July 17, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Goma's Infectious Happiness Goes Viral
Goma: Last month, a rare thing happened. A video made in the town of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) went viral. Moreover, featuring musicians, dancers,… Read more »
June 23, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Eastern DRC - Stop Fixating On Conflict Minerals
The Dodd-Frank act has not only had limited effect on militant groups, it has also undermined artisanal miners' livelihoods and local economies. Read more »
May 22, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Beware the Fetish
The new album by the Kinshasa-based collective, Kasai Allstars, descends into a fantastical world of heart-thumping, drum-whacking frenzy. Read more »
May 19, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: The Little Art House in Eastern Congo
In the midst of regional uncertainty, Mapendo Sumuni's colourful store in Goma is giving Congolese artists reason to celebrate and express themselves. Read more »
April 23, 2014
Rwanda: Kagame Hints at 2017 Election Run
At a recent event, Rwanda's president Paul Kagame suggested he might change the constitution to allow him to run for a third term in 2017. Read more »
March 28, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Extraordinary Tales of Everyday Lives in the Congo
David Van Reybrouck's epic history of the Congo brings to life and honours the heroic lives of ordinary people as well as the extraordinary lives of the country's heroes. Read more »
March 11, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Anti-Gay Law for Congo Now?
A Congolese MP is leading the latest bid to criminalise homosexuality, but he will have to deal with a counter-campaign by LGBT activists and health workers if he is to be… Read more »
March 07, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Militia Leader's ICC Conviction Is Small Step Towards Justice
The ICC has found Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga guilty of war crimes but acquitted him on charges of sexual violence and of using child soldiers. Read more »
March 03, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: The Amani Festival Shows Off Goma's Fun Side
The vibrant Amani Festival demonstrated how Goma is not only the epicentre of various conflicts, but a place where Congolese and their neighbours can unite in joy and hope. Read more »
February 24, 2014
Congo-Kinshasa: Katanga On a Knife Edge
With the secessionist group Bakata Katanga agitating for independence and Kabila's support in the province waning, Katanga looks precariously balanced. Read more »
November 06, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Kinshasa Faces More Rebels, Continued Grievances
Though the M23 has been defeated, underlying grievances remain, while the dozens more rebel groups in the region may prove harder to uproot. Read more »
October 28, 2013
Africa: Weekly Newsletter 28 October 2013
Dear Reader, Read more »
October 23, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Rebels Engage in Local Politics
While peace talks stretch on in Kampala, the M23 is teaching hundreds of new officials about Che Guevara, Gandhi and how to get ahead in regional governance. Read more »
October 18, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Blue Helmet Blues - UN Force in the Congo Take Two
The UN's Force Intervention Brigade has been heralded as breaking new peacekeeping territory, but this isn't the first time the UN has taken the fight to Congolese rebels. Read more »
October 03, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: How China Learnt Corruption From the West
To single out Chinese companies for entering into shady business in the DRC is to miss a fundamental point: Western firms have been at it for centuries, and still are. Read more »
September 24, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Activists Call for Change to Oil Bill
Oil legislation proposed in Democratic Republic of Congo could facilitate future corruption and lead to environmental damage in one of Africa's most diverse and fragile national… Read more »
August 29, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Living With the M23
In the crucible of conflict and instability that is the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it is often hard to unpick the countless grievances, ideologies and interests. Read more »
August 22, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: How 'Shout-Outs' Keep Congolese Rumba Fighting Fit
When times are tight for Congolese musicians, it helps to drop the names of wealthy businessmen or dignitaries into your songs...for a small fee of course. Read more »
August 21, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Cracking Down On Hooking Up - DRC, LGBT, PDA
When it comes to hooking up in Kinshasa, public spaces are often the only option for young Kinois. Read more »
July 19, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Civilians Hostile to UN Peacekeepers
With fighting between the Congolese army and M23 heating up, the Goma rumour mill is causing trouble for the UN and President Kabila. Read more »
July 17, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Who Are the Raïa Mutomboki?
Amidst the clashes between local Congolese militia that have been increasing in frequency the past weeks, the group called the 'Raïa Mutomboki' keeps being mentioned. Read more »
July 11, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Violence Grows in Little-Reported Area
Violence is on the rise in little-reported on Beni, as armed men compete amidst claims that a militant group has links to Somalia's al-Shabaab. Read more »
April 25, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Taking the Fight to the DRC Rebels
At the end of March, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 2098. This not only extended the mandate of MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping force in the… Read more »
April 16, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: "Governance By Substitution" in the DRC
The attack on the DRC's second largest city by 440 Mai-Mai fighters is a further indication of the Kabila government's inability to govern and enact reforms. Read more »
March 11, 2013
Congo-Kinshasa: Will the Regional Peace Deal Bring Stability?
A new peace framework could bolster MONUSCO, push Congolese reforms and enhance cross-border cooperation. But while positive, these steps are not enough. Read more »