi commands an offensive
against armed militia groups in the mineral-rich eastern
part of Congo-Kinshasa. He promises to put an end to the
lawlessness prevailing in this part of the country.
June
New acts of violence force 300,000 to flee in Ituri
June 18
The new violent conflicts that have flared up between
the Indigenous people and the people of Ituri have
forced about 300,000 people to flee so far in June.
About 160 people are reported to have been killed in
recent fighting. Exactly what triggered the unrest is
not known, but the violence is said to make it difficult
to fight the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the country.
Prosecution of Colonel for murder of UN experts 2017
17th of June
Colonel Jean de Dieu Mambweni is indicted by a
military court for the murders of Swedish-Chilean UN
expert Zaida Catalán and a US UN employee, Michael Sharp
in March 2017. Catalán and Sharp were murdered in Kasai
where they had traveled to investigate abuses that
should have committed in connection with the Kamwina
Nsapu militia uprising. The charge against Mambweni
applies to both murder and war crimes. He was
responsible for the military's contacts with civilians
in the area when the murder took place. According to
prosecutors, Mambweni had been in contact with one of
the suspects who had committed the murders on the day
they happened. According to a UN investigation, there
are suspicions that government forces have been involved
in the murder.
At least 50 dead in fighting in Ituri
June 13th
At least 50 people are reported to have been killed
in violence in eastern Ituri province. It is not
entirely clear what caused the fighting, but they take
place in an area where tensions between the homeland and
Lendu people demanded tens of thousands of lives between
1999 and 2003. Many also argue that the number of
casualties is higher than 50. Many people have also been
forced to on the run from the unrest. At the same time,
work is underway to fight the Ebola epidemic in Ituri
and the neighboring province of Nordkivu.
Measles epidemic is believed to have claimed 1,500
lives
June 11
About 1,500 people have been feared to have died from
measles in Congo-Kinshasa since the turn of the year,
according to health authorities and Doctors Without
Borders calculations. During the same period, 87,000
people must have been infected by the measles. Disease
cases have been reported from 23 of the country's 26
provinces. In April, over two million children were
vaccinated and a new vaccination campaign will be
launched within the next few days.
May
Étienne Tshisekedi's remnants are sent home
30 May
The remnants of former opposition leader Étienne
Tshisekedi, father of the current president, have now
been sent to his home country. Étienne Tshisekedi died
in Belgium 2017, at the age of 84. Thousands of people
gather in the streets, many of them in white clothes as
a symbol of the former opposition politician being free
from corruption. Rwanda President Paul Kagame and his
Angola colleague João Lourenço and Denis Sassou Nguesso,
from Congo Brazzaville, now come to Kinshasa to attend
the ceremonies to be held in honor of Étienne Tshisekedi.
A fair is held at the Martyr Stadium in Kinshasa.
However, the arena, which can accommodate 80,000
spectators, is far from crowded. He is buried on June 2
in Nsele on the outskirts of Kinshasa.
Ilunga Ilunkamba becomes new prime minister
May 20
President Félix Tshisekedi appoints a political
veteran 78-year-old Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba as new
Prime Minister. This is done after an agreement between
Tshisekedi and his representative Joseph Kabila.
Katumbi returns home
May 20
Opposition politician Moïse Katumbi returns to his
home country after three years of self-imposed exile.
Katumbi, who is a successful businessman, was previously
a popular governor of Katanga. He was barred from taking
part in the 2018 presidential election. He now flies
home on a private aircraft and is met by supporters
dressed in white gathered along the route between the
Lubumbashi airport , which now forms part of
Haut-Katanga province.
100 days without government
May 3
Over 100 days have passed since Félix Tshisekedi took
office as president, but the country still lacks
government and prime minister. In addition to the
release of political prisoners, the new president has
launched a crisis program to improve roads, energy
supply, education, transport and health care. The most
visible result so far is a series of road works around
the capital Kinshasa.
Over a thousand dead in Ebola
May 3
More than 1,000 people have now died in the Ebola
epidemic in the eastern part of the country. The World
Health Organization WHO is now saying that vaccination
trials against the infectious viral disease should be
extended with a new drug. So far, 109,000 people have
been vaccinated. The work to combat the epidemic in the
North Kivu and Ituri provinces is made more difficult by
security concerns and general distrust of the
authorities.
April
The judgment against Katumbi is set aside
April 19
Court of Appeal in Congo-Kinshasa cancels three-year
prison sentence against opposition politician Moïse
Katumbi. The judgment applies to "cheating in real
estate transactions". This means that Katumbi can return
to his home country, which he also does in early May.
Katumbi had intended to run in the 2018 presidential
election, but was prevented from doing so when he became
an Italian citizen, as Congo-Kinshasa does not allow a
person to have dual citizenship.
Suspected war criminal dies in Germany
April 17
Ignace Murwanashyaka, former leader of the FDLR
hutumilis, is dying in Germany, pending the retrial
against him for serious war crimes. He was sentenced in
2015 for the offenses committed by the FDLR, which he
led from Germany, in Nordkivu in 2008 and 2009. But 2018
it was decided that the trial would be reversed because
of legal mistakes that spoke in his favor and those who
opposed him. However, parts of the previous conviction
against him were firm.
Success for Kabilas FCC in the governorship election
April 10
Former President Joseph Kabila and his alliance
Congo's Common Front (FCC) are strengthening their power
in the governorship election. According to preliminary
results, the FCC has won 16 of the 22 governing
positions at stake. The winners include former
president's brother Zoé Kabila, who will be the new
governor of Tanganyika Province. FCC also wins in
Kinshasa where Gentiny Ngobila takes over. At the same
time, the process of forming government is dragging on
time, according to analysts likely because President
Félix Tshisekedi rejected Kila's candidate for the post
of Albert Yuma. At the same time, Vital Kamerhe expects
a high post as a reward for supporting Tshisekedi in the
presidential election. Of the two, Kamerhe is also the
one with the greatest political experience.
Deferred elections are held in Nordkivu and Mai-Ndombe
April 9
When the National Assembly election is finally held
in Beni and Butembo in North Kivu, according to
preliminary figures, they appear to be a success for
supporters of Martin Fayulu, the candidate who multiple
sources points out as the rightful winner in the
December presidential election, which gets 10 of the 14
mandates that are at stake. Three mandates go to
Kabila's camp and one to President Félix Tshisekedis.
Elections are also held in Yumbi in Mai-Ndombe province,
where a candidate from the Kabila camp wins. The results
are of no great significance as the Kabilas Congo Common
Front (FCC) already has an overwhelming majority of
seats in the National Assembly. In Nordkivu Beni and
Butembo, elections were postponed in December due to the
Ebola epidemic in the area, and in Yumbi due to ethnic
conflicts (seeDecember 2018).
3,000 Congolese are expelled from Angola
April 5
Over 3,000 Congolese have been expelled from Angola
in recent days. Among those forced to leave Angola are
pregnant women, children and the sick with few assets.
They arrive at the Congolese border town of Kahemba in
western Kwango province. In the fall of 2018, Angolan
authorities claimed that 380,000 migrants, who were not
allowed to reside in Angola, voluntarily left the
country in connection with an operation against illegal
diamond mining. The Kinshasa government accused Angola
of having driven them away with brutal methods and that
several deaths had occurred (see October 2018).
March
Monusco's mandate is extended
March 29th
The UN Security Council extends the mandate of the
Monusco Peace Force to December 20 this year. At the
same time, it is decided that a review of the assignment
will be done in October, but any reductions have already
been mentioned. The effort that has now been going on
for 20 years is the most expensive UN, costing $ 1
billion a year. Former President Joseph Kabila has
wanted Monuso to leave the country, while the new
president has promised to cooperate with the UN force.
The latter also wants to reduce the number of soldiers,
but that those who are good should be better educated
and equipped and more willing to fight with the rebel
groups.
Tshisekedi calls for corruption after Senate
elections
March 18th
President Félix Tshisekedi refuses to swear in the
senators elected by the provincial assemblies on March
15. He is requesting an investigation into whether
corruption has affected the election result. Members of
the presidential party UDPS have protested against how
the election was conducted and that at least 20
candidates from a variety of parties have withdrawn from
the election after being asked to pay bribes of $ 10,000
in exchange for votes. In protest of the election,
protesters attacked several party premises belonging to
the former FCC government alliance. At least one person
was killed in connection with this. For the time being,
even the governorship elections that would have been
held on March 26 are set. It is the same provincial
assemblies that are now being accused of irregularities
who will appoint the new governors.
Kabila's alliance wins the Senate election
March 15th
Candidates from former president Joseph Kabila's
party alliance FCC win 84 out of 100 seats in the Senate
(another source lists 80 seats, and three seats went to
the UDPS and allied parties). The senators are appointed
by 24 of the country's 26 provincial assemblies (in two
of them, the election was canceled in December, see
December 2018). As former president,
Kabila automatically becomes a member of the Senate.
Elections will be held in Mai-Ndombe on March 31
Authorities announce that elections in Yumbi City and
neighboring districts in southwestern Mai-Ndombe
Province, which were suspended due to ethnic violence
(see December 2018), will be held on
March 31.
The president pardons 700 political prisoners
14th of March
President Félix Tshisekedi pardons 700 political
prisoners imprisoned during Joseph Kabila's time in
power. Thus, he fulfills his election promise that they
would be released during his first 100 days in power.
UN: May massacres in May-Ndombe may be crimes
against humanity
the 12th of March
In a new report, the UN criticizes Congolese
authorities for not doing more to prevent the ethnic
conflicts that flared up in May-Ndombe province in 2018
and claimed at least 535 lives (see December
2018). According to the UN, there were clear
signs that tensions between the batende and banunu
people were rapidly deteriorating. The police must have
withdrawn from the area before the massacre began. The
UN Human Rights Commissioner states that the severe
abuses that occurred then could be a matter of crimes
against humanity. The violence must also have been
extreme and planned in advance. People were burned alive
and a toddler must have been thrown into a sewage tank.
Nearly 1,000 buildings were also destroyed, including
schools, churches and health care facilities. Of the
victims identified, 530 belonged to the Banunu people,
while only five were abusers.
Bemba claims damages from the ICC
11th of March
Former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, who was
acquitted by the ICC in 2018 , intends to claim over $
76 million in damages from the court, which he accuses
him of being imprisoned for ten years, costs for
attorneys fees and the losses he incurred of the ICC's
mismanagement of his assets. The assets in question are
seven aircraft, three villas in Portugal, three land
areas in Congo-Kinshasa and two boats. Bemba's legal
representative says that if the damages are granted,
part of the money will go to help victims of the
violence in the Central African Republic. the damages
demanded by Bemba correspond to half the ICC's annual
budget.
MSF: militarization makes work against Ebola
difficult
March 7
Efforts to combat the Ebola outbreak in eastern
Congo-Kinshasa are not working, and the government
forces' efforts to force people to follow the guidelines
for house disease should be combated, countering its
purpose, as it hastens the work by reinforcing an
already strong distrust of the authorities. This is the
opinion of MSF, which states that the fact that more
than 40 percent of all deaths occur outside a healthcare
facility. According to the Congolese Ministry of Health,
denies that security forces interfered in the way MSF
claims, stressing that the organization demanded that
security around their health care facilities be
strengthened in order to continue their work. So far,
569 people have died in the disease. At the same time,
healthcare personnel are increasingly becoming a target
for the violence.
Ready for government cooperation between Tshisekedi
and Kabila
March 7
President Félix Tshisekedi and his representative
Joseph Kabila conclude an agreement on government
cooperation. However, nothing is said about who will be
the head of government. Tshisekedi has previously
expressed frustration at not being able to elect the
person he wants to be Prime Minister, as Kabila's party
alliance FCC dominates the National Assembly. For now,
Alexis Thambwe Mwamba is acting prime minister. The day
before, Martin Fayulu, who is widely considered to have
won the presidential election, that he will not take his
place in the National Assembly. He emphasizes that he
has been elected president and therefore it is not
possible for him to just sit as a member of parliament.
Tshisekedi: "political prisoners to be released"
March 2
President Félix Tshisekedi promises that the
country's political prisoners will be released within 10
days. He makes the promise while presenting his "crisis
program" for the first 100 days in power. Tshisekedi
also opens up for politicians in exile to be able to
return to their homeland.
February
70 ex-rebels return from Uganda
February 26th
Some 70 former M23 rebels and their families return
to their homeland from Uganda. This means that 316 M23
members have now been repatriated, but there are still
hundreds of ex-rebels left in Uganda, where they fled in
2013.
No US visa for senior election executives
February 22
US authorities announce that the head of Election
Commission Corneille Nangaa, Constitutional Court Chief
Justice Benoit Lwamba Bindu, and National Assembly
President Aubin Minaku Ndjalandjoko will not be granted
a visa to the United States. Measures are also being
taken against several military and government officials.
FCC parties promise to be loyal to Kabila
February 20th
The leaders of the 18 parties that form part of the
Kabila Alliance Congo's Common Front (FCC) meet at the
former president's court in Kingakati outside Kinshasa.
They agreed to support a program on seven points. The
first point was about a promise to be loyal to the
ex-president.
Stop for relief efforts in eastern Congo-Kinshasa
February 18
Doctors Without Borders interrupts much of its relief
work in an area of eastern Congo-Kinshasa after two of
the organization's local staff were kidnapped on
February 8. Abductions of foreign nationals and
Congolese working for aid organizations are quite common
in this part of the country.
Tshisekedi for talks with Kabila on coalition
government
February 17th
Talks start between President Félix Tshisekedi and
his representative at the post of Kabila Kabila about
forming a coalition government. For now, the Prime
Minister's post is vacant.
Fayulu wants a new election in six months
February 11
Martin Fayulu, who according to the official result
came second in the December presidential election,
writes in a letter to the African Union (AU) that he
believes the election should be redone within six
months. He claims in his letter that Election Commission
Ceni fabricated the election result.
January
Catholic CLC abstains from protests against the
election
30th of January
The CLC (Laïc de Coordination Committee), a lay
organization within the Congo-Kinshasa Catholic Church,
says it will not call for new protests against the
presidential election. CLC has played an important role
in previous protests against President Kabila.
Militia leaders in Kasai put down their weapons
January 29th
Three militia leaders from Kamuina Nsapu (sometimes
spelled Kamwina Nsapu) in the Kasao area surrender to
the authorities in a gesture in support of new President
Félix Tshisekedi. One of them, Lokondo Luakatebua, is
accused, according to a local relief organization, of a
2017 operation in which 39 policemen were beheaded.
Earlier in the month, 600 militants in the same area
laid down their weapons and said they had ended their
uprising.
The new National Assembly is assembled
January 28
The new National Assembly is assembled for the first
time after the December 2018 elections, and begins work
on establishing a provisional government. Félix
Tshisekedi's UPDS party has only about 10 percent of the
seats in the National Assembly, which means that the new
president has only a very limited room for maneuver.
50 mass graves are found in Mai-Ndombe Province
January 26
50 mass graves have been found in Yumbi Mai-Ndombe
Province in the western part of the country. This is
reported by UNJHRO, which brings together the UN
peacekeeping mission's human rights group and the UN
Human Rights Commissioner's office in Congo-Kinshasa. It
is unclear how many people are buried in each grave, but
it is probably about 100 dead. The military in the area
promises an investigation into what has happened.
Earlier in January, the UN said that about 890 people
were killed during three days of ethnic strife between
the batende and banunu people in the area.
Tshisekedi takes over as president
January 24th
Félix Tshisekedi takes over as president. At a
ceremony in the presidential palace, he says he will
work to create reconciliation in the country, to create
a strong and secure Congo where everyone "has a place".
He also promises a plan to release all political
prisoners and a ban on all forms of discrimination. Only
a single foreign head of state is present at the
ceremony, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta. A few days
earlier, both the EU and the US and AU have signaled
that they will cooperate with Congo-Kinshasa, despite
the uncertainties surrounding the election. Russia, on
the other hand, has applauded the choice of Tshisekedi.
Russia, along with China and South Africa, has also
prevented the UN from taking any action against
Congo-Kinshasa because of the election. Russia has even
tried, in the 1990s, to approach Tshisekedi.
The Constitutional Court dismisses Fayulus' appeal
January 20th
The Constitutional Court rejects opposition candidate
Martin Fayulus's appeal of the presidential election,
thus stating that Félix Tshisekedi has won. South
Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa and Kenyan president
Uhuru Kenyatta congratulate Tshisekedi on the victory.
He is expected to take up the post at the end of
January. The South African Cooperation Organization
(SADC) urges the Congolese to accept the result and
ensure that a peaceful change of power can be
implemented. The AU would have sent a delegation to the
country, but will suspend it until further notice.
Faylulu urges its supporters to organize peaceful
protests against how the election was conducted.
AU urges Ceni to wait with the end result
January 17
Representatives of the African Union (AU) urge the
Ceni Election Authority to postpone its presentation of
the final election results due to concern that it will
not be accurate. According to the British newspaper
Financial Times, which has access to data corresponding
to 86 percent of all votes, Martin Fayulu has received
over 59 percent of the vote. The newspaper also writes
that the votes collected manually by the Catholic Church
show that Fayulu received almost 63 percent of the vote.
According to the Financial Times, the results that come
from the election machines and those that the church has
collected agree.
Nearly 900 dead in ethnic violence in Mai-Ndombe
January 16
890 people were killed in the conflicts between the
batendeu and banunu people in Mai-Ndombe province in the
western part of the country at the end of 2018,
according to a report by the UN Human Rights
Commissioner (see also December 2018).
435 buildings, homes, schools, health centers and the
electoral office were burnt down. Initially, 82 people
were killed in four different villages. The violence led
to the election being canceled in the area. According to
recent information, the unrest was triggered by the fact
that a traditional leader of the Banuni people had been
buried on December 13 on land belonging to the baton
people.
Minister: Kabila faithful parties won the
parliamentary elections
January 12
Parties loyal to outgoing President Joseph Kabila
have won 350 of the 500 seats in the National Assembly.
This is stated by Minister of Communications Lambert
Mende. According to him, the opposition parties have
received 130 seats. Police intervene to disperse about
100 Fayula supporters gathered outside the
Constitutional Court's premises. Reports also say that
120 of the opposition politician's supporters have been
arrested in the city of Kasenga in the south-east, and
that Faylua and Tshisékédian supporters have collapsed
in the mining town of Kolwezi, several people are
reported to have been injured. Later, the figures are
modeled and show that Congo's Common Front (FCC)
received 337 seats, while opposition Lamuka and On the
Road to Change (Cach) received 102 and 46 seats
respectively.
Fayulu appeals the election results
January 11
The Catholic Church says that the preliminary
election results presented by Election Commission Ceni
do not match the information their observers collected
at the polling stations. Cenco, representing the
country's Catholic bishops, had 40,000 observers
monitoring the election. According to a French diplomat,
it was instead the second election of Martin Fayulu who
had won. Later in the day, Fayulu appeals the election
results to the Constitutional Court and calls on it to
annul it. Fayulu claims he received 61 percent of the
vote. A few days later, the South African cooperation
organization SADC calls on the parties to form a unity
government, but also to recount all votes.
Few foreign leaders congratulate Tshisekedi for the
election victory
January 11
Many foreign leaders such as UN Secretary-General
Anónio Guterres and AU chief Moussa Faki Mahamat choose
not to congratulate opposition leader Félix Tshisekedi
for victory in the presidential election and urge the
parties not to resort to violence. The United States
calls for clarification on the election, while South
Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa calls on all parties
to stop speculating on the outcome and to allow the
Election Commission to continue its work. The United
States demands some clarification while congratulating
the "brave Congolese voters".
Tshisekedi wins the presidential election, but the
result is questioned
January 10
The Election Commission announces that, according to
preliminary results, UDPS leader Félix Tshisekedi has
won the presidential election by almost 39 percent of
the vote (7 million votes), a few percentage points more
than another opposition candidate Martin Fayulu who
landed at nearly 35 percent, while the government
alliance candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary in third
place with just under 24 percent. The turnout is
estimated at 48 percent. Following the message,
TTshisekedi speaks to his party mates, saying that
incumbent President Joseph Kabila should no longer be
seen as "an opponent but a partner in the work to change
the country in a democratic direction". He also promises
to be president of "all Congolese". At the same time,
there are rumors that Tshisekedi and Kabila have signed
a secret agreement. Fayulu, who had led in all opinion
polls, questioned the result and called it a "ballot".
France and Belgium also express doubts about the result.
In the information collected by the Catholic Church,
Fayulu has received the most votes. Concerns are still
high that the result will cause unrest, and security has
been strengthened, especially in the Kinshasa area. The
United States has sent troops to neighboring Gabon in
case they need to be deployed to protect US citizens.
Read more about Tshisekedi The United States has sent
troops to neighboring Gabon in case they need to be
deployed to protect US citizens. Read more about
Tshisekedi The United States has sent troops to
neighboring Gabon in case they need to be deployed to
protect US citizens. Read more about Tshisekedihere .
Ten civilians are killed in fear of village in
Nordkivu
January 8
Ten people are killed in an armed raid on the village
of Mavivi, north of Beni in North Kivu. The victims were
relatives of soldiers, and five of the ten were
children. It is unclear who is behind the act, but the
Islamist ADF-Nalu guerrilla is active in the area.
The Catholic Church "knows who won the election"
January 3rd
Election Commission Ceni announces that it may, due
to logistical problems, postpone the publication of a
preliminary election result. A few hours later, the
Catholic Church claims it knows who has won the election
and calls on Ceni to say "the truth." The United States
is also pressing and demanding that the election results
be made public and threaten with sanctions if this does
not happen. The United States also calls on Congolese
authorities to lift restrictions on the Internet. Both
the EU and the AU underline the importance of respect
for the will of the people.
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