Congo suspends two airlines following deadly crash
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has suspended the licenses of two airlines after one of their aircraft crashed over the weekend, killing President Joseph Kabila’s chief adviser and seriously injuring his finance minister.
FAA Moves to Limit Blockout System Hiding Private Jet Flights
The (US) Federal Aviation Administration is proposing rules that would prevent private plane owners from keeping their flight records secret unless they can provide a valid security concern.
Africa: Fighting for the Rights of Child Soldiers
Nairobi — At end-November 2011, Somalia and the Central African Republic became the latest countries to commit to end the use of child soldiers – a move seen as “encouraging” by the UN, albeit with the proviso that the situation in both countries remains volatile.
Two Men Claim the Presidency as DRC Vote Ends in Chaos
Burnt-out tyres, broken glass and concrete blocks littered the neighbourhood’s only tarmac road, and an armoured truck was parked outside the prison itself.
United States moving into Africa’s Nile River Basin
“Rivers are political systems. Management of rivers is political and management of international rivers is very political. The Chinese got it right long ago: River + Dyke = Political Order.”
Congo Loses Billions in Asset Sales: British MP
A British lawmaker has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government of selling off some of the country’s mining assets for an estimated $5.5-billion (U.S.) below the market value, largely through offshore shell companies that hide the new owners.
Invisible Children: Tackling Kony’s Rebels Through Social Activism ?
AS U.S. Special Forces prepare to begin their mission to hunt down fugitive Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony, a San Diego, Calif. based humanitarian organization, Invisible Children, has taken up the cause of the thousands of child soldiers and orphans whose lives have been wrecked by the conflict.
Obama Waives Aid Curbs on Militaries Using Child Soldiers
For the second year in a row, U.S. President Barack Obama has waived a Congressionally-mandated ban on military aid for four countries that use child soldiers.
Foiled coup attempt in the Congo ends in more crimson than jasmine
A coup attempt in the troubled Democratic Republic of the Congo ended in bloodshed Sunday after six people were killed in a skirmish with security officers near President Joseph Kabila’s palace in the capital Kinshasa.
UN report says DR Congo killings ‘may be genocide’
A UN report into the killings of Hutu civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 1990s says they may constitute “crimes of genocide”.
Kabila Bans Mining for Mobile Phone Minerals, Citing “Mafia” Activities
Congolese president Joseph Kabila has finally put his foot down on rampant irregularities in the country’s mining industry, which have led to the smuggling of minerals worth billions of dollars (mostly coltan and cassiterite used for making cellphones) out of the country over the past decade.
Activists Demand Justice for Slain Congolese Campaigner at SADC Summit
Patience Nyangove: WINDHOEK, Namibia — Civil rights activists said Monday that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s official investigation into the death of a human rights campaigner looks like a cover-up.