DISPATCHES Vol 63 No 19 | UGANDACONGO-KINSHASA Kampala pays war reparations to Kinshasa 13th September 2022 In his eagerness to woo Tshisekedi, Museveni makes a down payment on disputed debt Uganda's move to pay the first US$65 million installment towards its $325m reparations bill to Congo-Kinshasa, despite describing the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision to award... READ FOR FREE
Vol 63 No 16 | CONGO-KINSHASA Once silenced, twice shy 4th August 2022 Russia and China froze the UN Group of Experts on Congo for five months—now the group is far warier of criticising China Russia and China, increasingly intolerant of criticism of their nationals in United Nations reports, froze the work of several UN Groups of Experts during 2021 and 2022. The...
Vol 63 No 15 | GUINEACONGO-KINSHASACHINA Beijing recalibrates its contracts 21st July 2022 Chinese mining companies are under growing pressure in Africa, as they face fresh demands from governments over payments and infrastructure related to globally strategic operations. Disputes in Guinea...
Vol 63 No 14 | CONGO-KINSHASA Tshisekedi calls out Kagame on the M23 militia 7th July 2022 The long-running militia rivalries and accusations of foreign depredations in eastern Congo have flared again with dangerous consequences for the region Trust between the Congolese and Rwandan Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame has slumped to its lowest ebb for three years. Tshisekedi accuses Kagame of backing the M23... READ FOR FREE
Vol 63 No 14 | CONGO-KINSHASABRITAIN ENRC tests Serious Fraud Office 7th July 2022 A slew of court cases by Kazakh-owned Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation, aimed at stymying a bribery investigation, may be running out of steam. Now the critical question is...
Vol 63 No 10 | KENYARWANDAUGANDACONGO-KINSHASA Kenya sponsors risky anti-militia plan 12th May 2022 Nairobi has assembled regional states to fight Congolese armed groups, but they include the very countries the groups depend on for aid An agreement by regional governments to form a joint military force to deploy against armed groups in Congo-Kinshasa looks like a diplomatic masterstroke by Kenya, which is coordinating...
Vol 63 No 10 | SOUTH AFRICACONGO-KINSHASA Conglomerates race for cobalt 12th May 2022 Two of South Africa's leading mining companies – Anglo American and African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) – are scrambling for mining rights in Congo-Kinshasa. They are concentrating efforts on...
Vol 63 No 6 | CONGO-KINSHASA Tshisekedi helps Gertler in fight with US 17th March 2022 An accord with Kinshasa allows the sanctioned businessman to control cash from what Washington officials label as 'opaque and corrupt' deals In a dramatic about-turn, President Félix Tshisekedi is offering to help one of his predecessor's closest business allies currently under United States sanctions for obtaining assets in Congo-Kinshasa...
Vol 63 No 6 | CONGO-KINSHASA President Tshisekedi cuts a deal with Dan Gertler 4th March 2022 A pact to take back tainted mining assets could be part of wider damage-limitation by a notorious fixer and his partners A multi-billion dollar corruption scandal over some of the world's most prized copper and cobalt mines is heading towards dénouement, after Congolese authorities signed what they called 'a...
Vol 63 No 5 | CONGO-KINSHASA Spymaster's arrest heralds purge 24th February 2022 President Tshisekedi's move against his intelligence chief François Beya was about consolidating power, not thwarting a coup plot Three weeks after President Félix Tshisekedi ordered the arrest of his senior security advisor François Beya for plotting a coup, a shroud of silence still surrounds the affair....