Wheels and deals in dusty Bukavu
The well-heeled flock to a marble-clad hotel in a city renowned as a smuggling hub for gold.
Gregory Mthembu Salter
Augustin Kayembe: The king of the African club scene
Augustin Kayembe not only knows where are the best places to party around Africa – but he owns them too.
M23 puts pressure on Kabila
Even if the M23 rebels leave Goma, as promised, their invasion is a threat to President Joseph Kabila.
Mining: Golden age of conflict and crime
Illegal activities related to mining in the DRC have underscored the urgent need for a truly democratic government, writes Gregory Mthembu-Salter.
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Detentions threaten Burundi peace
The independent Burundian human rights organisation Iteka reported earlier this week that 20 people suspected of belonging to the rebel group Parti pour la libération du peuple Hutu-Forces nationales pour la libération (Palipehutu-FNL) had been arrested and are being detained by security police. One woman detainee was said to have been tortured and to be in a critical condition.
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The Great Lakes explained
As the South African government, after deploying so many troops there has discovered, Africa’s Great Lakes region is a complex place. Yet it is a region outsiders have consistently interpreted through fallacious simplification, and myths dressed up as history. Gregory Mthembu-Salter welcomes an insightful historical tome.
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Congo peace: So far, so good
A little more than 60 days into the implementation of a South Africa-brokered peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, the signs are good. In the agreement the Rwandan government said it would pull all its troops out of the Congo within 90 days.
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Angola is kingmaker in Kinshasa
Allies of slain president Laurent Desiré Kabila have beefed up their military presence in war-torn Congo.
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Make or break for Congo’s new Kabila
The main players in Congo’s conflict are waiting to see whether interim president Joseph Kabila is a man of war or peace.