Latest news with #Codeco
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DR Congo-Rwanda ceasefire deal still faces many challenges
Both sides of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have committed to disarming and disengaging their alleged proxies. But there are dozens of non-state armed groups active in the region and it's not clear whether all of them will adhere to the ceasefire. Just hours before the deal was signed, one of them, the Codeco militia, attacked a displaced persons camp in Ituri province, killing 10 people. Keeping these non-state actors in line will be a tall order. Part of the peace deal involves creating the conditions to allow the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict to return home. That won't be possible without a complete cessation of hostilities. Due to the eastern DRC's vast mineral resources, critical to modern technology including electric car and mobile phone batteries, the economic incentives for rebel groups are incredibly tempting, and this deal does not mention alternatives which may convince these groups to stop fighting over valuable territory. Integrating them into an under-resourced Congolese armed force is unlikely to prove enough of a deterrent. It's also still not clear what preferential access, if any, the US has been offered to the DRC's minerals. President Donald Trump has made it clear that this is one of his key incentives for agreeing to support the peace process. But granting the US unfettered access to the country's mineral wealth is unpopular with many in the DRC, upset that the country's resources have failed to provide a better life for its citizens. As to the key questions of whether Rwandan forces will withdraw from eastern DRC, the US position is that once the Hutu-led FDLR, which Rwanda says is backed by the DRC and aims to overthrow the Rwandan government, is dismantled, then Rwanda will also row back on its "defensive measure". This appears to be an oblique reference to the presence of Rwandan armed forces in eastern DRC. If the US is able to convince the Rwandans to do this in earnest, it would be a big victory for Washington and Kinshasa. Rwanda has repeatedly denied its troops are on the ground in eastern DRC, despite credible reports they've actively supported groups like M23 in the region. Congolese rebels want peaceful solution to crisis, UN says Ex-DR Congo president returns from self-imposed exile, party says DR Congo conflict tests China's diplomatic balancing act How DR Congo's Tutsis become foreigners in their own country 'They took all the women here': Rape survivors recall horror of DR Congo jailbreak Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
DR Congo-Rwanda ceasefire deal still faces many challenges
Both sides of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have committed to disarming and disengaging their alleged proxies. But there are dozens of non-state armed groups active in the region and it's not clear whether all of them will adhere to the ceasefire. Just hours before the deal was signed, one of them, the Codeco militia, attacked a displaced persons camp in Ituri province, killing 10 people. Keeping these non-state actors in line will be a tall order. Part of the peace deal involves creating the conditions to allow the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict to return home. That won't be possible without a complete cessation of to the eastern DRC's vast mineral resources, critical to modern technology including electric car and mobile phone batteries, the economic incentives for rebel groups are incredibly tempting, and this deal does not mention alternatives which may convince these groups to stop fighting over valuable territory. Integrating them into an under-resourced Congolese armed force is unlikely to prove enough of a also still not clear what preferential access, if any, the US has been offered to the DRC's minerals. President Donald Trump has made it clear that this is one of his key incentives for agreeing to support the peace process. But granting the US unfettered access to the country's mineral wealth is unpopular with many in the DRC, upset that the country's resources have failed to provide a better life for its to the key questions of whether Rwandan forces will withdraw from eastern DRC, the US position is that once the Hutu-led FDLR, which Rwanda says is backed by the DRC and aims to overthrow the Rwandan government, is dismantled, then Rwanda will also row back on its "defensive measure". This appears to be an oblique reference to the presence of Rwandan armed forces in eastern DRC. If the US is able to convince the Rwandans to do this in earnest, it would be a big victory for Washington and Kinshasa. Rwanda has repeatedly denied its troops are on the ground in eastern DRC, despite credible reports they've actively supported groups like M23 in the region. More about the DR Congo conflict from the BBC: Congolese rebels want peaceful solution to crisis, UN saysEx-DR Congo president returns from self-imposed exile, party saysDR Congo conflict tests China's diplomatic balancing actHow DR Congo's Tutsis become foreigners in their own country'They took all the women here': Rape survivors recall horror of DR Congo jailbreak Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Arab News
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Ugandan army deploys to town in northeast Congo
KAMPALA: The Ugandan army confirmed Sunday it has sent troops to another town in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo to fight local armed groups, amid fears a raging conflict could spiral into a wider war. 'Our troops have entered Mahagi town and we are in control,' Uganda's defense and military affairs spokesman Felix Kulayigye said Sunday. The deployment was requested by the Congolese army following alleged massacres of civilians carried out by a militia known as the Cooperative for the Development of Congo, or Codeco, he said, without providing further details. Mahagi is in Ituri province, which borders Uganda, where at least 51 people were killed on Feb. 10 by armed men affiliated with Codeco, according to humanitarian and local sources. Codeco claims it defends the interests of the Lendu community, mainly composed of farmers, against the Hema community, mainly herders. Uganda already has thousands of troops in other parts of Ituri under an agreement with the Congolese government. Last month, Uganda announced its troops had 'taken control' of the provincial capital, Bunia. Ituri is just north of the provinces of North and South Kivu, which at the end of January fell under the control of the anti-government M23 armed group, which is backed by neighboring Rwanda. Analysts fear that Uganda and Rwanda's growing presence in eastern Congo could lead to a repeat of the so-called Second Congo War, which lasted from 1998 to 2003, involving many African countries and resulting in millions of deaths from violence, disease and famine. Meanwhile, Congo's army denied on Sunday that 20 fighters linked to the Rwandan genocide had been captured on its territory, calling a video of their handover to Rwanda 'faked.' The statement came after the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group in eastern Congo said on Saturday it had captured fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR, a militia founded by ethnic Hutus who took part in the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994. Rwanda has long pointed to the alleged presence of the FDLR in eastern Congo to justify its support for the M23. With Rwanda's backing, the M23 has seized swaths of the Congo's troubled, mineral-rich east in recent months, including the key provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu. The M23 released a video showing its forces handing over 20 alleged FDLR fighters to Rwanda at a border post between the two countries. 'This is a faked incident in poor taste orchestrated with the sole aim of discrediting our army,' the Congolese armed forces chiefs of staff said in a statement. 'This is part of the Rwandan strategy to justify the invasion of parts of the DRC's territory,' it added. 'The Rwandan authorities, who specialize in the art of lies and manipulation, took old FDLR detainees, dressed them in new military fatigues, and passed them off as FDLR fighters newly captured in Goma.' The Congolese high command also accused the Rwandan army of 'summary executions' of wounded and ill soldiers at a field hospital in Goma, which 'constitutes a war crime and crime against humanity,' it said.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ugandan army deploys to town in northeast DR Congo amid fears of wider conflict
The Ugandan army confirmed Sunday it has sent troops to another town in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo to fight local armed groups, amid fears a raging conflict could spiral into a wider war. "Our troops have entered Mahagi town and we are in control," Uganda's defence and military affairs spokesman Felix Kulayigye told French news agency AFP on Sunday. The deployment was requested by the Congolese army following alleged massacres of civilians carried out by a militia known as the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco), he said, without providing further details. Mahagi is in Ituri province, which borders Uganda, where at least 51 people were killed on 10 February by armed men affiliated with Codeco, according to humanitarian and local sources. Codeco claims it defends the interests of the Lendu community, mainly composed of farmers, against the Hema community, mainly herders. Uganda already has thousands of troops in other parts of Ituri under an agreement with the Congolese government. It also operates a joint mission to combat the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in strongholds near the Ugandan border. Last month, Uganda announced its troops had "taken control" of Bunia, capital of Ituri. Uganda's DRC mission under scrutiny amid claims of double dealing Ituri is just north of the provinces of North and South Kivu, which at the end of January fell under the control of another anti-government group known as the M23, backed by neighbouring Rwanda. Read more on RFI EnglishRead also:DRC president suggests unity government to respond to the crisis in the eastICC Prosecutor Karim Khan arrives in DRC amid escalating eastern conflictUN accuses M23 of committing 'summary executions' of children in DRC
Asharq Al-Awsat
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Ugandan Army Deploys to Town in Northeast DR Congo
The Ugandan army confirmed Sunday it has sent troops to another town in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo to fight local armed groups, amid fears a raging conflict could spiral into a wider war. "Our troops have entered Mahagi town and we are in control," Uganda's defense and military affairs spokesman Felix Kulayigye told AFP Sunday. The deployment was requested by the Congolese army following alleged massacres of civilians carried out by a militia known as the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco), he said, without providing further details. Mahagi is in Ituri province, which borders Uganda, where at least 51 people were killed on February 10 by armed men affiliated with Codeco, according to humanitarian and local sources. Codeco claims it defends the interests of the Lendu community, mainly composed of farmers, against the Hema community, mainly herders. Uganda already has thousands of troops in other parts of Ituri under an agreement with the Congolese government. Last month, Uganda announced its troops had "taken control" of the provincial capital, Bunia. Ituri is just north of the provinces of North and South Kivu, which at the end of January fell under the control of the anti-government M23 armed group, which is backed by neighboring Rwanda. Analysts fear that Uganda and Rwanda's growing presence in eastern DRC could lead to a repeat of the so-called Second Congo War, which lasted from 1998 to 2003, involving many African countries and resulting in millions of deaths from violence, disease and famine.
