Sources: AllAfrica, AfricanNewsAnalysis, IRIN, CongoForum
June 2 2007
- AfricanNewsAnalysis write the following (abridged): Gen Nkunda eventually lost in 2006 his control of the mines in Walikale, but he was able to retain control over Lueshe. The Lueshe mine in Rutshuru (North Kivu) contains en extremely valuable deposit of pyrochlore. In April 2007, the FARDC soldiers loyal to Nkunda launched attacks to FOCA (=FDLR) and the Mai-Mai along the axis north of Lueshe. FDLR and Mai-Mai were repelled and retreated to Nyabiondo to plan another offensive. After the fighting subsided, Nkunda threatened to withdraw his men from the mixed brigades, claiming the mixing process was a failure. Nkunda and his Rwandan backers will do everything they can keep Lueshe under their control and they may make a move to re-exert control over Walikale.
June 4 2007
-Inter Press Service write: Despite the blood splashed across their region's recent history, Central African countries -Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe - have been told by the European Commission that they must sign an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) by the end of this year. Some studies have touched on how the Central African side is at a distinct disadvantage in these negotiations. PricewaterhouseCoopers, the consulting firm, has undertaken a sustainability impact assessment on EPA proposals. It concluded - perhaps euphemistically - that as countries like the DRC are still emerging from conflict, they are not in a strong negotiating position.
- The African Development Bank (ADB) has signed two agreements with the International Commission of the Congo-Oubangi-Sangha River Basin (CICOS) amounting to 2.44 million Euro from the African Water Facility to finance programmes aimed at improving the integrated management of Congo River Basin resources by nine African countries. Activities envisaged under the project include the construction of a hydrological station and related components within the basin and at a selected site, and creating the information management system within the CICOS secretariat.
June 13 2007
-Intermittent clashes and frequent attacks on civilians by armed groups have created a state of permanent displacement in Congo, an official of the UNHCR told IRIN. There are 1,2 million internally displaced people, mostly in the eastern region. "Each time there is a successful return of IDP's, there are new displacements because of conflicts elsewhere,"said Judy Cheng-Hopkins, UNHCR's assistant high commissioner for operations.
June 20 2007
-UN Security Council ambassadors called on DRC to work with neighbouring Rwanda to find a political solution to violence in its eastern border region. Fighting between Tutsi-dominated Congolese army-brigades and Rwandan Hutu rebels has led to targeted killing of civilians, rape and the displacement of more than 120 000 people in the Kivu's since January. The Security Council last month renewed its mandate of the 17 000-strong UN peacekeeping mission (MONUC) till Dec.31
July 4 2007
-A training programme for the FARDC (Congolese army) by MONUC began on July 2 2007 in the camps of Luberizi, Nyaleke and Rwampara in the Kivu's. Three battalions of the FARDC were presented to follow a twelve week cycle of instruction, which will be completed on September 22.Starting from this date, there will be five battalions simultaniously under instruction. The objective of this ambitious program, is to form 11 integrated FARDC brigades in order to increase their military capacities, in particular within the framework of joint operations with MONUC.
July 13 2007
-The increase in the copper cash price to about $ 8000/ton from less than $ 1500 in the past six years has spurred interest from global mining companies in Congo. South African Teal mining company, whose major shareholder is African Rainbow Minerals, is exploring round the open-pit mine at Lupoto in the Kalumines concession, which showed a resource of about 6,7 million tons at a grade of 3,13% copper. Concentrate will be sold to smelter operators in Congo. Teal said that these processing measures were sufficient to satisfy the Congolese government, which this year banned exports of unbeneficiated copper ore.
July 16 2007
-On July 12, the US government's Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is set to give its backing toe ming major Phelps Dodge for the company's Tenke Fungurume copper project in Kasanga. Other public lenders such as Export Development Canada and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are expected to follow suit. These financing plans are proceeding in spite of the fact that the Tenke deal is among the 60 contracts currently under review by the Congolese government. (message from Broederlijk Delen)
July 24 2007
-On Monday 23 July 2007, DRC deputies and senators met with civil society representatives to discuss the role that members of parliament must play in the control of Congo's mining resources. Francois Charlier, the UNDP-spokesman who officially launched the debate said: "The Congolese people have never benefited from the riches of the country. Its now time for its elected officials to play their part in order to have transparent management, an equitable redistribution and a durable exploitation of these riches." Senator Mabi said that of 207 mining companies in Katanga, only 20 are registered with the Ministry for the Economy, and only 6 publish their production. With regard to the hydrocarbon industry, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons general secretary Mr Luamba said that investment wise the DRC is behind the times, compared with neighbouring countries with which it shares land rich in oil and gas.
August 14 2007
-President Kabila in a meeting with the Uganda foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa said he regretted the recent border incidents with Uganda. Congolese troops shot dead a British oil worker near Rukwanzi Island on August 3, while unknown attackers raided a border town in Kanungu district six days later. Both countries will hold formal talks at the end of the month to maintain dialogue, while a permanent commission will look into the oil issue in Lake Albert which is shared by both countries.
August 28 2007
-Army chiefs of the countries under the Threepartite Plus Joint Commission are in Kigali for a two-day meeting. The countries are Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi en Congo. The US military Attaché Maj. Ronald Miller is assisting the meeting. In the previous meeting in April, Rwandan officials managed to get agreement giving Congo two month to crack down on a host of FDLR forces, Uganda militia groups and Burundian Hutu forces roaming free in the dense forest of its mineral-rich east.
September 3 2007
-Heavy fighting near Sake territory continues between Congolese regular forces and militants under the order of the pro-Rwandan dissident general Nkunda in North-Kivu. Fighting is also underway in the area of Ngungu, south of Sake. According to Congolese military sources, the fighting of the past days in Masisi area, more precisely in Katale, left 97 militants and three soldiers dead. The number of civilian casualties is unknown. Humanitarian sources indicate that between 15 000 and 20 000 people have fled the area of the fighting in the past hours, while reports arrive from Rutshuru area of wide looting by Nkunda's men.
September 4 2007
-"The recent meeting between Rwanda's foreign minister Charles Murigande and his DRC counterpart Mbusa Nyamwisi in Kinshasa on 3 September saw some agreement on strategies to minimise tension between the two countries, but did not achieve a breakthrough to deal with the rebellion in eastern Congo", Pr Biyoya of the Protestant University of Kinshasa said. The communiqué of the Rwandan and Congolese officials also set out the establishment of a tripartite commission (DRC, Rwanda, UNHCR) to organise the repatriation of Congolese refugees in Rwanda.
September 9 2007
-President Kabila and President Museveni have signed an agreement on 8 September in Arusha/Tanzania to reinforce bilateral cooperation on the domain of the security, diplomacy and economy.
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