Category Archives: República Democrática do Congo

DR Congo announces end of Ebola outbreak

África, República Democrática do Congo

Via: RFI

The Ebola outbreak, the DRC’s 12th since the disease was first identified in 1976, was rolled back thanks to a campaign to vaccinate hundreds of people, according to the new health minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani. The latest outbreak of the disease was first detected on 7 February in the eastern province of North Kivu, where a 22-month epidemic ended last June, leaving a death toll of 2,287, the worst in the DRC’s history. Mbungani urged the population to remain vigilant, and said surveillance teams will continue to work with the local health authorities to identify any further cases.

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DR Congo parliament votes to remove Prime Minister Ilunga

África, Crise Política, República Democrática do Congo

Via: Aljazeera

Legislators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have voted to remove Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, collapsing the government and handing President Felix Tshisekedi a chance to appoint loyalists to key ministries. Wednesday’s (27/01) vote marks the latest episode in a power struggle that has roiled sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest nation for months, pitching Tshisekedi against loyalists to former president Joseph Kabila, who ruled the DRC for 18 years. Last month Tshisekedi moved to end a coalition formed with Kabila that has constrained his authority since he took office in January 2019. This culminated in Wednesday’s no-confidence vote against the prime minister, one of the last vestiges of Kabila’s hold on government. It passed with 367 of 377 votes. Under the DRC’s constitution, parliamentary censure requires the prime minister to step down within 24 hours.

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DRC moves to monopolise about 25 percent of all cobalt exports

África, Economia, RDC, República Democrática do Congo

Via: Aljazeera

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s biggest producer of cobalt, created a state monopoly that will buy all output not extracted by industrial operators in a bid to exert more control over the price of the key ingredient in rechargeable batteries. The central African nation dominates output of the metal, accounting for more than 70% of the global market in 2018. While most Congolese cobalt comes from large, mechanized mines operated by companies including Glencore Plc, artisanal miners can account for as much as a quarter of the nation’s output.

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