bukavu

The Indian embassy in Kinshasa urged Indian nationals in bukavu to leave immediately due to the advancing M23 rebels, who have taken Goma and are nearing bukavu. With around 1,000 Indians in Congo, the embassy recommends an emergency plan and avoiding travel to bukavu, emphasizing the opening of commercial routes, airports, and borders.

bukavu, controlled by the M23, faces nightly killings and widespread fear as Congolese troops fled, leaving weapons accessible to criminals. The absence of courts and police exacerbates the situation, with residents resorting to self-defense measures. While the M23 struggles to maintain control and faces resistance, residents express weariness of constant conflict, caught between the M23 and pro-Kinshasa militias.

bukavu, controlled by the M23, faces nightly killings and widespread fear as Congolese troops fled, leaving weapons accessible to criminals and released prisoners. Residents organize self-defence measures amidst the absence of courts, prisons, and adequate policing. The M23 struggles to maintain control, balancing security with passive resistance from a population weary of constant conflict and opportunistic alliances.

Rwandan-backed M23 held its first public meeting in Goma since seizing the city, as they advanced towards bukavu. After capturing Goma, the M23 broke a ceasefire and took the South Kivu town of Nyabibwe. The conflict has killed at least 2,900 people, with fears of further escalation. The M23 is pushing towards Kavumu, the last barrier before bukavu, intensifying the regional conflict over mineral-rich areas.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have forcibly closed settlement camps in eastern Congo, displacing over 110,000 people amid ongoing conflict. Despite a ceasefire, fighting persists as the rebels advance, creating a worsening humanitarian crisis. Displaced families struggle to find shelter and aid as tensions escalate.

Amnesty International has accused the M23 rebels in eastern Congo of committing severe human rights abuses. These abuses include the killing, torturing, and forcibly disappearing of civilian detainees in rebel-controlled cities. The rights group documented these atrocities based on interviews with former detainees who described horrific conditions and violence, potentially amounting to war crimes.

Roots of rubia cordifolia popularly known as ‘manjishta’ are used as blood purifier, for treatment of tinnitus or vertigo in India. But in Central Africa, its leaves are used to treat erectile dysfunction, hepatic problems or hypotension.

NEW DELHI: With Congo still grappling with an ethnic civil war and fierce fighting among rival militias, India is now sending another IAF contingent in the central African nation.

Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou is set to portray the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege in biopic 'Panzi'.

Simon Basedeke, a pastor from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has a second god now.

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Ugandan troops have entered Bunia, a city in eastern Congo, to assist local forces in curbing violence by armed groups. The joint deployment follows rising ethnic-based violence in the region, particularly between the Lendu and Hema communities. Since 2021, Uganda has been active in Ituri province, targeting groups like the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The increased military presence raises concerns over the conflict's potential to expand amid ongoing regional tensions, including the control of key cities by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.

Representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have initialed a peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC -- a document to be formally signed on June 27, a joint statement said Wednesday. Rwanda had said last month that a definitive peace agreement to end the crisis with its neighbor would be signed in mid-June in Washington.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group have agreed to establish an international body to monitor their stalled ceasefire. Mediated by Qatar, the mechanism will investigate violations and involve representatives from the Congolese government, M23, and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. The US and African Union will observe the process.

Congo's government will engage in peace talks with the M23 rebel group in Angola, marking a shift from its previous refusal for direct negotiations. The conflict in mineral-rich eastern Congo has escalated significantly, causing massive displacement and humanitarian crises. Mediation efforts are ongoing amid international involvement.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's government and the M23 group on Wednesday issued a landmark joint statement saying they had agreed to halt fighting in the east of the country while they work towards a permanent truce. Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari on Thursday welcomed the joint statement by the DRC government and M23.