Region

With the exception of 2 lawmakers who were absent in Parliament, all MPs voted unanimously for the new regime granting special status to Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza will have a special status in society with title of “Guide du Patriotisme” (loosely as Patriotism Guide), along with…

Gen Kale Kayihura, former Uganda Police chief arrested over alleged kidnap and deportation of Rwandan refugees. A military court in Kampala, Uganda has on Monday surprisingly granted bail to four senior police officers after nearly two year in jail for among other charges, the kidnap and deportation of Rwandan refugees.…

President Felix Tshisekedi meets Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo in photos released by the DRC Presidency Head of the DR Congo Catholic Church Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo on Monday held talks with President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa – coming on the heals of major fallout. Tshisekedi’s office said in a statement that they…

This banner in Beni put up by FARDC reads: “No to balkanization of my country, Yes to national unity! I am FARDC” DR Congo military has in a carefully worded statement joined the Catholic Church – also evoking a plan by “malicious people” to break off part of the country’s…

Pope Francis meets Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Archbishop of Kinshasa at the Vatican during a previous visit The head of the Catholic Church in DR Congo has claimed the conflict and terror being inflicted on people in eastern Congo is aimed to break them so they submit to foreign occupation.…

They had babies and everything they owned with them as they were handed to Rwandan officials on Saturday DR Congo military on Saturday early morning handed over nearly two thousand Rwandans via the Rusizi-Bukavu border, in southwestern Rwanda. A total of 1,900 were repatriated including 71 combatants and the rest…

On Monday morning, 291 CNRD combatants and their commanders were handed over to RDF at Rusizi border by DRC army. These however left behind their families The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says 17 people, including nine children, have died in camp where Rwandan rebels and their dependants…

Rwanda’s State Minister in charge of East African Affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe, and Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa held a joint press conference after the talks collapsed Rwanda has accused Uganda of being responsible for collapse of talks on Friday aimed at settling ongoing Kigali-Kampala fallout. A Rwandan delegation arrived…

This was in Kigali for the first meeting of the Adhoc team The Adhoc committee involving Rwandan top officials and their Ugandan counterparts are meeting this Friday for the second meeting that had been postponed three times. The delegations include Foreign Ministers, Internal Affairs Ministers, Intelligence Chiefs and High Commissioners.…

Inside a mosque in Beni, a region with a strong presence of the Islamic faith and terror groups are taking advantage Since the ouster of former Ugandan President Idi Amin Dada in 1979, elements of his defeated troops crossed into the northern part of North Kivu and Ituri province which…

Former DR Congo Information Minister Lambert Mende, known for his then outbursts against Rwanda, is at least now breathing a sigh of relief Former DR Congo Government spokesman Lambert Mende will a free man to travel to EU from today as the Europeans lifts sanctions on him imposed back in…

In green prison uniform, Gloriose Kamikazi appeared this Thursday December 5 for hearing of her case In early July, Gloriose Kamikazi, employee of Bujumbura city, sent an audio message to a colleague in the same institution. Little did she know that days later, agents of the dreaded intelligence agency SNR…

Inside the Yusuf Batil camp for internally displaced in South Sudan is all flooded, leaving few areas for the refugees The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has endorsed a motion asking the six member states to set up a disaster fund as heavy rain ravages communities across the region. There…

Archbishop of Bukavu Monsignor François Xavier Maroy (C) with other Catholic Church bishops in Bukavu The episcopal assembly of Bukavu, the Catholic Church’s bishops overseeing north and south Kivu have condemned the violence in both DR Congo provinces. At the end of their conference in Bukavu, capital of South Kivu,…

Map of the region showing the location of Kalehe adapted from the report Thirty-one (31) Congolese refugees are currently facing trial in a court in Karongi district which could see them jailed for many years. In February 2018, unrest broke out in Kiziba refugee camp, Karongi, western Rwanda. They were…

On April 13, President Kagame hosted Burundian counterpart Pierre Nkurunziza in Huye district, bordering Burundi. It is the last time they ever met Government of Burundi has officially claimed Rwanda entered its territory last month and conducted attack that killed several soldiers. In statement read by government spokesman Prosper Ntahorwamiye…

Rwandans brought by Ugandan security personnel and dumped at Cyanika border this Wednesday evening A total of 33 Rwandan were this Wednesday evening brought in lorries and dumped at Cyanika border, in Burera district, which neighbors Kisoro district of Uganda. Northern Province Governor Jean-Marie Vianney Gatabazi, who rushed to the…

The U.S. has ordered its ambassador to South Sudan Thomas Hushek back to Washington for consultations as Washington re-evaluates its relationship with the country after delays in implementing a fragile peace deal. The unusual public U.S. State Department statement was contained in a tweet Monday by Secretary of State Mike…

Bishop Jean-Marie Runiga (R), the M23 President and his military commander Gen Sultan Makenga (L), surrounded by other commanders at the height of their power in eastern Congo DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has withdrawn all arrest warrants standing against leaders of defeated rebel outfit M23 movement – prompting fierce…

Presidents Yoweri Museveni (L) and Paul Kagame exchange the MoU documents A second meeting between Rwanda and Ugandan ministerial delegations, as part of regional efforts to diffuse their standoff, has again been called off. The meeting was supposed to take place on October 16 in Kampala, a month after the…

The African Development Bank said Monday that many countries still maintain unnecessary visa restrictions which are impeding the pace of integration. In its latest visa openness index released in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the Africa Investment Forum, the Bank says few Africans can cross freely to another, but did…

Here the 5 accused appeared on October 24. Clemence Mukeshimana is the only woman in the group. She was deputy head of Kiziba refugee camp. She is the one currently giving her defense A court trying Congolese refugees has heard that Rwanda government deployed security forces at a refugee camp…

A MONUSCO peacekeeper excite children with balloons in an IDP camp in eastern Congo A UN review has set a timeline of three years within which the 16,000 peacekeeping force will be pulled out of DR Congo – ending nearly 20 years of a controversial mission from which little has…

La Francophonie Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo speaks at an event of the French-speaking bloc Jean-Marc Berthon, French President Emmanuel Macron’s Special Advisor has been appointed as Chief of Staff for La Francophonie Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo. The office was initially headed by French magistrate Nicolas Groper who was brought by…

2nd Vice President Joseph Butore leaves Bujumbura on Monday for the Sochi Summit Burundi has joined a new club of countries using Russian software to manage government operations – away from the dominance of the west. Russian firm Cloud Technologies, in a deal signed Wednesday in Sochi, on the sidelines…

Regional leaders leave a summit in Angola where Rwanda and Uganda signed MoU to end their ongoing standoff. DR Congo’s parliament debates in coming days will show if armies of these leaders will be in Congo next month Lawmakers in Kinshasa on Monday filed a motion to summon the Defence…

President Paul Kagame receives South Africa Presidential Special Envoy Jeff Radebe at Village Urugwiro, Kigali. South African Presidential Special Envoys on Friday met with President Paul Kagame in Kigali, on the latest leg of their African tour. Led by Jeff Radebe, a former minister and close confidante of SA President…

Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao may have lost her job but she is not accepting it laying low. She fighting back accusing the AU of still advancing colonial interests The African Union Commission is under fire after sacking its envoy to the United States Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao. An online petition has also…

Protestor gathered at UDPS party office in Kinshasa Protests have erupted in the DR Congo capital Kinshasa after a plane carrying President’s advance equipment went missing. Early this Friday, President Felix Tshisekedi’s office issued a statement confirming information that has been circulating on social media. The cargo plane antonov 72…

Justice Minister and Attorney General Johnston Busingye speaks at event marking Uganda’s 57th Independence Anniversary as High Commissioner Oliver Wonekha looks on As Uganda celebrated its 57th independence anniversary, Rwanda through Justice Minister and Attorney General Johnston Busingye sent conciliatory message of “brotherhood”. October 9, 1962, is when Uganda’s flag…