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DRC

French diplomatic presence in Bukavu under threat

The French consulate in South Kivu could wind up in the hands of the powerful businessman Vanny Bishweka. It's a situation that's worrying France's Honorary Consul in Bukavu, Guillaume de Candolle.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 03.04.2023

Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang keeps close eye on eastern DRC

Subscribers only Diplomacy 31.03.2023

Kinshasa procures military transport plane from Belarusian firm

The DRC has acquired a Soviet-made Ilyushin IL-76 military transport plane. It is still unclear what it will be used for, but the army is seriously lacking aircraft of this type.

Subscribers only Defence 30.03.2023

Kinshasa negotiates $200m loan for Mbuji-Mayi-Kananga road

President Félix Tshisekedi has been involved in the discussions with Afreximbank for the financing of a project to build two roads, including a section of 188 km, in central DR Congo.

Subscribers only Infrastructure, Finance 29.03.2023

Spotlight
Great Lakes leaders unconvinced by Qatar involvement in M23 crisis discussions

Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (L) and President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi (R) on the sidelines of the COP26 World Leaders Summit, in Glasgow the 1st of November 2021. © Qatar Emirate Council/Handout/Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via AFP

Free access Diplomacy 28.03.2023

Kinshasa hones Sicomines strategy ahead of talks with Chinese partner

President Felix Tshisekedi has asked his ministers and advisers to set out the key requests the government will take to the Chinese part of Sicomines. The two sides need to meet to negotiate a 'review' of its mining convention.

Subscribers only Infrastructure, Mining 27.03.2023

FATF-affiliated action group holds out hope for more World Bank aid

The World Bank's $4m aid package used to run GABAC, an anti-money laundering action group in Central Africa, will expire this year.

Subscribers only Finance, Diplomacy 27.03.2023

Kamerhe's bid to see Boji exit DRC government falls short in reshuffle

DRC: The reshuffle of Sama Lukonde Kyenge's government was announced overnight on 24 March.

Subscribers only Politics 24.03.2023

Macron's ruling majority falls out over top Francophonie job

The unprecedented holding of a vote to select the secretary-general of the Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie reflects strong tensions between Aurore Bergé and her partners in France's ruling coalition.

Subscribers only Politics, Diplomacy 24.03.2023

Spotlight
Kinshasa still soft-pedalling on contentious oil blocks run by Angola despite $78bn loss

Angola has benefited enormously from oil blocks located partly in a maritime zone to which Kinshasa could lay claim, according to a confidential report financed by the World Bank and submitted to President Félix Tshisekedi's office.

Subscribers only Energy 22.03.2023

President of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, with President of Angola, Joao Lourenco, the 5th of February 2019.

Sarkozy due in Kinshasa to kick-start dialogue with Kagame

The Congolese leader Félix Tshisekedi has invited France's ex-president to Kinshasa in the hope that Sarkozy's good relations with Paul Kagame can be exploited to initiate a mediation over the M23 crisis in eastern DRC.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 22.03.2023

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Forestry permit audit in DR Congo poses threat to several industry tycoons

DRC Environment Minister Eve Bazaiba is aiming to take back illegal forestry licences in order to ban logging and to be able to sell carbon credits. Several operators who entered the sector under President Kabila risk losing their titles and, locally, her initiative is being opposed.

Free access Business 21.03.2023

Eve Bazaiba, DRC Environment Minister, 3 October 2022.

Spotlight
Pressure mounts on CEMAC to relax foreign exchange rules

The main foreign investors in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa are alarmed by the regional body's foreign exchange regulations, considering them to be too tough. But despite intense lobbying, a relaxation of the rules looks unlikely, the central bank having set itself ambitious objectives for foreign currency reserves.

Subscribers only Energy, Mining, Commodity traders 17.03.2023

Abbas Mahamat Tolli, governor of the Bank of Central African States, in Paris in 2018.

MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

Bintou Keita, the head of the UN mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, will travel to New York on 29 March to report to the UN Security Council on the current state of play.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 16.03.2023

Double act takes over from Trafigura trader Economou to ensure cobalt continuity

The discovery of major fraud in Trafigura's nickel business, which could cost the Swiss firm up to $577m, pushed its trader Socrates Economou towards the exit. Mehdi Wetterwald and Daniel von Arx are taking over from him and will head to DR Congo to secure the group's supplies of cobalt.

Subscribers only Mining, Commodity traders 15.03.2023

Kinshasa eyes Chinese fighter jets after buying Beijing's drones

A high-level delegation from the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corp (CATIC) travelled last week to Kinshasa, accompanied by officers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), to try to sell its JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to DR Congo.

Subscribers only Defence 14.03.2023

In Focus
As fight against M23 continues, Kigali and Kinshasa wage war of intelligence

Faced with Kinshasa's accusations of support for the M23 by Kigali, Rwandan intelligence has been documenting collusion between the Congolese army and the FDLR rebel militias for several months. In this battle of narratives, each side is sharing their classified information with Western capitals.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 13.03.2023

Intelligence reports are also used as weapons of war in the M23 crisis between Rwanda and the DRC.

AU and UN spurn ECCAS investigation into October protests in Chad

The AU and UN have yet to appoint a representative to help shed light on the repression that followed the 20 October protests in Chad in 2022 despite their pledges to do so to the authorities in N'Djamena.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 13.03.2023

Paris embarrassed by presence of French veterans in eastern DRC

At least three French former officers now working in the private sector are providing logistical support to the Congolese army in the east - a source of embarrassment at the highest levels of the French state.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 10.03.2023

Albert Yuma's young guard take helm of DRC's Gécamines

The state miner's new chairman and general managers appointed by Kinshasa to give Gécamines a new lease of life were all in the good books of the firm's all-powerful former boss Albert Yuma Mulimbi. They also each worked at one time for private mining firms operating in DRC, such as AngloGold and Glencore.

Subscribers only Mining 08.03.2023

Security Council sends mission to Kinshasa

A United Nations Security Council delegation should arrive in Kinshasa on 9 March to enquire about the political and security situation in the country.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 08.03.2023

ECCAS-CEMAC merger project in limbo

The latest summit of the Economic Community of Central African States, held on 25 February, once again postponed the planned merger the bloc with two other regional entities.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 07.03.2023

Luanda and Doha support M23 mediation efforts as Kinshasa loses faith

Qatar and Angola have been consolidating their bilateral ties as they look for ways of supporting various sub-regional initiatives to mediate between the M23 rebel group and the DRC government.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 03.03.2023

NB Mining court case left hanging as judge goes awol

Just as the ex-governor of Katanga Moïse Katumbi was about to leave the coalition government, the commercial court judge presiding over the case involving him and the French businessman Pascal Beveraggi sent a letter of resignation to Félix Tshisekedi alleging that he was being pressured into finding in favour of the Frenchman.

Subscribers only Politics, Business 02.03.2023

Spotlight
M23 manoeuvres to destabilise Kinshasa

While clashes continue around the city of Goma, the M23 is implementing its strategy of expansion from a position of strength. The rebel movement is in control of parts of North Kivu province and and aims to consolidate its proto-state.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 01.03.2023

M23 fighters at Rumangabo camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on 6 January 2023.

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DRC

French diplomatic presence in Bukavu under threat

Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang keeps close eye on eastern DRC

Kinshasa procures military transport plane from Belarusian firm

Kinshasa negotiates $200m loan for Mbuji-Mayi-Kananga road

Spotlight
Great Lakes leaders unconvinced by Qatar involvement in M23 crisis discussions

Kinshasa hones Sicomines strategy ahead of talks with Chinese partner

FATF-affiliated action group holds out hope for more World Bank aid

Kamerhe's bid to see Boji exit DRC government falls short in reshuffle

Macron's ruling majority falls out over top Francophonie job

Spotlight
Kinshasa still soft-pedalling on contentious oil blocks run by Angola despite $78bn loss

Sarkozy due in Kinshasa to kick-start dialogue with Kagame

Forestry permit audit in DR Congo poses threat to several industry tycoons

Spotlight
Pressure mounts on CEMAC to relax foreign exchange rules

MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

Double act takes over from Trafigura trader Economou to ensure cobalt continuity

Kinshasa eyes Chinese fighter jets after buying Beijing's drones

In Focus
As fight against M23 continues, Kigali and Kinshasa wage war of intelligence

AU and UN spurn ECCAS investigation into October protests in Chad

Paris embarrassed by presence of French veterans in eastern DRC

Albert Yuma's young guard take helm of DRC's Gécamines

Security Council sends mission to Kinshasa

ECCAS-CEMAC merger project in limbo

Luanda and Doha support M23 mediation efforts as Kinshasa loses faith

NB Mining court case left hanging as judge goes awol

Spotlight
M23 manoeuvres to destabilise Kinshasa

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Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

About Africa Intelligence

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Indigo Publications' websites

Ibrahim Traoré

Virtus Minerals

Paul Kagame

Savannah Energy

Denis Sassou-Nguesso

DRC

French diplomatic presence in Bukavu under threat

Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang keeps close eye on eastern DRC

Kinshasa procures military transport plane from Belarusian firm

Kinshasa negotiates $200m loan for Mbuji-Mayi-Kananga road

Spotlight Great Lakes leaders unconvinced by Qatar involvement in M23 crisis discussions

Kinshasa hones Sicomines strategy ahead of talks with Chinese partner

FATF-affiliated action group holds out hope for more World Bank aid

Kamerhe's bid to see Boji exit DRC government falls short in reshuffle

Macron's ruling majority falls out over top Francophonie job

Spotlight Kinshasa still soft-pedalling on contentious oil blocks run by Angola despite $78bn loss

Sarkozy due in Kinshasa to kick-start dialogue with Kagame

Forestry permit audit in DR Congo poses threat to several industry tycoons

Spotlight Pressure mounts on CEMAC to relax foreign exchange rules

MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

Double act takes over from Trafigura trader Economou to ensure cobalt continuity

Kinshasa eyes Chinese fighter jets after buying Beijing's drones

In Focus As fight against M23 continues, Kigali and Kinshasa wage war of intelligence

AU and UN spurn ECCAS investigation into October protests in Chad

Paris embarrassed by presence of French veterans in eastern DRC

Albert Yuma's young guard take helm of DRC's Gécamines

Security Council sends mission to Kinshasa

ECCAS-CEMAC merger project in limbo

Luanda and Doha support M23 mediation efforts as Kinshasa loses faith

NB Mining court case left hanging as judge goes awol

Spotlight M23 manoeuvres to destabilise Kinshasa

Create a notification

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

Spotlight
Great Lakes leaders unconvinced by Qatar involvement in M23 crisis discussions

Spotlight
Kinshasa still soft-pedalling on contentious oil blocks run by Angola despite $78bn loss

Spotlight
Pressure mounts on CEMAC to relax foreign exchange rules

In Focus
As fight against M23 continues, Kigali and Kinshasa wage war of intelligence

Spotlight
M23 manoeuvres to destabilise Kinshasa