Latest news with #CentralAfrica
Bloomberg
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Why Congo and Rwanda Agreed to End Three Decades of War
Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have agreed to bring an end to conflict in eastern Congo, where millions of people have died and multitudes have been displaced over the past three decades. A US-brokered accord signed in Washington on June 27 commits the two central African nations to stop fighting, halt their use of armed proxies and work together to develop the natural resources that lie along their shared border. There is well-founded skepticism over whether the truce will last. Distrust between the two long-standing foes runs deep and it's unclear whether their forces and a multitude of militias will heed instructions to lay down their weapons. More than 100 groups are engaged in ethnic disputes or fights over land, minerals and political representation in eastern Congo.
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Congo and Rwanda sign a U.S.-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict
Residents listen to Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, during his visit to North Kivu's town of Buhumba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) WASHINGTON — The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decades-long deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'an important moment after 30 years of war.' Earlier Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for 'one of the worst wars anyone's ever seen.' 'I was able to get them together and sell it,' Trump said. 'And not only that, we're getting for the United States a lot of the mineral rights from Congo.' The deal has been touted as an important step toward peace in the Central African nation of Congo, where conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, has killed millions since the 1990s. It's also at the heart of Trump's push to gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology at a time when the United States and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don't believe it will quickly end the fighting. Congo and Rwanda send top diplomats to sign Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner invoked the millions of victims of the conflict in signing the agreement with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Both expressed optimism but stressed significant work still to do to end the fighting. 'Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear,' Wagner said. 'Those who have suffered the most are watching. They are expecting this agreement to be respected, and we cannot fail them.' Nduhungirehe noted the 'great deal of uncertainty' because previous agreements were not put in place. 'There is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy,' he said. 'But with the continued support of the United States and other partners, we believe that a turning point has been reached.' They, along with Rubio, lauded the support of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar in facilitating the agreement, which Doha has been working on for months at the request of the U.S. and others. The agreement has provisions on territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities and the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. The peace deal is not likely to quickly end the conflict The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.' Congo hopes the U.S. will provide it with the security support needed to fight the rebels and possibly get them to withdraw from the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, and from the entire region where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. Rwanda has said that it's defending its territorial interests and not supporting M23. M23 rebels have suggested that the agreement won't be binding for them. The rebel group hasn't been directly involved in the planned peace deal, although it has been part of other ongoing peace talks. Corneille Nangaa, leader of Congo River Alliance -- known by its French acronym AFC -- which includes M23, told The Associated Press in March that direct peace talks with Congo can only be held if the country acknowledges their grievances and that 'anything regarding us which are done without us, it's against us.' An M23 spokesperson, Oscar Balinda, echoed that to the AP this week. Rwanda also has been accused of exploiting eastern Congo's minerals, used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. Rwanda has denied any involvement, while analysts say that might make it difficult for Rwanda not to be involved in the region. The deal is at the heart of the U.S. government's push to counter China in Africa. For many years, Chinese companies have been a key player in Congo's minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo. What the U.S. role looks like in ending the conflict Analysts say the U.S. government's commitment might depend on how much access it has to the minerals being discussed under separate negotiations between the American and Congolese governments. The mostly untapped minerals are estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol, called the deal a 'major turning point' but could 'in no way eliminate all the issues of the conflict.' 'The current draft agreement ignores war crimes and justice for victims by imposing a partnership between the victim and the aggressor,' he said. 'This seems like a trigger-happy proposition and cannot establish lasting peace without justice and reparation.' In Congo's North Kivu province, the hardest hit by the fighting, some believe that the peace deal will help resolve the violence but warn justice must still be served for an enduring peace. 'I don't think the Americans should be trusted 100 per cent,' said Hope Muhinuka, an activist from the province. 'It is up to us to capitalize on all we have now as an opportunity.' The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly 2 million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda's Tutsi population. Since then, the ongoing conflict in east Congo has killed 6 million people, in attacks, famines and unchecked disease outbreaks stemming from the fighting. Chinedu Asadu, Matthew Lee and Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press Asadu reported from Dakar, Senegal. AP writers Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, and Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed to this report.
CBC
11 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Congo, Rwanda sign peace deal to end fighting — and help U.S. access critical minerals
Social Sharing Congo and Rwanda on Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decades-long deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it "an important moment after 30 years of war." Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for "one of the worst wars anyone's ever seen." "I was able to get them together and sell it," Trump said. "And not only that, we're getting for the United States a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo." The agreement has been touted as an important step toward peace in the Central African nation of Congo, where conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, has killed millions since the 1990s. It's also at the heart of Trump's push to gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology at a time when the U.S. and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don't believe it will quickly end the fighting. The agreement involves provisions on territorial integrity and a prohibition on hostilities, as well as the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Peace deal not likely to quickly end the conflict The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With seven million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it "one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth." Congo hopes the U.S. will provide it with the security support needed to fight the rebels and possibly get them to withdraw from the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, as well as from the entire region, where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. Rwanda has said that it's defending its territorial interests and not supporting M23. M23 rebels have suggested that the agreement won't be binding on them. The rebel group hasn't been directly involved in the planned peace deal, although it has been part of other ongoing peace talks. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance — known by its French acronym AFC — which includes M23, told The Associated Press in March that direct peace talks with Congo can only be held if the country acknowledges their grievances and that "anything regarding us which are done without us, it's against us." An M23 spokesperson, Oscar Balinda, also echoed those thoughts in an interview with the AP this week, saying the U.S.-facilitated deal doesn't concern the rebels. Rwanda has also been accused of exploiting eastern Congo's minerals, a trend analysts say might make it difficult for Rwanda not to be involved in any way in the region. Critical minerals are used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. A team of UN experts alleged in a December report that "fraudulent extraction, trade and export to Rwanda of [Congo] minerals benefited both AFC/M23 and the Rwandan economy." Rwanda has denied any involvement in Congo's minerals. The deal is also at the heart of the U.S. government's push to counter China in Africa. Chinese companies have been for many years one of the key players in Congo's minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo. WATCH | Is Trump coming after Canada's critical minerals?: Is Trump really coming after Canada for its critical minerals? 1 month ago Duration 25:43 Why is Donald Trump set on coming after Canada's critical minerals? Then, despite cooling inflation, a falling interest rate and steady employment numbers, more Canadians are missing payments on their loans and mortgages. Andrew Chang explains why. 'Trigger-happy proposition' Analysts say the U.S. commitment might depend on how much access it has to the minerals being discussed under separate negotiations between the American and Congolese governments. The mostly untapped minerals are estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion US by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think-tank Dypol, called the deal a "major turning point" in the decades-long conflict but said the signing could "in no way eliminate all the issues of the conflict." "The current draft agreement ignores war crimes and justice for victims by imposing a partnership between the victim and the aggressor," he said. "This seems like a trigger-happy proposition and cannot establish lasting peace without justice and reparation." In Congo's North Kivu province, the hardest hit by the fighting, some believe that the peace deal will help resolve the violence but warn that justice must still be served for an enduring peace to take hold. "I don't think the Americans should be trusted 100 per cent," said Hope Muhinuka, an activist from the province. "It is up to us to capitalize on all we have now as an opportunity." The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and one million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly two million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda's Tutsi population. WATCH | People in Congo are running out of food and water: People in Goma, Congo, running out of food, water, WFP says 5 months ago Duration 0:28 The World Food Program is warning of shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies in Goma, in eastern Congo, where waves of fighting have displaced thousands of people and disrupted supply chains.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Congo and Rwanda sign a US-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decadeslong deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'an important moment after 30 years of war.' Earlier, President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for 'one of the worst wars anyone's ever seen.' 'I was able to get them together and sell it,' Trump said. 'And not only that, we're getting for the United States a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo.' The deal has been touted as an important step toward peace in the Central African nation of Congo, where conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, has killed millions since the 1990s. It's also at the heart of Trump's push to gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology at a time when the United States and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don't believe it will quickly end the fighting. The agreement involves provisions on territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities as well as the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Peace deal not likely to quickly end the conflict The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.' Congo hopes the U.S. will provide it with the security support needed to fight the rebels and possibly get them to withdraw from the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, and from the entire region where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. Rwanda has said that it's defending its territorial interests and not supporting M23. M23 rebels have suggested that the agreement won't be binding on them. The rebel group hasn't been directly involved in the planned peace deal, although it has been part of other ongoing peace talks. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance — known by its French acronym AFC — which includes M23, told The Associated Press in March that direct peace talks with Congo can only be held if the country acknowledges their grievances and that 'anything regarding us which are done without us, it's against us.' An M23 spokesman, Oscar Balinda, also echoed those thoughts in an interview with the AP this week, saying the U.S.-facilitated deal doesn't concern the rebels. Rwanda has also been accused of exploiting eastern Congo's minerals, a trend analysts say might make it difficult for Rwanda not to be involved in any way in the region. Critical minerals are used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. A team of U.N. experts alleged in a December report that "fraudulent extraction, trade and export to Rwanda of (Congo) minerals benefited both AFC/M23 and the Rwandan economy.' Rwanda has denied any involvement in Congo's minerals. The deal is also at the heart of the U.S. government's push to counter China in Africa. Chinese companies have been for many years one of the key players in Congo's minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo. US role in ending the conflict Analysts say the U.S. government's commitment might depend on how much access it has to the minerals being discussed under separate negotiations between the American and Congolese government. The mostly untapped minerals are estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol, called the deal a 'major turning point' in the decadeslong conflict, but that the signing could "in no way eliminate all the issues of the conflict.' 'The current draft agreement ignores war crimes and justice for victims by imposing a partnership between the victim and the aggressor,' he said. 'This seems like a trigger-happy proposition and cannot establish lasting peace without justice and reparation.' In Congo's North Kivu province, the hardest hit by the fighting, some believe that the peace deal will help resolve the violence, but warn justice must still be served for an enduring peace to take hold. 'I don't think the Americans should be trusted 100%,' said Hope Muhinuka, an activist from the province. 'It is up to us to capitalize on all we have now as an opportunity.' The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly 2 million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda's Tutsi population. ___ Asadu reported from Dakar, Senegal. AP writers Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, and Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed to this report.
Associated Press
14 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Affluence Corporation Subsidiary MTi Secures Over €3 Million in New Contracts Across Europe, Asia, and Central Africa
OAK BROOK, IL / ACCESS Newswire / June 27, 2025 / Affluence Corporation, (OTC Pink:AFFU), a global technology holding company specializing in smart infrastructure and edge computing solutions, announced today that its subsidiary Mingothings International (MTi) has successfully secured multiple new contracts in June 2025, further strengthening its growth trajectory. MTi has finalized commercial agreements exceeding a total value of €3 million, spanning projects across Europe, Asia, and Central Africa. These contracts reflect MTi's ongoing capacity to deliver advanced technology solutions in key verticals such as Smart Cities, Security, and Digital Transformation. Among these recent wins are projects involving key customers and partners, including major European defense integrators, leading global sports organizations, and Asian government security agencies. Formal client approvals are currently being finalized to allow for public disclosure of their names in upcoming announcements. 'This solid commercial momentum reflects our ability to position the Group in complex, high-value projects across multiple continents,' said Oscar Brito, President of Affluence Corporation. 'The strategic wins further validate our integrated approach, combining proprietary software platforms with expert systems integration capabilities through MTi and our partner network.' The new contracts are fully aligned with Affluence Corporation's strategic priorities for 2025, demonstrating its portfolio companies' capability to expand geographically while addressing critical infrastructure challenges in both public and private sectors. For any inquiries or media and investor contact, please reach out to - [email protected]. # # # About Affluence Corporation Affluence Corporation ( is a diversified technology company focused on smart city and industry software and innovative solutions that capitalize on IoT, AI, 5G and edge technologies. We are investing in mid-market businesses to create a cohesive unit which brings together technology for the next generation of internet. For more information go to About Mingothings SLU Mingothings SLU ('MTi') is a trusted specialist in integrated IoT solutions and data analytics for smart cities and connected industries. With expertise in real-time data processing, sensor integration, and adaptable IoT platforms, MTi provides innovative solutions designed to maximize efficiency, sustainability, and operational performance in diverse IoT applications. # # # This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements that are not historical in nature, including the words 'anticipate,' 'expect,' 'suggests,' 'plan,' 'believe,' 'intend,' 'estimates,' 'targets,' 'projects,' 'should,' 'could,' 'would,' 'may,' 'will,' 'forecast' and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including: general economic business conditions, competitive and technological factors, markets, services, products and prices, the failure to retain management and/or key employees of the target company, availability and the cost of capital, success of growth initiatives, limited operating history and other risks discussed in our filings with the OTCMarkets and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Affluence Corporation assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Media and investor contact - [email protected] SOURCE: Affluence Corp. press release
