Africa

New front in US-China rivalry opens, this time in Congo’s copper and cobalt mining heartland

DRC has offered US access to its vast mineral wealth as part of a broader plan to end violence in the country’s east, where fighting has intensified this year after the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group seized strategic cities

Landslide in North Africa's Algeria kills 4, injures 13 others

Authorities did not comment on the reasons behind the landslide, which the interior ministry said "caused the collapse of five tin houses"

Trump calls for 'free' transit for US ships through Panama, Suez canals

Trump has for months been calling for the United States to take control of the Panama Canal but his social media post also shifted focus onto the vital Suez route

Congo suspends former President Kabila’s party, orders asset seizure over alleged M23 rebel links

Democratic Republic of Congo suspended former President Joseph Kabila's political party and ordered his assets seized over accusations of supporting Rwandanbacked rebels in the east, the government said.

China calls for peace amid DRC insurgency – but only to protect its billions invested in mining

China is thought to be especially concerned about instability in South Kivu, where many Chinese-linked mining operations— including illegal ones— are reported to operate.

Opposition figures in Tunisia sentenced up to 66 years in prison in historic mass trial

Activists called the case baseless and politically motivated. Tunisian President Kais Saied has rolled back many freedoms the North African country gained after spawning the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings in 2011

Death toll in DR Congo boat fire rises to 143 as search for dozens continues

Hundreds of passengers were crowded onto a wooden boat on the Congo River in northwest DRC on Tuesday when the blaze broke out

Qatar could invest $7.5 bn in Egypt which once accused Doha of sponsoring terrorism

The prospective deal comes as Egypt continues to seek financial lifelines to bolster its economy, which has been strained by inflation, a plunging pound, and a persistent shortage of hard currency

Sudan civil war: Leaked UN report points to possible arms flights from UAE, raises concern over support for RSF

The leaked UN report identifies what it calls a "consistent pattern of Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo flights originating from the United Arab Emirates" and landing in Chad. From there, the experts said, at least three overland routes could be used to move weapons into Sudan

Hopeless, surviving by begging’: Civil war in Ethiopia ended in 2022 but many disabled still without care

War atrocities in Ethiopia have left hundreds of former combatants and civilian victims without proper healthcare. Many injured and disabled veterans are still without care