The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Congo

  • Congo cancel Rohr’s Benin with solitary winner

    Congo cancel Rohr’s Benin with solitary winner

    The Democratic Republic of Congo got their Africa Cup of Nations finals campaign off to a winning start with a dominant performance against Benin, although they only won Group D’s opening game 1-0.

    Theo Bongonda netted the goal in the 16th  minute, letting a long pass from defence bounce and reacting quickest as the Benin defence hesitated to volley the ball into the net.

    He might have had a second 13 minutes later, side-footing towards the corner of the net but seeing his goal-bound effort blocked by defender Olivier Verdon.

    The Congolese, twice continental champions, did have the ball in the net two minutes into the second half as Cedric Bakambu easily headed home a pinpoint cross from Nathanael Mbuku, but after a lengthy VAR check it was ruled offside.

    Bakambu also had a breakaway opportunity midway through the second half after a clever pull-down and burst through the middle but saw his effort deflected away for a corner.

    Benin under  former Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr,  won a free kick in the 67th  minute that Tamimou Ouorou blasted off target but spent most of the match defending before a breakaway in the last minute saw Aiyegun Tosin a whisker away from the equaliser as Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi managed to keep the ball out.

    Read Also: NFF  suspends many referees to protect game integrity

    Benin are making their fifth appearance at the finals, but are still to win a match with five draws and 10 defeats since their 2004 debut.

    The Congolese come into the Cup of Nations on the back of having won Africa’s World Cup playoffs in Morocco last month, earning a place in March’s inter-confederation playoff in Mexico, where they will need to beat Jamaica or New Caledonia to qualify for the World Cup.

    Cup of Nations action continues on Tuesday with Senegal taking on Botswana in Tangier in the second Group D clash, followed by Group C fixtures between Nigeria and Tanzania in Fes and Tunisia and Uganda in Rabat.

    Groups E and F get underway today  before a break for all the Cup of Nations squads on Christmas Day.

  • M23 ‘captures hundreds of Burundi soldiers captured in latest Congo offensive

    M23 ‘captures hundreds of Burundi soldiers captured in latest Congo offensive

    The Rwanda-backed M23 group has captured hundreds of Burundian soldiers during its latest offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a rebel official said, as clashes continued despite a warning from the Trump administration.

    Last week, M23 entered the strategic town of Uvira near the border with Burundi, less than a week after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda met in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump and affirmed their commitment to a peace deal known as the Washington Accords.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Rwanda’s actions in eastern Congo violated the Washington Accords and vowed to “take action to ensure promises made to the President are kept”.

    Rwanda denies supporting M23 and has blamed Congolese and Burundian forces for the renewed fighting. A United Nations group of experts report published in July said Rwanda exercised command and control over the rebels.

    “We have several hundred Burundian soldiers with us whom we captured during combat, and we intend to return them home,” Patrick Busu Bwa Ngwi, the M23-appointed governor of South Kivu province, told a press conference on Saturday.

    Busu Bwa Ngwi said Burundi should send an official request for their return, and that M23 wants all Burundian forces “to leave our territory and return home in peace.”

    There was no immediate response on Monday from Burundi, which has had troops in eastern Congo for years.

    A suspected Burundian military vehicle destroyed during renewed clashes between Alliance Fleuve Congo AFC/M23 and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), sits along the National Road No. 5 in Luvungi, a settlement north of Uvira; South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo December 13, 2025…. Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read more

    M23 staged a lightning offensive in January, quickly seizing eastern Congo’s two biggest cities in fighting that has killed thousands of people while displacing hundreds of thousands more.

    The insurgents have since worked to establish a parallel administration in the east, potentially setting the vast Central African country up for an enduring fracture.

    Congo is rich in minerals, supplying about 70% of the world’s cobalt as well as significant volumes of tin, tantalum and tungsten.

    The Trump administration hopes that an eventual peace deal could clear the way for significant Western investments in mining in eastern Congo.

    Busu Bwa Ngwi, the M23-appointed South Kivu governor, said on Saturday the rebels would not hesitate to push south to Katanga province, which has heavy cobalt and copper deposits, in order to stop alleged abuses of civilians by Congolese forces.

    A local official appointed by the government in Kinshasa told Reuters on Monday that Congo’s military and allied forces had withdrawn from Makobola, 12 km south of Uvira, and were reorganising to try to take back lost territory. A source within M23 told Reuters that the rebels were in Makobola.

    Global charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) said on Friday it was suspending activities in Baraka, about 100 km south of Uvira, “in response to escalating violence and threats posed by the conflict”.

  • Congo becomes first nation to arrive Nigeria for 3rd African U18/U20 Athletics Championships

    Congo becomes first nation to arrive Nigeria for 3rd African U18/U20 Athletics Championships

    With just four days to go, the much-anticipated 3rd African U18/U20 Athletics Championships kicked off its arrivals phase on Saturday with the warm reception of the first batch of athletes at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The early morning flight brought in athletes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, making them the first international contingent to arrive for the continental event scheduled to take place in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    Led by Head of Protocol Arabirin Aderonke, the Local Organising Committee’s (LOC) protocol team welcomed the Congolese delegation with smiles, Nigerian hospitality, and smooth coordination through arrival procedures.

    “We are excited to receive the first set of athletes arriving for the championship,” Aderonke said. “This marks the beginning of what promises to be a historic and memorable competition. Our protocol teams are fully mobilized at the airports to ensure a smooth experience for all arriving delegations, as the National Sports Commission had demanded excellence from every subcommittee in the LOC.”

    Read Also: Congo to resume World Cup qualifiers after missing their matches

    The update was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by Kola Daniel, Special Assistant on Media to the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

    The African U18/U20 Athletics Championships, scheduled for July 16 to 20 at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta, will feature elite young athletes from over 40 African nations competing for continental honours.

  • M23 rebels withdraw from peace talks with Congo over sanctions

    M23 rebels withdraw from peace talks with Congo over sanctions

    The Rwanda-backed rebels who captured key areas of Congo’s mineral-rich east said yesterday they were withdrawing from peace talks this week with the Congolese government, saying that international sanctions on the group’s members have undermined such dialogue.

    The talks scheduled to start in the Angolan capital, Luanda, today “have become impracticable” as a result of the sanctions announced by the European Union against some of its members yesterday, M23 rebel group’s spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement. Alleged offensives still being carried out in the conflict-hit region by Congo’s military also undermine the talks, he said.

     “Consequently, our organisation can no longer continue to participate in the discussions,” he added.

    Congo’s government, after initially rejecting such talks, said yesterday that it would participate in the dialogue in Angola. A delegation representing Congo has already traveled to Luanda for the talks, Tina Salama, the spokesperson for President Felix Tshisekedi, told The Associated Press. Tshisekedi had earlier refused direct negotiations with the rebels.

    Read Also: Seyi Tinubu hails father as Nigeria’s greatest president 

    M23 also initially had sent a delegation to Luanda, the group’s spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on the X platform yesterday.

    The conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January when the Rwanda-backed rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by Bukavu in February.

    Angola, which has acted as a mediator in the conflict, announced last week that it would host direct peace negotiations between Congo and M23 today.

  • CHAN 2024: Nigeria  to face Senegal , Congo, Sudan in tricky Group D

    CHAN 2024: Nigeria  to face Senegal , Congo, Sudan in tricky Group D

    The Super Eagles bid  to  claim  their first  African Nations Championship (CHAN) title  in August  has been well cut out after  being drawn in a tricky Group  D along with defending champions Senegal as well as battle-hardened Congo  and  Sudan .

    Final Draw for the  8th edition of the  competition  for national teams made up of home-based players only was held yesterday  mid pomp  and ceremony at the Kenyatta International Conventional Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.

    Earlier billed to be held  in Kenya , Tanzania and Uganda   next month, the Confederation of African Football  (CAF) on Tuesday announced  the postponement  of the  tournament till August  citing ‘uncompleted facilities’

    But the Final Draw  was conducted  by CAF Director of Competitions, Nigeria’s Samson Adamu who was assisted  with three East African legends  including  Kenya’s McDonald Mariga, Tanzania’s Mrisho Ngasa, and Uganda’s Hassan Wasswa.

    2018 silver-medallists Nigeria will be up against Senegal, Sudan and the Republic of Congo in group D .

    Joint-hosts Kenya head group A that also includes Morocco, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

    Read Also: GTI salutes  NFF, Lookman, others on CAF Awards

    Kenya and 2018 winners Morocco will clash in the opening match of the tournament.

    Tanzania, another joint-host, head group B, and will confront Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Central African Republic – conquerors of Cameroon. All five will fight for two slots in the knockout rounds.

    Uganda, the third joint-hosts, will battle Niger Republic, Guinea and two wild card holders to be determined by the Confederation of African Football, in group C.

    CHAN 2024: GROUPINGS

    Group A: Kenya, Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, Zambia

    Group B: Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic

    Group C: Uganda, Niger, Guinea, Q2, Q1,

    Group D: Senegal, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria,

  • FIFA sanction Congo no-show in World Cup qualifier

    FIFA sanction Congo no-show in World Cup qualifier

    FIFA has awarded Niger a win and the full three points in a 2026 World Cup soccer qualifier with Congo that was postponed this month, the world governing body has said.

    Congo had refused to travel to Kinshasa, capital of neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, for their home game after their stadium in Brazzaville was deemed not to have met hosting requirements.

    Niger did travel, and were awarded the game 3-0, which leaves them second in Group E on six points, three behind leaders Morocco. Congo are stuck on zero points from their three matches.

    Only the top team in each of the nine pools is guaranteed a place at the expanded World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

    Read Also: JUST IN: DR Congo Army foils ‘coup attempt’

    “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to declare the match lost by forfeit 3-0 by the representative team of Congo,” FIFA said in a statement.

    It said the Alphonse Massemba-Debat Stadium in Brazzaville could not have been used until renovations, including the laying of a new pitch, were completed.

    Congolese Sports Minister Hughes Nguilondile declared the stadium ready in late May, but it was deemed too late to move the fixture. FIFA ordered it to go ahead in Kinshasa as originally planned, leading to Congo’s withdrawal in protest.

  • 60 killed in Congo terrorist attacks

    60 killed in Congo terrorist attacks

    About 60 people have been killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo during several attacks by an affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group, authorities said on Saturday.

    The attacks took place in Béni, a territory in the province of North Kivu.

    “This week alone, they killed 29 civilians on Tuesday in Mamove and then Friday executed 28 other civilians near Masau,” said Kambale Gerve, a civil society leader in Beni said.

    A Red Cross source in Kinshasa said that “around 60 bodies have been taken in, while others are lying on the ground in areas that are still unsafe.”

    Read Also: Nigeria’s opposition lawmakers condemn failed coup attempt in Congo, demand punishment

    From its propaganda channels, the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) claimed the death of more than 60 “Christians.”

    The Islamists released shocking videos and photos of bound bodies of victims floating on the Loulo River in Béni territory.

    Gerve said the attacks were carried out by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels.

    The ADF, a Ugandan rebel group, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019.

  • Nigeria’s opposition lawmakers condemn failed coup attempt in Congo, demand punishment

    Nigeria’s opposition lawmakers condemn failed coup attempt in Congo, demand punishment

    Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers known as G60 have condemned the failed coup attempt in DR Congo, calling for prosecution of perpetrators.

    The DR Congo military on Sunday thwarted an attempted coup near the offices of President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa involving “foreigners and Congolese,” the army spokesperson said.

    The coup bid took place in the early hours outside the residence of Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe, in the Gombe area in the north of the capital, near President’s offices at the Palais de la Nation.

    “An attempted coup d’etat has been stopped by the defence and security forces,” said General Sylvain Ekenge in a message broadcast on national television. He added that the “foreigners and Congolese.… including their leader” would “all no longer cause any harm”.

    The Nigerian G60 lawmakers in a statement by their spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, frowned at the attempt to remove a democratically elected President, saying that the opposition lawmakers are troubled by the prevalence of coups on democratic institutions in Africa.

    Stating that assault on democracy must stop, the Nigerian federal lawmakers called for prosecution of the culprits and commended the army for the swift intervention.

    Read Also: DR Congo army thwarts attempted coup

    The statement reads: “We are troubled by the increasing prevalence of coups on democratic institutions in Africa. We condemn in strong terms the failed coup attempt in DR Congo and we believe that their government will ensure that those that undermine the principles and institutions of democracy and erode the rights and freedoms of citizens are punished.

    “The insecurity situation in some regions in the continent is being exploited to topple democratic rule, and we implore all stakeholders to work together to confront and defeat this dangerous trend. We call on all parties to prioritize citizens’ safety and security and seek peaceful and democratic solutions to the challenges facing the region.”

  • 30 drown, 167 missing in Congo boat accident

    30 drown, 167 missing in Congo boat accident

    No fewer than 30 people have drowned and 167 are missing after a boat capsized on the Congo River at the weekend in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Didier Mbula, provincial health minister for Equateur Province, said that 189 people have been rescued and that the search is still going on.

    Read Also: Suspected ritualists kill 10-year-old girl in Bauchi

    “According to the numbers we have so far at the provincial government, 30 corpses have been recovered, 167 are still missing,” Mbula said yesterday.

    Deadly boat accidents are frequent in Congolese waters, where vessels are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity. The country has few tarred roads across its vast, forested territory, and travel by river is common.

    The locally made boat that capsized near the town of Mbandaka was overloaded, carrying more than 300 people, and it was sailing at night, Mbula said.

    “We think that the toll could climb because we have just removed the 30th corpse,” he said.

  • Buhari congratulates Tshisekedi of DRC over election, inauguration

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the newly elected President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on his victory and inauguration.

    The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, also commended the Government and people of DRC for their determination and commitment to democratic principles, which resulted in the first peaceful transfer of democratic power since independence in 1960.

    The Nigerian leader and ECOWAS Chairman, also saluted the Congolese people for peacefully exercising their franchise during the national elections in their country.

    Read Also: Buhari unveils CBN project at UNEC

    Following the affirmation of President Tshisekedi’s victory at the December 30, 2018 polls, by the Constitutional Court of the country, President Buhari urged all Congolese, especially political stakeholders to rally behind the new leader and support his vision to build ‘‘a modern, peaceful, democratic State for every citizen,’’ as succinctly expressed in his inauguration speech on Thursday.

    Recognizing the important role played by former President Joseph Kabila in the historic electoral process and transition, President Buhari assured the new Congolese leader of Nigeria’s readiness to work with his government to consolidate peace, stability, reconciliation and development in the Central African country.