US Says Rwanda and Congo Will Sign Peace Agreement on June 27
Foreign Ministers from Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo will sign a peace agreement June 27 in an attempt to end conflicts between the two nations that have persisted for decades, the US State Department said Wednesday.
The joint announcement came after three days of meetings in Washington with technical teams from both countries mediated by the US and observed by officials from Qatar, the State Department said.
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News24
2 hours ago
- News24
US envoy plays down AGOA, African visa concerns
The top US diplomat for Africa on Tuesday dismissed allegations of unfair US trade practices and said that funding delays would not derail a key railway project connecting Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. African Union officials on Monday questioned how Africa could deepen trade ties with the United States under what they called "abusive" tariff proposals and tightening visa conditions, largely targeting travellers from Africa. "There is no visitation ban," Ambassador Troy Fitrell said during a press conference at the US-Africa Business Summit in Luanda. He said that US consulates continue issuing visas regularly, although some now come with shorter validity periods due to concerns over overstays. Several African business and political leaders have raised concerns about a sharp drop in visa approvals, particularly for travellers from West Africa, since late 2023. Washington's tariff plans have also added to cooling diplomatic ties with African countries, as some economies — including Lesotho and Madagascar — warned that even a baseline 10% levy could threaten critical exports such as apparel and minerals. But Fitrell said that the proposed US import tariffs were not yet implemented, and negotiations were ongoing to create a more reciprocal trading environment, including through the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The initiative grants qualifying African nations duty-free access to the US market and is due to expire in September. Fitrell also reaffirmed his country's commitment to the Lobito Corridor railway project, which links Angola's coast to copper-rich Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. "It's not at risk," he said of the initiative. The US International Development Finance Corporation's Head of Investments, Conor Coleman, described it as a "win-win" for US investors and African economies, and underscoring its significance for regional integration. The Trump administration has axed swaths of US foreign aid for Africa, as part of a plan to curb spending it considers wasteful. Angolan President João Lourenço, addressing more than 2 000 government and business leaders at the summit, said US companies should shift from aid to investment-driven partnerships. "It is time to replace the logic of aid with the logic of investment and trade," Lourenço said, urging diversification into sectors such as automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, tourism, cement, and steel production.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
How Botswana's Sustainable Natural Diamond Story Sparkled At JCK
Diamond exports provide Botswana's economy with strong supplies of foreign exchange and have helped ... More finance industrial development, improvements in Botswana's infrastructure plus nationwide free education. Various jewelry trade fairs run simultaneously during the annual June Las Vegas jewelry week, but the JCK show, presented by RX Global at The Venetian Expo from June 6 to June 9, and its high-end companion fair, Luxury, generated consequential events and design news while marking milestones along the industry's path toward sustainability. More than a global trade show, JCK is also a dynamic seminar site programmed with JCK Talks educational panel discussions and presentations delivered by experts from various jewelry industry realms-- and countries. Bogolo Kenewendo, Botswana's Minister of Minerals and Energy, formed part of the Botswana delegation ... More at JCK 2025. According to RX Global figures, JCK 2025 drew 30,000 industry professionals, including over 17,000 attending buyers, decision-makers, store owners and media reporters. For designers and retailers, some of the most relevant and intriguing exhibitors included the AGTA GemFair, GEMS Pavilion and the Hong Kong Pavilion. JCK's most industrially and globally influential attendees however, included The President of Botswana, His Excellency, Duma Boko, Botswana's Ambassador to the U.S., Mpho Churchill O. Muphoting and Botswana's Minister of Minerals And Energy, Bogolo Kenewendo. President Boko, leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) party, has been in power since November 2024; presidential terms in his country run for five years. A human rights lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School, President Boko and his administration advocate a human rights-centered approach to governance. Besides being one of the world's most economically and culturally dynamic jewelry trade shows, JCK ... More is also an internationally valued news source via its print JCK Magazine and online version President Boko, Ambassador Muphoting and their delegation came to JCK because "After Russia, Botswana is the world's second most important natural diamond producer,' said Lisa Koenigsberg, Ph.D., President of Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC). Founded by Dr. Koenigsberg, this New York-based nonprofit organization organizes cross-disciplinary, international conferences regarding diamonds and gold that have included leading figures from Botswana's diamond industry. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This is an aerial view of Botswana's Jwaneng mine, which is the world's richest diamond mine and the ... More second largest. It is located in south-central Botswana, about 110 miles southwest of the nation's capital, Gaborone. Dr. Koenigsberg continued, 'Data published in the June 2025 Kimberley Process Certification Scheme stated that, in 2024, Botswana produced 28.2 million carats of diamonds, and nearly matched Russia in terms of value by generating $3.308 billion, or 28.8 percent of global output.' In comparison, The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme reported that Russia accounted for 32% of global rough diamond production by volume, which translates to 37.3 million carats. In terms of value,' she added, 'Russia contributed 29% of global output, totaling $3.335 billion.' According to Sarin Bachmann, senior vice-president of the RX Jewelry portfolio. "President Boko and ... More Ambassador Muphoting demonstrated at JCK how Botswana's commitment to sustainable diamond mining and achieving carbon neutrality exemplifies the forward-thinking leadership that our industry needs." As Sarin Bachmann, senior vice-president of the RX jewelry portfolio wrote in an email, 'At JCK, President Boko and Ambassador Muphoting demonstrated that Botswana's commitment to sustainable diamond mining and achieving carbon neutrality exemplifies the forward-thinking leadership that our industry needs.' As leaders of the world's second-most significant diamond producing nation, Bachmann continued, 'Botswanans see JCK as the ideal platform to make a presentation and to engage deeply with the global community of retailers, manufacturers, designers, and media professionals who are in a position to drive change.' In summary, 'President Boko and the Botswanan delegation reaffirmed the global access and influence that JCK encourages and provides. The Botswanans,' Bachmann continued, 'dedicated significant time to connecting with industry professionals and meeting with members of the media in their Botswana House pavilion on the JCK show floor, as well as working with their partners in the Natural Diamonds Council in that organization's members-only Lounge.' Natural diamonds can look and feel manifestly magical: this cathodoluminescence image of a diamond ... More documents how the gemstone emits light when bombarded by an electron beam. Any discussion of Botswana diamonds must note that before diamonds were discovered there by the De Beers Group in 1967, the country's per capita income hovered around US$80 a year. Today, according to the World Bank, Botswana's diamond wealth, robust institutions, wise economic management, and relatively small population of about 2.5 million have made it an upper-middle-income country (UMIC). In 2025 Botswana's purchasing power, as measured by GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP), is estimated to reach around $17,044. (PPP indicates the value of goods and services that can be purchased in Botswana with one unit of a common international currency, adjusted for price differences between countries.) The Natural Diamond Club lounge at JCK 2025 was sponsored by the Natural Diamond Council, which ... More hosted various dynamic community-building events for industry professionals. President Boko and Ambassador Muphoting, described how Botswana is retaining maximum value from each stone by training Botswanans to cut and polish their country's diamonds rather than sending them abroad and losing revenues generated from cutting and polishing. The statesmen also mentioned how climate change-induced problems affecting the country's lands and citizens are driving the nation's energy and environmental policies. Their forward-thinking comments were of great interest to Dr. Koenigsberg, whose organization IAC is staging its 15th annual Gold + Diamond conference in New York this July 14, 15 and 16. 'Some of the conference panels and speakers address similar issues that Messrs. Boko and Mophuting touched on in their JCK talks." For example, she related, 'Among other subjects, this July's Gold + Diamond Conference will discuss how natural diamond producing countries, such as Botswana, can act to retain maximum value from their diamonds and thus enrich citizenry. She added that, 'Global directives compel increased environmental and climate regulation in countries such as Botswana. While greener practices can create both positive and negative impacts, who, and what, will bear the costs?" The Gold + Diamond Conference attendees will examine these questions examination and the formation of effective solutions.' As President Boko's press secretary Emang Mutapati explained to this writer in Botswana House, 'There is no better representative than Botswana's president to bring the country's natural diamond story to this show." In Botswana House, Mutapati explained, the theme and motto of the space was 'Rooted in Organic Luxury'. "This concept of working with nature,' she continued, 'is helping create a strong future for Botswana, its diamond industry, and its people' As President Boko, Ambassador Muphoting and Ms. Mutapati all related, elements of Botswana's short term and long term sustainability strategy involve implementing pre-emptive measures to enhance Botswana's ability to successfully deal with the effects of drought and floods. In addition to expanding weather warning systems and water management projects, distribution of drought-tolerant seeds and drought-tolerant cattle breeds are now in the works. Botswana is also investing in mitigation efforts by phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and promoting various energy efficiency measures. While President Boko and Ambassador Muphoting outlined Botswana's long-term plans for becoming a net-zero, climate-resilient, and prosperous nation by 2050, they also emphasized how the country is working to increase its proportion of renewable energy in its power generating-sources, with a goal of reaching 30% renewables by 2030. Reaching this goal is vitally important, as coal-rich Botswana relies heavily on coal for electricity generation, and coal burning is a key contributor to global warming. The good news is that Botswana is taking steps to develop 1.5 GW of solar power projects by 2030 to help reduce its reliance on coal.
Washington Post
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- Washington Post
Gulf states fear an unrestrained Israel will hurt fragile ties with Iran
ISTANBUL — Iran's missile strike targeting a U.S. air base in Qatar this week could have imperiled the effort by Persian Gulf monarchies in recent years to ease Tehran's isolation on the grounds that it would make the region more secure. But the attack — retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — came after Iran had provided a warning, and the 19 missiles did no damage to Qatar or the air base. The missile barrage prompted full-throated condemnations from gulf states, but not much more, suggesting that their warming ties with Iran had provided some protection, and might endure.
