Latest news with #Rwandan-backed
Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
US Firm Backs $760 Million Congo-Rwanda-Burundi Hydropower Plant
(Bloomberg) -- A long-delayed plan to build a hydropower plant on the Ruzizi River between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo received a boost amid US-backed peace talks between the two countries. Anzana Electric Group will team up with Rwanda-registered Ruzizi III Holding Power Co. Ltd. to construct the 206-megawatt Ruzizi III project, the companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday. The $760 million facility will help 'drive regional integration, strengthen energy security and stability, and pave the way for expanded US investment and trade in Africa's energy future,' Anzana's Chief Executive Officer Brian Kelly said in the statement. Ruzizi III will join two other plants located on the river that divides Congo's South Kivu province from Rwanda's Rusizi District. It could nearly double power capacity for nearby Burundi, increase Rwanda's by 30% and provide baseload power for eastern Congo, the companies said. All three countries are part of the planned public-private partnership that will build and operate the plant, which could open as early as 2030. The project, in planning for more than a decade, has been delayed by ongoing conflict in eastern Congo. Rwanda and Congo are expected to sign a peace accord in Washington on Friday, in a deal overseen by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A large portion of eastern Congo — including parts of South Kivu — remains under the control of the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group, although Rwanda denies supporting the militants. Rubio has offered US investment in the mineral-rich region as an incentive for Rwanda to cease the occupation and to convince Congo to address its neighbor's security concerns. More than 100 armed groups operate in eastern Congo, including some that threaten the Rwandan government. Massad Boulos, the Trump administration's senior adviser for Africa, attended the signing ceremony between the companies at the US-Africa Business Summit in Angola. He is leading the US-brokered peace talks. Anzana, founded in 2011 and previously called Virunga Power, plans to acquire at least a 10% stake in Ruzizi III Holding by Sept. 15, according to the companies. Ruzizi III Holding — backed by Industrial Promotion Services, the infrastructure and industrial development arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development — and the US Embassy in Kinshasa didn't immediately provide comment when contacted by Bloomberg Wednesday. Sign up here for the twice-weekly Next Africa newsletter, and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen. --With assistance from Mike Cohen and Paul Richardson. More stories like this are available on
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Child sex abuse triples as people flee DRC: charity
NAIROBI: Save the Children said Monday it had witnessed a 'horrifying' spike in the number of children being sexually assaulted in DR Congo, recording more than triple the number compared to a year ago. 'Armed men entered our house and raped me, my sister and my mother,' a 16-year-old Congolese girl told the charity. She spoke to Save the Children in neighbouring Burundi where she fled with her family and is now living in a refugee camp. 'It is very hard to look my mother in eye after what happened, but also very difficult for our mother to talk to us about it.' Fighting once again erupted in the restive eastern Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this year when the Rwandan-backed M23 force seized large swathes of the region. Since January more than 71,000 Congolese have fled to Burundi, one of the world's poorest countries and already dealing with thousands of refugees from earlier conflicts. Save the Children recorded over 478 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) between January and June -- an increase of 249 percent compared to last year. It said 172 of the incidents, most of them rape cases, were against children. 'For the last few months, I have heard horrifying stories of children being raped together with their parents, and mothers being raped in front of their children,' Nadege Nizigama, Save the Children's child protection and GBV case worker for Burundi. Fear and shame means sex abuses numbers are likely far higher. 'Tragically we know the number of cases we have registered is just a drop in the ocean,' said the charity's Burundi head Geoffrey Kirenga. Save the Children has been present in the Great Lakes nation for almost a decade. But it has been hit by major aid cuts by the United States and other Western donors, with fewer items such as diapers, pads, underpants and soap available for GBV survivors. 'The funding gaps we're now facing could force us to close down programmes that are a lifeline to children and families in dire need,' said Kirenga.
Muscat Daily
7 days ago
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
Why justice is crucial in DRC-Rwanda peace deal
Kinshasa, DRC – The Democratic Republic of the Congo government and Rwanda will be the chief signatories of the peace agreement, with little or no involvement from the rebel groups currently occupying the eastern parts of Goma under the Congo River Alliance. Technical teams from Rwanda and Congo initiated a draft on Wednesday in the US-mediated peace process. Analysts, however, say the sticking point could be the implementation. 'The reason why we have a challenge with all these peace deals is because, we keep including clauses for amnesty. It means it is justice delayed,' said Kambale Musavili from the Centre for Research on Congo-Kinshasa. 'What it signals to armed groups committing crimes on the ground is that you can pick up guns and blackmail the Congolese government to negotiations. The Americans are making the same posture, unfortunately they are going to reinvigorate the same militia groups,' Musavili added. Concerns have also been raised about the details of the deal, which are yet to be made public to the Congolese. 'What we are experiencing here is not really new. But now, what are the operational commitments that will be put in place?,' said Professor Philippe-Doudou Kaganda, Scientific Director of the Centre for Research and Study on Conflict and Peace in the Great Lakes Region. 'It is precisely here that there is a risk that we will not have a realistic agreement on certain aspects and that could possibly lead the belligerents to strengthen their demands and continue to wage war.' Cautious optimism The Congolese civil society is optimistic but cautions that history may repeat itself if the deal is not carefully handled. 'Certainly, this is an agreement that we are longing for,' Hyprocat Marume, President of the South Kivu civil society, said. 'But it should have been signed since the capture of Bunagana, instead of letting our people die first and leaving us in a crisis situation.' Marume stressed that the Congolese government must help its citizens to live in peace and tranquillity. 'Taking up arms to demand positions, we must ensure that this experience never happens again.' Previous ceasefires between Kinshasa and Kigali have often failed, but Washington hopes this one will stick and bring economic opportunities. The draft peace deal aims to end fighting in eastern Congo, where Rwandan-backed M23 rebels made significant advances at the beginning of the year, capturing the strategic city of Goma and the town of Bukavu. 'The agreement includes provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities, disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups,' said a statement posted to the US State Department's website. The deal also includes provisions for facilitating the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as ensuring humanitarian access and establishing a regional economic integration framework. Trump's gamble in the DRC? US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will witness the official signing ceremony next week. The agreement announced on Wednesday builds on a declaration of principles signed between the two countries in April. It will signal a breakthrough for President Donald Trump's administration's push to halt the conflict in eastern Congo and attract billions of dollars in Western investment to the mineral-rich region. However, it is unclear whether the Congo River Alliance – a coalition of rebel groups that includes the M23 – will adhere to it. The Democratic Republic of Congo is hoping to secure peace and security backed by the Americans. In return, the US will benefit from a minerals exchange deal estimated to be worth around US$2tn will be made available to US companies for extraction. Rwanda and Congo twice reached agreements last year under Angola's mediation on troop withdrawal and joint operations against the FDLR rebel group, which Rwanda accuses of perpetrating the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. However, ministers from both countries failed to endorse the deals. Angola stepped down as a mediator in March after several failed attempts to resolve the escalating Rwanda-backed rebel offensive in eastern Congo. Fighting intensified this year as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced to seize the region's two largest cities, displacing thousands of people. Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting M23 with troops and arms, while Rwanda denies helping the group and says its forces are acting in self-defence. DW
DW
20-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Why justice is crucial in the US-led DRC-Rwanda peace deal – DW – 06/20/2025
Civic society organizations fear the consequences of an agreement that overlooks justice for crimes committed by armed groups, as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda prepare to sign a peace agreement on June 27. The Democratic Republic of the Congo government and Rwanda will be the chief signatories of the peace agreement, with little or no involvement from the rebel groups currently occupying the eastern parts of Goma under the Congo River Alliance. Technical teams from Rwanda and Congo initiated a draft on Wednesday in the US-mediated peace process. Analysts, however, say the sticking point could be the implementation. "The reason why we have a challenge with all these peace deals is because, we keep including clauses for amnesty. It means it is justice delayed," said Kambale Musavili from the Center for Research on Congo-Kinshasa. "What it signals to armed groups committing crimes on the ground is that you can pick up guns and blackmail the Congolese government to negotiations. The Americans are making the same posture, unfortunately they are going to reinvigorate the same militia groups," Musavili added. The conflict in eastern Congo has displaced thousands, especially women and children Image: TONY KARUMBA/AFP Concerns have also been raised about the details of the deal, which are yet to be made public to the Congolese. "What we are experiencing here is not really new. But now, what are the operational commitments that will be put in place?," said Professor Philippe-Doudou Kaganda, Scientific Director of the Center for Research and Study on Conflict and Peace in the Great Lakes Region. "It is precisely here that there is a risk that we will not have a realistic agreement on certain aspects and that could possibly lead the belligerents to strengthen their demands and continue to wage war." Cautious optimism The Congolese civil society is optimistic but cautions thathistory may repeat itself if the deal is not carefully handled. "Certainly, this is an agreement that we are longing for," Hyprocat Marume, President of the South Kivu civil society, said. "But it should have been signed since the capture of Bunagana, instead of letting our people die first and leaving us in a crisis situation." Marume stressed that the Congolese government must help its citizens to live in peace and tranquillity. "Taking up arms to demand positions, we must ensure that this experience never happens again." Previous ceasefires between Kinshasa and Kigali have often failed, but Washington hopes this one will stick and bring economic opportunities. The draft peace deal aims to end fighting in eastern Congo, where Rwandan-backed M23 rebels made significant advances at the beginning of the year, capturing the strategic city of Goma and the town of Bukavu. "The agreement includes provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities, disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups," said a statement posted to the US State Department's website. The deal also includes provisions for facilitating the return ofrefugees and internally displaced persons, as well as ensuring humanitarian access and establishing a regional economic integration framework. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) has been leading the peace agreement between Rwanda and Congo Image: AP Will Trump's gamble pay off in the DRC? US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will witness the official signing ceremony next week. The agreement announced on Wednesday builds on a declaration of principles signed between the two countries in April. It will signal a breakthrough for President Donald Trump's administration's push to halt the conflict in eastern Congo and attract billions of dollars in Western investment to the mineral-rich region. However, it is unclear whether the Congo River Alliance — a coalition of rebel groups that includes the M23 — will adhere to it. The Democratic Republic of Congo is hoping to secure peace and security backed by the Americans. In return, the US will benefit from a minerals exchange deal estimated to be worth around $2 trillion (€1.7 trillion), which will be made available to US companies for extraction. In Congo, coveted cobalt mined by child laborers To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Rwanda and Congo twice reached agreements last year under Angola's mediation on troop withdrawal and joint operations against the FDLR rebel group, which Rwanda accuses of perpetrating the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. However, ministers from both countries failed to endorse the deals. Angola stepped down as a mediator in March after several failed attempts to resolve the escalating Rwanda-backed rebel offensive in eastern Congo. Fighting intensified this year as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced to seize the region's two largest cities, displacing thousands of people. Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting M23 with troops and arms, while Rwanda denies helping the group and says its forces are acting in self-defense. Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu
UPI
19-06-2025
- Business
- UPI
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda reach peace agreement
Captured Democratic Republic of the Congo troops being marched into Rwanda from the border city of Goma by Rwanda Defence Force soldiers in January. File Photo by Moise Niyonzima/EPA-EFE June 19 (UPI) -- Rwanda will sign a U.S.-Qatar-mediated peace agreement with neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, bringing an end to a decades-long armed conflict within days. The two sides' technical delegations initialed the pact Tuesday in Washington, pledging to "disengage and disarm," deal with non-state armed groups, establish a joint security cooperation mechanism and allow refugees and displaced people to return, the State Department said in a statement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been heavily involved in bringing the deal to fruition, will witness the official signing by ministers from Rwanda and the DRC at a ceremony in Washington on June 27. "The agreement was developed over three days of constructive dialogue regarding political, security, and economic interests. The agreement includes provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities," the State Department said. Its statement paid tribute Qatar's contribution in helping to close the gap between the two countries' individual initiatives aimed at bringing peace to the region. The deal comes two months after Rubio persuaded the parties to sign a peace framework after the violence escalated to unprecedented levels in January as Rwandan-backed M23 rebels overran large areas of northeastern DRC, displacing tens of thousands of people. The region already was reeling from one of the world's worst humanitarian crises when the rebels launched their offensive, overwhelming government forces and killing U.N. peacekeepers, firing on U.N. humanitarian facilities and sending people fleeing from displacement camps. The BBC said that peace in the region could unlock billions of dollars of investment from the West into the resource-rich country, which has vast reserves of many critical minerals, including rare earths. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, DRC has "substantial" untapped deposits of gold, cobalt and high-grade copper, as well as diamonds and lithium, a key element for powering the green power transition. However, that mineral wealth has been disastrous for the country, historically, and is blamed, at least in part, for the current conflict, with DRC officials accusing Kigali of purposefully destabilizing its neighbor to get its hands on the minerals. The DRC reportedly offered access to its resources to the United States in exchange for assistance in resolving the conflict after it effectively lost control of the east of the country at the beginning of the year. In February, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Rwandan Regional Integration Minister James Kabarebe for backing the M23 along with Lawrence Kanyuka, a senior member of the group, and two of his companies. Condemning M23 human rights abuses, including killings, sexual violence and attacks against civilians, Treasury officials said Kabarebe, a former Rwandan Defense Force general, was responsible for RDF coordination with the M23 and was in charge of revenue generation of both outfits, funded from the DRC's mineral resources. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control alleged Kabarebe managed the cross-border movement of minerals taken from mining sites in the DRC, which subsequently found their way onto the international market after being exported from Rwanda.
