Explore new Group Finance vacancies at the City of Johannesburg. Apply online for Deputy Director & Director roles before 8 July 2025. Jobs in finance management SA. Employer: City of Johannesburg Department: Group Finance Location: Thuso House, Braamfontein, Johannesburg Closing Date: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 📌 Available Positions 🔷 1. Deputy Director: Logistics and Outbound 💼 Salary: R60,978.62 per month (basic, excluding benefits) 🎓 Requirements: 4-year Professional Degree / B Tech / 3-year Degree (NQF 7) 7–9 years’ total experience with 4 years at middle management level🛠 Key Duties: Manage logistics, outbound, and MIS processes for credit management Continue Reading Full Article JOB & OPPORTUNITY Apply for New Job: Group Finance Vacancies, City of Johannesburg Explore new Group Finance vacancies at the City of Johannesburg. Apply online for Deputy Director & Director roles before 8 July 2025. Jobs in finance management SA. June 28, 2025 at 2:27:30 AM August 23, 2026 at 4:24:13 PM 🕒 3 min read By Wilson Munezero Government Services & Opportunities Expert Wilson Munezero Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link Explore new Group Finance vacancies at the City of Johannesburg. Apply online for Deputy Director & Director roles before 8 July 2025. Jobs in finance management SA. Employer: City of Johannesburg Department: Group Finance Location: Thuso House, Braamfontein, Johannesburg Closing Date: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 📌 Available Positions 🔷 1. Deputy Director: Logistics and Outbound 💼 Salary: R60,978.62 per month (basic, excluding benefits) 🎓 Requirements: ADVERTISEMENT 4-year Professional Degree / B Tech / 3-year Degree (NQF 7) 7–9 years’ total experience with 4 years at middle management level🛠 Key Duties: Manage logistics, outbound, and MIS processes for credit management Develop and implement credit management strategies Optimise resources, manage teams, and ensure compliance 👉 Apply Online: Deputy Director: Logistics and Outbound Application 🔷 2. Deputy Director: Staff and Government Accounts 💼 Salary: R60,978.62 per month (basic, excluding benefits) 🎓 Requirements: Grade 12 plus a relevant 3-year Degree (NQF 7) 7–9 years’ experience, with at least 4 years in middle management🛠 Key Duties: Lead staff and government account credit management Policy development, performance management, and financial oversight 👉 Apply Online: Deputy Director: Staff and Government Accounts Application 🔷 3. Director: Credit Management 💼 Salary: R75,599.04 per month (basic, excluding benefits) 🎓 Requirements: TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY How to Register for DDD Webinars Online in South Africa . How to Apply Online for Building Plans and Land Use in Cape Town . Job & Opportunity Apply for New Job: Group Finance Vacancies, City of Johannesburg . Job & Opportunity Apply for Operational Manager Clinics–Johannesburg Health Vacancy . Job & Opportunity New Job Opportunity: Director – Executive Support (POEM) . ADVERTISEMENT Degree in Business Management/Credit Management/Financial Accounting plus a postgraduate qualification (NQF 8) 10 years’ financial and management experience in revenue management, including HR management, internal controls, and reporting🛠 Key Duties: Design, implement, and manage policies for RSSC’s Credit Management Oversee operations, reporting, staff performance, and compliance 👉 Apply Online: Director: Credit Management Application ✅ Why Join the City of Johannesburg? Working in the Group Finance team means shaping the city’s financial future, driving effective revenue management, and contributing to Johannesburg’s service delivery goals. 📧 How to Apply Complete the online job application form via the links above. Attach certified qualifications, certificates, ID, and a detailed CV. Note: Only online applications will be considered. Use Google Chrome for the best compatibility. 🙌 Employment Equity The City of Johannesburg is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from previously disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities. Appointments will align with the Employment Equity Plan. ADVERTISEMENT ⏰ Deadline: Tuesday, 8 July 2025 If you do not hear back within six weeks after the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful. 🔗 Source: City of Johannesburg Official Vacancies – Group Finance, Circular 076/2025 💡 Tip: Always customise your CV to highlight relevant experience matching each role’s requirements to increase your chances of success. ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE How to Register for DDD Webinars Online in South Africa Learn how to register for DDD webinars online in South Africa. Step-by-step e-service guide . How to Apply Online for Building Plans and Land Use in Cape Town Learn how to register and apply for building plans on Cape Town's e-Service . Job & Opportunity Apply for New Job: Group Finance Vacancies, City of Johannesburg Explore new Group Finance vacancies at the City of Johannesburg. Apply online . Job & Opportunity Apply for Operational Manager Clinics–Johannesburg Health Vacancy New Job Opportunity: Operational Manager – Clinics (Health Department, Johannesburg) . Tags Gov Services Gov Services South Africa Gov Services South Africa Gov Services Vacancies in South Africa Vacancies in South Africa opportunity opportunity South Africans Students Portal South Africans Students Portal

In a groundbreaking move, Africa's wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote, is reportedly setting the stage for a novel oil trading division, potentially based in London, to support his forthcoming refinery project in Nigeria, according to individuals familiar with the matter. This strategic initiative is set to challenge the conventional interactions with leading global traders who have been involved in lengthy negotiations, offering financial and crude oil support to Dangote's refinery in exchange for access to its products. The anticipation is growing among traders as Dangote's massive 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery is expected to significantly impact the global oil and fuel markets. Sources indicate that Dangote is inclined towards a more autonomous approach, with plans to appoint Radha Mohan, a former Essar trading expert, to lead this new venture, as his recent role as director of international supply and trading at Dangote Group since 2021 suggests. The team is actively seeking to expand by recruiting skilled traders. Despite the refinery's construction phase, which lasted nearly a decade and exceeded the budget by $6 billion, totaling $20 billion, the facility has started operations, processing about 8 million barrels in its first two months. However, reaching its full operational capacity is expected to take additional time. To facilitate the refinery's crude oil acquisition, it's reported that Vitol has made upfront payments for certain product shipments, while Trafigura has engaged in crude oil swaps for future fuel cargoes. Both Vitol and Trafigura, based in Geneva, have remained silent on the matter. Continue Reading Full Article March 7, 2024 at 2:53:09 AM May 15, 2026 at 3:03:26 PM 🕒 2 min read By Author Name Author Name Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link Aliko Dangote's Visionary Leap into Global Oil Trading In a groundbreaking move, Africa's wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote, is reportedly setting the stage for a novel oil trading division, potentially based in London, to support his forthcoming refinery project in Nigeria, according to individuals familiar with the matter. This strategic initiative is set to challenge the conventional interactions with leading global traders who have been involved in lengthy negotiations, offering financial and crude oil support to Dangote's refinery in exchange for access to its products. The anticipation is growing among traders as Dangote's massive 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery is expected to significantly impact the global oil and fuel markets. ADVERTISEMENT Sources indicate that Dangote is inclined towards a more autonomous approach, with plans to appoint Radha Mohan, a former Essar trading expert, to lead this new venture, as his recent role as director of international supply and trading at Dangote Group since 2021 suggests. The team is actively seeking to expand by recruiting skilled traders. Despite the refinery's construction phase, which lasted nearly a decade and exceeded the budget by $6 billion, totaling $20 billion, the facility has started operations, processing about 8 million barrels in its first two months. However, reaching its full operational capacity is expected to take additional time. To facilitate the refinery's crude oil acquisition, it's reported that Vitol has made upfront payments for certain product shipments, while Trafigura has engaged in crude oil swaps for future fuel cargoes. Both Vitol and Trafigura, based in Geneva, have remained silent on the matter. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Tags

For the first time, women hold nearly one‑third of DRC government posts. This article celebrates Judith Suminwa and Tshisekedi’s reforms, & inclusive leadership. A historic breakthrough For the first time in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s history, women now hold almost 32 % of government positions. The cabinet reshuffle of 7 August 2025 produced a slimmed down team of 53 members in which 17 women serve alongside Prime Minister Judith Suminwa In comparison, the May 2024 government had 18 women out of 55 members (32.7 %) while the Sacred Union government of 2021 had only 27 % women This steady climb from 17 % in 2019 to one third today signals a cultural shift: women are no longer token appointments; they are central to policymaking. Globally, the DRC is outpacing many nations. UN Women’s Facts and Figures report shows that women represent only 22.9 % of cabinet ministers worldwide, and just 18 countries have a woman head of state, while 20 have a woman head of government. Women account for 27.2 % of parliamentarians. The DRC’s 32 % female cabinet therefore sits above the global average and close to parity targets set by the African Union. The August 2025 reshuffle: a government led by women President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, re-elected in December 2023, chose to retain Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, the country’s first woman premier, and to deepen gender inclusion across key ministries. Suminwa, an economist and former planning minister, acknowledged the enormity of her task during her inaugural press conference: “I know the task is big and the challenge immense. But together, with the head of state, support from the government and all institutions, and that of the Congolese population, we will make it. In a national address, she also pledged to “work for peace and the development of the country”. The new cabinet breaks with past gendered stereotypes. Women now head portfolios well beyond traditional social sectors. Thérèse Wagner leads Foreign Affairs, confronting regional security challenges and asserting Congo’s sovereignty; at the UN Security Council she denounced Rwanda’s incursion into eastern Congo as a “declaration of war” and an “open violation of national sovereignty” Ève Bazaiba continues at Social Affairs, while Acacia Bandubola oversees Hydrocarbons, a sector central to economic diversification. The state minister for National Education and New Citizenship, Raïssa Malu , has become an articulate advocate for youth. In an interview, she stressed that “Education is a fundamental right and an essential means of protecting vulnerable children… Investing in education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo means investing in stability, sustainable development, and peace. She pledged to consolidate free primary education launched under Tshisekedi and to provide scholarships and digital learning to reach rural children. Malu also frames girls’ education as a question of social justice, citing programmes that promote STEM, cultural activities, and school clubs Other women occupy influential posts: Marie Nyange Ngambo at Environment, Marie Thérèse Sombo at Higher Education, Yolande Elebe at Culture, Micheline Ombaye at Gender & Family, Grâce Kutino at Youth, Oneige Nsele at Land Affairs, and Arlette Bahati as minister delegate for the New Economy. Their mandates range from climate policy and oil revenues to land reform, culture, and youth empowerment. Culture minister Yolande Elebe champions cultural sovereignty; speaking at the World Music and Tourism Festival she called rumba “a fluid, pure and universal recognition of the grandeur of Congolese heritage” and described culture as “a formidable, peaceful weapon” for national identity, This poetic defense of culture underscores how women leaders are shaping not only social policy but national narratives. Judith Suminwa: the face of inclusive leadership Continue Reading Full Article WOMAN LEADERSHIP Women Transform DR Congo’s Future: 32% of Government Now Female For the first time, women hold nearly one‑third of DRC government posts. This article celebrates Judith Suminwa and Tshisekedi’s reforms, & inclusive leadership. August 8, 2025 at 3:34:48 PM May 15, 2026 at 3:03:26 PM 🕒 8 min read By Neema Asha Mwakalinga Travel & Culture Expert Neema Asha Mwakalinga Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Judith Suminwa A historic breakthrough For the first time in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s history, women now hold almost 32 % of government positions. The cabinet reshuffle of 7 August 2025 produced a slimmed down team of 53 members in which 17 women serve alongside Prime Minister Judith Suminwa In comparison, the May 2024 government had 18 women out of 55 members (32.7 %) while the Sacred Union government of 2021 had only 27 % women This steady climb from 17 % in 2019 to one third today signals a cultural shift: women are no longer token appointments; they are central to policymaking. Globally, the DRC is outpacing many nations. UN Women’s Facts and Figures report shows that women represent only 22.9 % of cabinet ministers worldwide, and just 18 countries have a woman head of state, while 20 have a woman head of government. Women account for 27.2 % of parliamentarians. The DRC’s 32 % female cabinet therefore sits above the global average and close to parity targets set by the African Union. The August 2025 reshuffle: a government led by women President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, re-elected in December 2023, chose to retain Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, the country’s first woman premier, and to deepen gender inclusion across key ministries. Suminwa, an economist and former planning minister, acknowledged the enormity of her task during her inaugural press conference: “I know the task is big and the challenge immense. But together, with the head of state, support from the government and all institutions, and that of the Congolese population, we will make it. In a national address, she also pledged to “work for peace and the development of the country”. The new cabinet breaks with past gendered stereotypes. Women now head portfolios well beyond traditional social sectors. Thérèse Wagner leads Foreign Affairs, confronting regional security challenges and asserting Congo’s sovereignty; at the UN Security Council she denounced Rwanda’s incursion into eastern Congo as a “declaration of war” and an “open violation of national sovereignty” Ève Bazaiba continues at Social Affairs, while Acacia Bandubola oversees Hydrocarbons, a sector central to economic diversification. The state minister for National Education and New Citizenship, Raïssa Malu , has become an articulate advocate for youth. In an interview, she stressed that “Education is a fundamental right and an essential means of protecting vulnerable children… Investing in education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo means investing in stability, sustainable development, and peace. She pledged to consolidate free primary education launched under Tshisekedi and to provide scholarships and digital learning to reach rural children. ADVERTISEMENT Malu also frames girls’ education as a question of social justice, citing programmes that promote STEM, cultural activities, and school clubs Other women occupy influential posts: Marie Nyange Ngambo at Environment, Marie Thérèse Sombo at Higher Education, Yolande Elebe at Culture, Micheline Ombaye at Gender & Family, Grâce Kutino at Youth, Oneige Nsele at Land Affairs, and Arlette Bahati as minister delegate for the New Economy. Their mandates range from climate policy and oil revenues to land reform, culture, and youth empowerment. Culture minister Yolande Elebe champions cultural sovereignty; speaking at the World Music and Tourism Festival she called rumba “a fluid, pure and universal recognition of the grandeur of Congolese heritage” and described culture as “a formidable, peaceful weapon” for national identity, This poetic defense of culture underscores how women leaders are shaping not only social policy but national narratives. Judith Suminwa: the face of inclusive leadership Judith Suminwa Tuluka’s journey embodies Congo’s transformation. Before becoming prime minister, she served as planning minister and attended the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program, where she refined a strategy to stimulate economic growth through human development and better resource allocation, Her technocratic credentials help her implement Tshisekedi’s six pillar program, national economy, security, spatial planning, social well being, responsible ecosystems and human development, outlined during her first hundred days, Suminwa frequently links peace to opportunity: during a visit to conflict torn eastern Congo she declared, “I think of all these people and my heart beats for them” pledging to translate promises into concrete actions. Suminwa is also unafraid to speak on the international stage. At the UN Human Rights Council in February 2025, she lamented that some 7,000 people had died since January and highlighted that about 450,000 people were left without shelter after 90 displacement camps were destroyed, demonstrating her willingness to confront the humanitarian crisis head-on on reuters.com. Such candor, combined with pragmatic policy making, positions her as both a symbol of change and a catalyst for reform. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY Sports Congolese Midfielder Jules Ahoka Joins Sunderland in Premier League . Sports Trends DR Congo International Aaron Wan-Bissaka Joins Aston Villa . Technology and Innovation DRC Launches Lingala AI and 2,000-Youth Campaign . Festivals and Events Congolese Film *Rumba Royale* Selected for Montreal Festival . Technology DRC Moves Closer to Adopting Its First National AI Strategy . ADVERTISEMENT Tshisekedi’s reformist vision President Tshisekedi has deliberately fostered this surge of women leaders. His administration enacted a 2022 electoral law that exempts parties from deposit fees if at least 50 % of their candidate lists are women, incentivising gender parity in electoral competition. In a speech to the UN General Assembly in 2024, Tshisekedi argued that women’s concerns must be integrated into major decisions. He pledged to change mentalities, involve men in advancing women’s success, and noted that the Congolese constitution enshrines parity. He highlighted the creation of a national strategy against gender based violence and celebrated the appointment of a woman as prime minister and increased female presence in government, the judiciary, and the Central Bank Beyond gender equality, Tshisekedi’s reforms include free primary education, digital connectivity projects, anti-corruption efforts, and investment in basic infrastructure. Suminwa’s government has introduced ambitious investment programs worth nearly US$93 billion over five years and proposed fiscal reforms to boost purchasing power. These socioeconomic policies, combined with gender inclusion, reflect a holistic approach to development. Global benchmarks: DR Congo punches above its weight In 2025, the world will still struggle with gender parity. UN Women’s data show that 22.9 % of cabinet ministers are women worldwide and that the most common portfolios entrusted to women are social protection and culture. Only 18 countries have a woman head of state, and 20 have a woman head of government, and women hold 27.2 % of parliamentary seats. Against this backdrop, the DRC’s 32 % female cabinet and first female prime minister stand out, placing the country ahead of many more developed democracies. What remains to be done Despite the progress, challenges persist. None of the current deputy prime minister positions nor the defense, interior, finance, or economy portfolios are held by women. Representation remains uneven at the provincial level and within parastatal agencies. Women leaders themselves acknowledge that parity is a process. As Raïssa Malu notes, “Free primary education… is an important achievement that needs to be consolidated”, but obstacles such as indirect costs and cultural barriers still hinder girls’ education. She advocates scholarships, digital learning, and community awareness to keep girls in school. Similarly, Suminwa and Wagner face daunting security crises that test their capacity and underline the need for systemic reforms in security and justice. ADVERTISEMENT A hopeful, Pan African conclusion From 17 % female representation in 2019 to almost one-third today, the Democratic Republic of Congo is rewriting its political narrative. A generation of competent, articulate, and courageous women now sit at the cabinet table. They manage foreign affairs, energy, education, culture, environment, and youth; they speak frankly about conflict and humanitarian crises; they champion culture as a weapon of peace. President Tshisekedi’s reformist agenda, and his own words at the UN that women’s concerns must be central, have created space for this transformation. But the momentum also springs from the women themselves: Judith Suminwa’s relentless pragmatism, Thérèse Wagner’s diplomatic resolve, Raïssa Malu’s vision for an educated youth, and Yolande Elebe’s cultural pride. For young Congolese women and those in the diaspora, this moment is inspiring. It signals that leadership is no longer defined by gender but by merit and vision. It affirms that the DRC can be a Pan African leader in inclusive governance, proving that bold reforms and female leadership can coexist with stability, growth, and national pride. The path to parity is not over, but the future of Congo is already being shaped by the women who govern it. Explore the DR Congo Rising hub for more stories that highlight DR Congo’s progress and potential. ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Sports Congolese Midfielder Jules Ahoka Joins Sunderland in Premier League The 20-year-old joins Sunderland from Royal Antwerp on a long-term deal and will wear No. 29." . Sports Trends DR Congo International Aaron Wan-Bissaka Joins Aston Villa The Leopards defender joins Villa on loan from West Ham, with a reported £18m purchase clause. . Technology and Innovation DRC Launches Lingala AI and 2,000-Youth Campaign Government campaign makes digital rights clearer while bringing Lingala into Congo’s AI future . Festivals and Events Congolese Film *Rumba Royale* Selected for Montreal Festival The Kinshasa-made thriller brings Congolese rumba, history and talent to Canadian audiences. . Tags DRC Youths DRC Youths DR.Congo DR.Congo DR Congo Rising DR Congo Rising DR Congo News DR Congo News

DRC plans an April international tender to modernize key Lobito Corridor rail sections, with works due to start in Q4 2026. The Democratic Republic of Congo says it will launch an international tender in April for the rehabilitation and modernization of the Tenke–Kolwezi–Dilolo railway section, a central link in the Lobito Corridor connecting the DRC Copperbelt to Angola ’s Atlantic port infrastructure. The announcement was made in Luanda during a high-level coordination meeting convened by Angola on February 5, bringing together officials from Angola, the DRC, and Zambia , alongside technical and financial partners. Speaking at the meeting, DRC Deputy Prime Minister for Transport Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo outlined Kinshasa’s operational priorities for getting the corridor functioning reliably, including a focus on near-term repairs and a clearer financing pathway for larger upgrades. Angola has framed the February 5 gathering as part of a new coordination mechanism intended to accelerate implementation across participating states and partners. Bemba pointed to ongoing emergency rehabilitation works on the Kolwezi–Dilolo stretch targeting roughly 80 km of critical areas to improve reliability and keep traffic moving between Tenke, Kolwezi, and the Lobito export route. He also highlighted institutional reforms intended to structure the corridor delivery through a public-private partnership (PPP) aligned with international standards, an effort aimed at making the project bankable and executable at scale. Financing and studies: where the corridor stands On the planning side, Bemba said studies for the Tenke–Sakania section are at an advanced stage with support from the World Bank, which the DRC has described as a lead arranger for its financing approach. In recent reporting on the corridor, the DRC has also discussed seeking $500 million in World Bank support for its Lobito-linked rail priorities. The key near-term step is the April tender for Tenke–Kolwezi–Dilolo. Bemba said the works are scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2026, setting a clear timeline for contractors, lenders and corridor stakeholders to align around. DRC Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba, who attended alongside Bemba, used the Luanda meeting to encourage additional financial partners to co-finance Phase 2 covering the Tenke–Lubumbashi–Sakania section and related corridor projects. Why this tender matters Continue Reading Full Article ECONOMIC REPORTS DRC to Launch Tender for Lobito Corridor Rail Upgrade DRC plans an April international tender to modernize key Lobito Corridor rail sections, with works due to start in Q4 2026. February 6, 2026 at 12:16:49 PM May 15, 2026 at 3:03:32 PM 🕒 3 min read By Serge Kitoko Tshibanda Political Analyst Serge Kitoko Tshibanda Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link Leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Zambia stand together during a trilateral meeting. The Democratic Republic of Congo says it will launch an international tender in April for the rehabilitation and modernization of the Tenke–Kolwezi–Dilolo railway section, a central link in the Lobito Corridor connecting the DRC Copperbelt to Angola ’s Atlantic port infrastructure. The announcement was made in Luanda during a high-level coordination meeting convened by Angola on February 5, bringing together officials from Angola, the DRC, and Zambia , alongside technical and financial partners. Speaking at the meeting, DRC Deputy Prime Minister for Transport Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo outlined Kinshasa’s operational priorities for getting the corridor functioning reliably, including a focus on near-term repairs and a clearer financing pathway for larger upgrades. Angola has framed the February 5 gathering as part of a new coordination mechanism intended to accelerate implementation across participating states and partners. ADVERTISEMENT Bemba pointed to ongoing emergency rehabilitation works on the Kolwezi–Dilolo stretch targeting roughly 80 km of critical areas to improve reliability and keep traffic moving between Tenke, Kolwezi, and the Lobito export route. He also highlighted institutional reforms intended to structure the corridor delivery through a public-private partnership (PPP) aligned with international standards, an effort aimed at making the project bankable and executable at scale. Financing and studies: where the corridor stands On the planning side, Bemba said studies for the Tenke–Sakania section are at an advanced stage with support from the World Bank, which the DRC has described as a lead arranger for its financing approach. In recent reporting on the corridor, the DRC has also discussed seeking $500 million in World Bank support for its Lobito-linked rail priorities. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY Infrastructure DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Prepares $1.258 Billion Lobito Corridor Railway Contract . Regional Economy DRC and Tanzania Advance Central Corridor Plan to Cut Trade Costs . Regional Economy Tanzania and DRC Move to Deepen Trade, Mining and Infrastructure Ties . Business & Investment DRC Advances $491.3M Package for Education, Health and Businesses . ADVERTISEMENT The key near-term step is the April tender for Tenke–Kolwezi–Dilolo. Bemba said the works are scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2026, setting a clear timeline for contractors, lenders and corridor stakeholders to align around. DRC Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba, who attended alongside Bemba, used the Luanda meeting to encourage additional financial partners to co-finance Phase 2 covering the Tenke–Lubumbashi–Sakania section and related corridor projects. ADVERTISEMENT Why this tender matters The Lobito Corridor is designed to shorten and stabilize logistics between mineral-producing areas in southern DRC and export infrastructure on the Atlantic coast, with the broader railway platform positioned as a regional trade route linking Angola and the DRC (and potentially onward to Zambia). ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Infrastructure DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade New facility strengthens migration control, security and formal cross-border commerce . Infrastructure DRC Prepares $1.258 Billion Lobito Corridor Railway Contract The $1.258 billion project would modernize 1,004.5 km of railway linking Grand Katanga . Regional Economy DRC and Tanzania Advance Central Corridor Plan to Cut Trade Costs Ports, rail, lake transport, fibre and a planned Congolese dry port could strengthen regional trade. . Regional Economy Tanzania and DRC Move to Deepen Trade, Mining and Infrastructure Ties Samia Suluhu Hassan and Félix Tshisekedi push for stronger trade, connectivity and mining ties. . Tags DRC Economy DRC Economy DR.Congo DR.Congo Invest In Congo Invest In Congo DRC Peace Efforts DRC Peace Efforts Lobito Corridor Projects Lobito Corridor Projects

Rema faces calls from Congolese users to reconsider his Kwita Izina concert in Kigali, with critics pointing to Tems’ 2025 Rwanda cancellation. The Nigerian Afrobeats star has been announced as the headline act for the 2026 Kwita Izina concert in Kigali, prompting some Congolese social-media users to urge him to follow Tems' example. KIGALI, Rwanda --- August 21, 2026 --- Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema is facing calls from some Congolese social-media users to reconsider an upcoming performance in Rwanda after he was announced as the headline act for the Kwita Izina Concert in Kigali. According to an official announcement by the Rwanda Development Board , Rema will perform at BK Arena on Saturday, September 5, 2026, as the headline artist for the culminating entertainment event of this year's Kwita Izina celebrations. The concert will take place one day after the 21st Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony, scheduled for September 4 in Kinigi, Musanze District, under the theme "Conservation is Life: Sustaining the Future." RDB describes Kwita Izina as Rwanda's flagship mountain-gorilla conservation celebration, bringing together conservationists, communities, international guests and partners. Congolese Users Challenge Rema to Follow Tems Following the announcement, some Congolese users on social media began calling on Rema to reconsider performing in Kigali because of the continuing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. One post responding to the Visit Rwanda announcement directly urged the Nigerian singer to think about his Congolese fans before attending Kwita Izina and pointed to Tems' previous decision to cancel a Kigali concert. The emerging message to Rema is straightforward: follow Tems' example. Rema has not publicly announced that he intends to withdraw from the September 5 concert, and there was no public response from the singer to the calls at the time of publication. Continue Reading Full Article WAR IN DR CONGO Rema Faces Calls to Cancel Rwanda Show After Tems’ Withdrawal Rema faces calls from Congolese users to reconsider his Kwita Izina concert in Kigali, with critics pointing to Tems’ 2025 Rwanda cancellation. August 21, 2026 at 3:21:36 PM August 24, 2026 at 9:42:50 AM 🕒 4 min read By Neema Asha Mwakalinga Travel & Culture Expert Neema Asha Mwakalinga Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link The Nigerian Afrobeats star has been announced as the headline act for the 2026 Kwita Izina concert in Kigali, prompting some Congolese social-media users to urge him to follow Tems' example. KIGALI, Rwanda --- August 21, 2026 --- Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema is facing calls from some Congolese social-media users to reconsider an upcoming performance in Rwanda after he was announced as the headline act for the Kwita Izina Concert in Kigali. According to an official announcement by the Rwanda Development Board , Rema will perform at BK Arena on Saturday, September 5, 2026, as the headline artist for the culminating entertainment event of this year's Kwita Izina celebrations. The concert will take place one day after the 21st Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony, scheduled for September 4 in Kinigi, Musanze District, under the theme "Conservation is Life: Sustaining the Future." RDB describes Kwita Izina as Rwanda's flagship mountain-gorilla conservation celebration, bringing together conservationists, communities, international guests and partners. Congolese Users Challenge Rema to Follow Tems Following the announcement, some Congolese users on social media began calling on Rema to reconsider performing in Kigali because of the continuing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. ADVERTISEMENT One post responding to the Visit Rwanda announcement directly urged the Nigerian singer to think about his Congolese fans before attending Kwita Izina and pointed to Tems' previous decision to cancel a Kigali concert. The emerging message to Rema is straightforward: follow Tems' example. Rema has not publicly announced that he intends to withdraw from the September 5 concert, and there was no public response from the singer to the calls at the time of publication. Tems Cancelled Her Kigali Concert in January 2025 The comparison follows a high-profile decision by fellow Nigerian star Tems during an escalation of the eastern DRC conflict in early 2025. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY Entertainment Rema Kigali Concert Moves Forward as Early-Bird Tickets Sell Out . Entertainment Rema Kigali Concert Moves Ahead Despite Calls to Reconsider" . War in DR Congo Rema Faces Calls to Cancel Rwanda Show After Tems’ Withdrawal . African Culture Rema Biography: Age, Parents, Edo Roots & “Calm Down” Rise . ADVERTISEMENT Tems had been scheduled to perform at BK Arena on March 22, 2025, as part of her Born in the Wild tour. However, she cancelled the Kigali date on January 30. As Africanews reported at the time , Tems said she had promoted the Rwanda concert without realizing there was an ongoing conflict involving Rwanda and Congo. She apologized for appearing insensitive to the situation and said her thoughts were with those affected by the conflict. Her cancellation came as fighting intensified in eastern DRC and international scrutiny increased over Rwanda's support for the M23 rebellion. Pressure Now Turns to Rema Rema's September performance is part of a major programme surrounding Kwita Izina. The Rwanda Development Board says the Kigali concert will bring the celebrations to a close following the Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Kinigi. ADVERTISEMENT For some Congolese critics, however, the announcement has revived the debate that surrounded Tems in 2025: whether major African artists should perform at high-profile events promoted by Rwanda while the conflict in eastern DRC remains politically sensitive. For now, Rema remains officially scheduled to headline the Kwita Izina Concert at BK Arena on September 5. Whether the online calls grow into a wider campaign --- or prompt a response from Rema and his team --- remains to be seen. ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Entertainment Rema Kigali Concert Moves Forward as Early-Bird Tickets Sell Out Discounted tickets are gone, while regular sales continue despite calls for Rema to reconsider. . Entertainment Rema Kigali Concert Moves Ahead Despite Calls to Reconsider" Kivumbi King joins the lineup as Rema remains set to headline the September 5 Kigali concert. . War in DR Congo Rema Faces Calls to Cancel Rwanda Show After Tems’ Withdrawal Congolese users urge Rema to reconsider his Kwita Izina concert as debate over the DRC . African Culture Rema Biography: Age, Parents, Edo Roots & “Calm Down” Rise Discover Rema’s age, parents, Benin City roots, songs, albums, awards and global Afrorave journey . Tags Rema News Rema News DR.Congo DR.Congo Entertainment Entertainment Rwanda Rwanda Rwandan Entertainment Rwandan Entertainment Rema Rema

Explore the Hadza language of Tanzania, its click sounds, isolate status, history, cultural meaning, and modern survival challenges The Hadza language is one of the most distinctive languages in Africa . Spoken by the Hadza people around Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania, it is known for its click sounds, its uncertain linguistic ancestry, and its deep connection to Hadza identity. But Hadza is more than a language that sounds unusual to outsiders. It is a living system of memory, place, kinship, food knowledge, humor, and daily communication. For the Hadza, language is not only a tool for speaking, It is part of belonging. Linguists have long been interested in Hadza because it does not fit neatly into Africa’s major language families. Glottolog lists it as a spoken first language called Hadza, with the ISO 639-3 code hts. Other sources also use names such as Hadzane, Hatsa, Hadzapi, Kindiga, and Tindiga. Where the Hadza Language Is Spoken Hadza is spoken in northern Tanzania, especially in the Lake Eyasi region. The Hadza people are one of the best-known hunter-gatherer communities in East Africa, and their language is closely tied to the landscape where they live. In The Phonetic Structures of Hadza, Bonny Sands, Ian Maddieson, and Peter Ladefoged describe Hadza as spoken “in the neighborhood of Lake Eyasi” in north-central Tanzania (1996, p. 171). This location matters because the language has developed through long contact with surrounding peoples and languages, including Bantu, Cushitic, and Nilotic languages. Hadza is not spoken by a large population. A recent Indiana University dissertation by Jeremy Coburn describes it as spoken by approximately “1,500–2,000 people” in the Lake Eyasi area (Coburn, 2024). Other documentation projects give lower estimates. The exact number varies by source, but all reliable sources agree that Hadza is a small language community. Further Reading Jeremy Richard Coburn (2024) The Hadza Language: Vitality, Phonetics, and Phonology Continue Reading Full Article AFRICAN CULTURE Hadza Language: History, Click Sounds, and Meaning Explore the Hadza language of Tanzania, its click sounds, isolate status, history, cultural meaning, and modern survival challenges June 25, 2026 at 3:52:18 AM June 26, 2026 at 5:19:03 AM 🕒 13 min read By Neema Asha Mwakalinga Travel & Culture Expert Neema Asha Mwakalinga Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link Inside the Hadza Language: Click Sounds, Alphabet & Indigenous Culture The Hadza language is one of the most distinctive languages in Africa . Spoken by the Hadza people around Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania, it is known for its click sounds, its uncertain linguistic ancestry, and its deep connection to Hadza identity. But Hadza is more than a language that sounds unusual to outsiders. It is a living system of memory, place, kinship, food knowledge, humor, and daily communication. For the Hadza, language is not only a tool for speaking, It is part of belonging. Linguists have long been interested in Hadza because it does not fit neatly into Africa’s major language families. Glottolog lists it as a spoken first language called Hadza, with the ISO 639-3 code hts. Other sources also use names such as Hadzane, Hatsa, Hadzapi, Kindiga, and Tindiga. Where the Hadza Language Is Spoken Hadza is spoken in northern Tanzania, especially in the Lake Eyasi region. The Hadza people are one of the best-known hunter-gatherer communities in East Africa, and their language is closely tied to the landscape where they live. In The Phonetic Structures of Hadza, Bonny Sands, Ian Maddieson, and Peter Ladefoged describe Hadza as spoken “in the neighborhood of Lake Eyasi” in north-central Tanzania (1996, p. 171). This location matters because the language has developed through long contact with surrounding peoples and languages, including Bantu, Cushitic, and Nilotic languages. Hadza is not spoken by a large population. A recent Indiana University dissertation by Jeremy Coburn describes it as spoken by approximately “1,500–2,000 people” in the Lake Eyasi area (Coburn, 2024). Other documentation projects give lower estimates. The exact number varies by source, but all reliable sources agree that Hadza is a small language community. Further Reading Jeremy Richard Coburn (2024) The Hadza Language: Vitality, Phonetics, and Phonology Relevant sections: language vitality, phonetics, and phonology Indiana University ScholarWorks Is Hadza a Khoisan Language? One of the most common mistakes about Hadza is calling it a Khoisan language simply because it has clicks. This is an oversimplification. Although the Hadza( left) and several Khoisan(right) both use click consonants, linguists consider Hadza a language isolate , not a Khoisan language. Shared click sounds do not necessarily mean the languages share a common origin. Clicks are strongly associated in public imagination with southern African Khoisan languages, but click sounds alone do not prove that languages are related. Hadza has clicks, but linguists generally treat it as a language isolate. A language isolate is a language with no proven family relationship to any other known language. Sands, Maddieson, and Ladefoged described Hadza as having “uncertain genetic affiliation” (1996, p. 171). More recent work by Sands, Harvey, Mous, and Tosco notes that there is “mainstream acceptance” among Africanist linguists in treating Hadza as an isolate (2023, p. 91). ADVERTISEMENT This does not mean Hadza has had no contact with other languages. It means scholars have not proven that Hadza descends from the same ancestral language as Khoisan, Afroasiatic, Bantu, or any other known family. Further Reading Bonny Sands et al. (2023) Why Hadza is probably not Afroasiatic Relevant pages: 91–109 Leiden University repository A History of Classification Debate Hadza has been classified in different ways over time. Some earlier researchers connected it with Khoisan because of its clicks. Others proposed links with Afroasiatic languages. Today, the strongest evidence supports treating Hadza as an isolate. In their 2023 article, Sands and colleagues explain that three classifications have been proposed: Hadza as an isolate, Hadza as Khoisan, and Hadza as Afroasiatic. They argue that the Afroasiatic proposal is not convincing because it lacks “regular, repeated sound correspondences” (Sands et al., 2023, p. 91). Hadza is too distinct from khoisan language though they share clicks in the language This phrase matters in historical linguistics. Languages are not considered related just because a few words sound similar. Scholars look for repeated patterns across many words, sounds, and grammatical forms. Without those patterns, similarities may be loans, coincidence, or what Sands and colleagues call “chance resemblances” (2023, p. 91). That caution is important for public writing about Hadza. One should not say Hadza is “Khoisan” or “Afroasiatic” as a fact. The safest wording is: Hadza is a language isolate with click consonants and a long history of contact with neighboring languages. What Makes Hadza Click Sounds Special? Hadza is famous for its clicks. Sands, Maddieson, and Ladefoged call it “one of three East African languages with clicks” (1996, p. 171). The other two usually discussed in this context are Sandawe and Dahalo. Clicks are consonants made with suction in the mouth. In Hadza, they are not random noises or decorative sounds. They are meaningful consonants that help distinguish words. Linguists study them using acoustic and articulatory methods, including recordings, airflow data, and imaging of tongue movement. Hadza speakers produce click consonants by creating suction in the mouth. These clicks are a normal part of the language's sound system, not random or ornamental sounds. The 1996 study analyzed “nine distinct clicks” in Hadza (Sands, Maddieson, and Ladefoged, 1996, p. 174). Later research has debated the exact number, depending on how click types and accompaniments are counted. A 2023 phonetics paper by Demolin, Ghio, and Harvey describes Hadza clicks using acoustic and aerodynamic evidence from the International Congress of Phonetic Sciences . For a general reader, the key point is simple: Hadza has a complex click system, and linguists still study its details. Further Reading Sands, Maddieson, and Ladefoged (1996) TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY Scholarships 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Biography Who Is Deogratius Ndejembi? Tanzania VP Nominee . Travel Guide Stone Town Travel Guide: History, Food and a Walking Route . Travel Guide Mafia Island Travel Guide: Diving, Whale Sharks and When to Go . Regional Economy DRC and Tanzania Advance Central Corridor Plan to Cut Trade Costs . ADVERTISEMENT The Phonetic Structures of Hadza Relevant pages: 171–194 Studies in African Linguistics More Than Clicks: The Wider Sound System The clicks may attract the most attention, but they are only one part of Hadza. Coburn’s 2024 dissertation describes Hadza as known for “clicks, ejectives, and lateral obstruents,” and also studies vowel length and tone. This matters because it shows that Hadza is not interesting only because of one sound type. It has a broader phonetic and phonological structure. Traditional ecological knowledge, and wild food gathering in Hadza daily life. Earlier research also noted that the role of tone and stress in Hadza was not fully clear. Newer research has added more evidence, including fieldwork and laboratory data. Coburn’s work is especially important because it combines community fieldwork with modern speech technology, including 3D and 4D ultrasound data. This kind of research helps correct another misconception: that Hadza is a simple or “primitive” language. There is no evidence for that. Like any language, Hadza has patterns, rules, variation, history, and expressive power. Hadza and Cultural Meaning Hadza carries cultural knowledge. It holds names for places, foods, animals, tools, relationships, and experiences that are shaped by Hadza life around Lake Eyasi. The sources used for this dossier do not provide enough detailed evidence on ritual language, sacred vocabulary, songs, or oral genres. For those areas, the correct conclusion is: Insufficient evidence found. Still, the cultural meaning of Hadza is clear from the language vitality and documentation sources. The Endangered Languages Documentation Programme project describes work to document Hadza speech, language contact, and regional variation. The project also aims to return audio-visual materials to Hadza speakers in accessible forms. That matters because language preservation is not only about grammar charts. It is about making sure communities can keep, teach, and use their own words for their own world. Is the Hadza Language Endangered? Yes, current evidence shows that Hadza is under pressure. Glottolog gives Hadza the status “shifting,” meaning language use is changing across generations. Coburn’s 2025 chapter on language endangerment gives an even stronger warning, classifying the situation as “Definitely endangered” based on research in “15 contemporary Hadza communities” east of Lake Eyasi. Hadza families gather around a campfire in northern Tanzania, where evenings are spent sharing food, caring for children, and passing stories and knowledge from one generation to the next. Coburn reports a shift from Hadza toward Swahili among children in many communities. This does not mean Hadza has disappeared. It means intergenerational transmission is becoming weaker in some areas. This is a major change. Older descriptions often emphasized that Hadza was still being learned by children. Newer research suggests the situation is more fragile than previously reported. ADVERTISEMENT Further Reading Jeremy Coburn (2025) Language Endangerment and Vitality Among the Hadzabe of Tanzania Relevant pages: 131–152 Springer Nature Why Hadza Still Matters Hadza matters for several reasons. First, it is a living language of a living people. It should not be treated as a museum object or a sound effect for outsiders. Second, it helps linguists understand how diverse human speech can be. Third, it challenges easy assumptions about language families, click sounds, and African linguistic history. Hadza also matters because language loss is cultural loss. When a language weakens, communities may lose words for local plants, animals, kinship practices, landscape knowledge, jokes, stories, and everyday ways of seeing the world. The future of Hadza will depend not only on scholars documenting it, but on Hadza communities being able to use it across generations. Common Misconceptions About Hadza Hadza is not proven to be Khoisan Hadza has clicks, but that does not prove it belongs to a Khoisan language family. Current scholarship treats it as a language isolate. Hadza clicks were not proven to be made for hunting A popular claim says clicks developed so hunters could communicate quietly without scaring animals. The dossier found no strong academic evidence for this. Insufficient evidence found. Hadza is not “primitive” Hadza has a complex sound system, active speakers, and ongoing linguistic research. Calling it primitive is inaccurate and disrespectful. The Hadza language is not just famous because it has clicks. It is important because it is rare, complex, and culturally rooted. It carries Hadza identity, local knowledge, and a history of life around Lake Eyasi. Its clicks are remarkable, but they should not distract from the larger story. Hadza is a living African language, a language isolate, and a cultural inheritance under pressure. Understanding it properly means moving beyond curiosity and listening with respect. Reference Coburn, Jeremy Richard. The Hadza Language: Vitality, Phonetics, and Phonology (2024) . Coburn, Jeremy. Language Endangerment and Vitality Among the Hadzabe of Tanzania (2025) . Springer Nature. Demolin, Didier, Alain Ghio, and Andrew Harvey. Acoustic and Aerodynamic Features of Hadza Clicks (2023). International Congress of Phonetic Sciences PDF. Glottolog, Hadza . Sands, Bonny, Ian Maddieson, and Peter Ladefoged. The Phonetic Structures of Hadza (1996). Studies in African Linguistics . Sands, Bonny, Andrew Harvey, Maarten Mous, and Mauro Tosco. Why Hadza is probably not Afroasiatic (2023). Leiden University repository . Culture in Crisis / Endangered Languages Documentation Programme. Documenting Hadza: Language Contact and Variation . ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Scholarships 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply Up to 120 EAC Master’s scholarships are open to nationals of eight East African countries, . Biography Who Is Deogratius Ndejembi? Tanzania VP Nominee The energy minister and Chamwino MP nominated to become Tanzania’s next vice president . Travel Guide Stone Town Travel Guide: History, Food and a Walking Route Stone Town occupies the western side of Unguja, the main island in the Zanzibar archipelago . Travel Guide Mafia Island Travel Guide: Diving, Whale Sharks and When to Go Plan Mafia Island by coast and season, with diving, whale sharks, transport, fees and places to stay. . Tags Tanzania Tanzania The Hadza Tribe The Hadza Tribe African Culture African Culture

Congo and Rwanda to sign peace deal in Washington on June 27, 2025, ending decades of conflict. U.S. and Qatar broker historic treaty holding Rwanda accountable. WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 20, 2025 - After years of deadly tensions and foreign-backed violence in eastern Congo, a historic peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda is set to be signed in Washington on June 27, 2025, marking what U.S. officials call a “great day for Africa and the world.” The agreement, brokered through joint diplomatic efforts by the United States and Qatar, follows months of discreet negotiations and is expected to halt Rwanda's involvement in eastern Congo, where its influence through armed groups like M23 has destabilized the region and displaced millions. "I am very happy to report that I have arranged... a wonderful Treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, in their war, which was known for violent bloodshed and death,” said President Donald Trump via Truth Social. Signing Details Confirmed According to U.S. officials, Rwandan and Congolese representatives will arrive in Washington on Monday, June 23, to finalize preliminary documentation. The formal treaty signing will take place on Friday, June 27, with foreign ministers from both countries in attendance. Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, confirmed that all terms were finalized and initialed on June 18, putting to rest speculation of unresolved disagreements. “It will simply be the formal ratification of what has already been agreed,” Nduhungirehe stated. What’s in the Peace Deal? The finalized treaty includes 3 core components: Security & Sovereignty: Immediate ceasefire, disarmament of armed groups, and the launch of a joint command mechanism based on CONOPS (October 2024 framework). Continue Reading Full Article Congo, Rwanda to Sign Peace Deal in Washington Congo and Rwanda to sign peace deal in Washington on June 27, 2025, ending decades of conflict. U.S. and Qatar broker historic treaty holding Rwanda accountable. June 21, 2025 at 10:29:55 AM May 15, 2026 at 3:03:32 PM 🕒 3 min read By Serge Kitoko Tshibanda Political Analyst Serge Kitoko Tshibanda Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link Congo and Rwanda to sign peace deal in Washington on June 27, 2025, ending decades of conflict WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 20, 2025 - After years of deadly tensions and foreign-backed violence in eastern Congo, a historic peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda is set to be signed in Washington on June 27, 2025, marking what U.S. officials call a “great day for Africa and the world.” The agreement, brokered through joint diplomatic efforts by the United States and Qatar, follows months of discreet negotiations and is expected to halt Rwanda's involvement in eastern Congo, where its influence through armed groups like M23 has destabilized the region and displaced millions. "I am very happy to report that I have arranged... a wonderful Treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, in their war, which was known for violent bloodshed and death,” said President Donald Trump via Truth Social. Signing Details Confirmed According to U.S. officials, Rwandan and Congolese representatives will arrive in Washington on Monday, June 23, to finalize preliminary documentation. The formal treaty signing will take place on Friday, June 27, with foreign ministers from both countries in attendance. ADVERTISEMENT Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, confirmed that all terms were finalized and initialed on June 18, putting to rest speculation of unresolved disagreements. “It will simply be the formal ratification of what has already been agreed,” Nduhungirehe stated. What’s in the Peace Deal? The finalized treaty includes 3 core components: Security & Sovereignty: Immediate ceasefire, disarmament of armed groups, and the launch of a joint command mechanism based on CONOPS (October 2024 framework). Political Accountability: Restoration of bilateral dialogue and the creation of a monitoring and enforcement committee. Regional Development: Cross-border cooperation on infrastructure, energy, and trade. Notably, this deal addresses Rwanda’s long-denied but well-documented role in backing rebel militias, whose operations have devastated North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The forced displacement of civilians, targeted killings, and looting of mineral zones were among key concerns raised during the negotiations. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY Biography Who Is Maya Boyd, Marvel’s New Storm Actress? . Entertainment Jay-Z’s New York Show Delayed After Security Breach . Entertainment Maduka Okoye and Cardi B Turn Heads in Paris . Entertainment Beyoncé Drops “Morning Dew (Donk)” for Fourth of July . Entertainment Travis Kelce Tears Up During Taylor Swift Wedding Vows . ADVERTISEMENT U.S. Diplomacy Applauded, Rwanda’s Conduct Under Watch While President Trump used the moment to highlight his broader peace efforts globally, including in the Middle East and South Asia, Congolese observers noted the significance of holding Rwanda accountable without igniting further regional tensions. “This is not about rewarding aggressors, it’s about restoring Congo’s dignity and ending a long season of manipulation,” said one Kinshasa-based analyst. Qatar’s role in handling humanitarian and coordination efforts was praised by both parties. What Comes Next? Following the June 27 signing, both countries are expected to: ADVERTISEMENT Begin phased troop withdrawals (especially of Rwandan elements operating under M23) Reopen consulates and trade routes Collaborate on monitoring violations through U.S.-backed third-party observers DR Congo officials have urged international watchdogs to remain vigilant, citing previous failed ceasefires where Rwandan-backed forces re-emerged under different names. XTRAfrica’s Take: This agreement marks a rare diplomatic win for peace in Central Africa. But for Congolese citizens, true justice will be measured not in signatures, but in the return of peace to Goma, Masisi, Bunagana, and Rutshuru, and hold Kagame accountable for war crimes ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Biography Who Is Maya Boyd, Marvel’s New Storm Actress? Meet Maya Boyd, the 23-year-old Broadway actress cast as Storm in Marvel’s new X-Men film. Her age . Entertainment Jay-Z’s New York Show Delayed After Security Breach Live Nation tightened security after hundreds without tickets rushed stadium entrances. . Entertainment Maduka Okoye and Cardi B Turn Heads in Paris The rapper and Super Eagles goalkeeper sparked online buzz at couture week. . Entertainment Beyoncé Drops “Morning Dew (Donk)” for Fourth of July The surprise single begins the countdown to Beyoncé’s B’Day anniversary reissue. . Tags United States United States Rwanda Rwanda RwandanTroops in DRC RwandanTroops in DRC M23 Rebels News M23 Rebels News M23 Conflict Updates M23 Conflict Updates DRC Peace Efforts DRC Peace Efforts

Don Jazzy opens up about his ideal woman in a podcast interview, highlighting personality, peace and emotional compatibility. Nigerian music producer and Mavin Records boss Michael Collins Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy , has shared details about the qualities he looks for in an ideal partner. The 43-year-old music executive spoke about his preferences during a recent episode of the Is This Seat Taken podcast hosted by actress Chinasa Anukam. During the conversation, Don Jazzy explained that p Jazzy explained that personality and emotional compatibility ersonality and emotional compatibility play a major role in his choice of a partner. He said his ideal woman should have a soft personality and create a peaceful relationship environment. “My ideal woman for dating in order of importance, first of all , you have to be a freak ,” he said during the podcast. He added that beyond attraction, he prefers a partner who is calm and easygoing, stressing that he avoids stressful or aggressive relationships. “Secondly, you have to be soft both in body and personality. Because you’d shout at me, you are dating yourself. I don’t like stress. I don’t tolerate stress and violence,” he said. According to the producer, he quickly distances himself from relationships that show signs of conflict or aggression. “The moment you try to be nonchalant or violent, you will not see me again. You will just realise that you are dating yourself,” he added. Don Jazzy has previously spoken about his personal life and why he remains unmarried. In an earlier interview, he said his dedication to his music career and concerns about repeating mistakes from a past marriage influenced his decision to remain single for now. Source: Daily Post Continue Reading Full Article ENTERTAINMENT Don Jazzy Speaks on the Qualities He Wants in a Woman Don Jazzy opens up about his ideal woman in a podcast interview, highlighting personality, peace and emotional compatibility. March 13, 2026 at 1:43:59 AM May 15, 2026 at 3:03:26 PM 🕒 2 min read By Witty Pascal Entertainment Editor Witty Pascal Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link Nigerian music producer and Mavin Records boss Michael Collins Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy , has shared details about the qualities he looks for in an ideal partner. The 43-year-old music executive spoke about his preferences during a recent episode of the Is This Seat Taken podcast hosted by actress Chinasa Anukam. During the conversation, Don Jazzy explained that p Jazzy explained that personality and emotional compatibility ersonality and emotional compatibility play a major role in his choice of a partner. He said his ideal woman should have a soft personality and create a peaceful relationship environment. ADVERTISEMENT “My ideal woman for dating in order of importance, first of all , you have to be a freak ,” he said during the podcast. He added that beyond attraction, he prefers a partner who is calm and easygoing, stressing that he avoids stressful or aggressive relationships. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY Entertainment FOLA Leads 2026 Headies Nominations Ahead of Toronto . Entertainment Jub Jub Arrest Warrant Issued After Missed Court Appearance . Entertainment Black Coffee Wins R7 Million Court Battle Against Maserati . Entertainment Funke Akindele Faces Mixed Reactions Over Birthday Post . Entertainment BBNaija 11: Chimsom Chuka Wins Head of House for Second Time . ADVERTISEMENT “Secondly, you have to be soft both in body and personality. Because you’d shout at me, you are dating yourself. I don’t like stress. I don’t tolerate stress and violence,” he said. According to the producer, he quickly distances himself from relationships that show signs of conflict or aggression. “The moment you try to be nonchalant or violent, you will not see me again. You will just realise that you are dating yourself,” he added. ADVERTISEMENT Don Jazzy has previously spoken about his personal life and why he remains unmarried. In an earlier interview, he said his dedication to his music career and concerns about repeating mistakes from a past marriage influenced his decision to remain single for now. 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Meet the Mbuti, Baka and Batwa of the DRC. Explore their diverse cultures, forest knowledge, history, music, land rights and lives today. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo , a landmark law now recognises the rights of peuples autochtones pygmées Indigenous Pygmy peoples. Yet a legal label cannot contain the variety of the people it names. Mbuti, Baka and Batwa communities do not share one language, one livelihood or one historical experience. Even the word “Pygmy” carries a difficult past: it is used in Congolese law and public life, but it can also reduce living peoples to an outsider’s idea about physical appearance or forest life. This guide therefore uses Pygmy peoples when discussing the official national category or the wider historical debate. Wherever the evidence allows, it uses community names. Its focus is the DRC often called Congo-Kinshasa rather than the neighbouring Republic of the Congo. Wider Congo Basin examples appear only when they help explain a pattern, and they are clearly identified. Who are the Pygmy peoples of Congo? They are several distinct Indigenous peoples of the DRC, including Mbuti, Baka and Batwa communities. Their languages, histories and livelihoods differ, but many maintain strong forest relationships while confronting land loss, discrimination, conflict and the unfinished implementation of new legal protections. Who Are the Indigenous Forest Peoples of the DRC? There is no single “Pygmy tribe.” In Congolese public policy, the term refers principally to Mbuti, Baka and Batwa peoples. Names used on the ground can be more specific: Efe communities, for example, have their own language and history in northeastern DRC. Spellings also vary across French, English and local usage, while some names that outsiders treat as interchangeable are not interchangeable to the people concerned. Geography is equally diverse. Communities live in and around the Ituri forests of the northeast, across parts of the east and southeast, and in forest regions farther west and north. Some households spend substantial periods in forest camps. Others live in permanent or semi-permanent villages, farm, fish, trade, take paid work or combine several livelihoods. Movement may follow seasons, work, family connections, insecurity or access to land; it should not be mistaken for rootlessness. The best national overview available still cannot give an exact population. A DRC country chapter written by Indigenous rights advocate Diel Mochire records a government estimate of about 750,000 people and civil-society estimates reaching two million. The same chapter later cites another estimate of more than 1.2 million people in 21 of the country’s 26 provinces. These figures are not a reliable headcount; together, they show why unsupported precision is misleading (Mochire, 2024, pp. 52–53). The 2024 DRC country chapter in The Indigenous World is most useful when read as an account of both official recognition and continuing data gaps. The clearest orientation is therefore simple: these are modern Congolese citizens and distinct Indigenous peoples, not survivors frozen outside history. Forest knowledge can be central to identity without determining every person’s occupation, address, religion or ambition. Why the Word “Pygmy” Is Debated Continue Reading Full Article AFRICAN CULTURE Who Are the Pygmy Peoples of Congo? Culture, History and Rights Meet the Mbuti, Baka and Batwa of the DRC. Explore their diverse cultures, forest knowledge, history, music, land rights and lives today. August 25, 2026 at 6:40:00 AM August 25, 2026 at 8:24:13 AM 🕒 31 min read By Neema Asha Mwakalinga Travel & Culture Expert Neema Asha Mwakalinga Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link In the Democratic Republic of the Congo , a landmark law now recognises the rights of peuples autochtones pygmées Indigenous Pygmy peoples. Yet a legal label cannot contain the variety of the people it names. Mbuti, Baka and Batwa communities do not share one language, one livelihood or one historical experience. Even the word “Pygmy” carries a difficult past: it is used in Congolese law and public life, but it can also reduce living peoples to an outsider’s idea about physical appearance or forest life. This guide therefore uses Pygmy peoples when discussing the official national category or the wider historical debate. Wherever the evidence allows, it uses community names. Its focus is the DRC often called Congo-Kinshasa rather than the neighbouring Republic of the Congo. Wider Congo Basin examples appear only when they help explain a pattern, and they are clearly identified. Who are the Pygmy peoples of Congo? They are several distinct Indigenous peoples of the DRC, including Mbuti, Baka and Batwa communities. Their languages, histories and livelihoods differ, but many maintain strong forest relationships while confronting land loss, discrimination, conflict and the unfinished implementation of new legal protections. Who Are the Indigenous Forest Peoples of the DRC? There is no single “Pygmy tribe.” In Congolese public policy, the term refers principally to Mbuti, Baka and Batwa peoples. Names used on the ground can be more specific: Efe communities, for example, have their own language and history in northeastern DRC. Spellings also vary across French, English and local usage, while some names that outsiders treat as interchangeable are not interchangeable to the people concerned. A locator map highlights Ituri Province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ituri includes forest territories associated with Mbuti and Efe communities and provides geographic context for several cultural and historical examples discussed in this article. Credit: Profoss; base map by NordNordWest/Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Geography is equally diverse. Communities live in and around the Ituri forests of the northeast, across parts of the east and southeast, and in forest regions farther west and north. Some households spend substantial periods in forest camps. Others live in permanent or semi-permanent villages, farm, fish, trade, take paid work or combine several livelihoods. Movement may follow seasons, work, family connections, insecurity or access to land; it should not be mistaken for rootlessness. The best national overview available still cannot give an exact population. A DRC country chapter written by Indigenous rights advocate Diel Mochire records a government estimate of about 750,000 people and civil-society estimates reaching two million. The same chapter later cites another estimate of more than 1.2 million people in 21 of the country’s 26 provinces. These figures are not a reliable headcount; together, they show why unsupported precision is misleading (Mochire, 2024, pp. 52–53). The 2024 DRC country chapter in The Indigenous World is most useful when read as an account of both official recognition and continuing data gaps. The clearest orientation is therefore simple: these are modern Congolese citizens and distinct Indigenous peoples, not survivors frozen outside history. Forest knowledge can be central to identity without determining every person’s occupation, address, religion or ambition. Why the Word “Pygmy” Is Debated The English word comes through a long European history of naming imagined small-bodied peoples. In Central African writing, it became attached to real communities during nineteenth-century exploration and later to colonial administration, racial classification, anthropology and popular media. That history is one reason many writers place the word in quotation marks or avoid using it as a noun for an individual. Anthropologist Barry Hewlett’s regional review identifies at least 15 ethnolinguistic groups across the wider Congo Basin and explains the dilemma directly: “Pygmy” is widely recognised, including by some activists and officials, but it can be pejorative and can falsely imply a single culture. No universal replacement has been accepted. “Twa,” for example, is a meaningful self-name for some communities, not a neutral name for everyone. Hewlett recommends using specific names Aka, Baka, Efe, Mbuti and others whenever the context permits (Hewlett, 2014, pp. xix–xxiii). His introduction to Congo Basin hunter-gatherer diversity remains valuable precisely because it does not pretend the terminology problem has an easy solution. Context changes what respectful usage looks like. In the DRC, Law No. 22/030 uses peuples autochtones pygmées as a protected legal category. Reporting that official term is not the same as calling every individual “a Pygmy.” A good editorial rule is to name the specific people first, explain the national category once, and never use the label as shorthand for primitiveness, isolation or a body type. This also prevents a common continental mistake. The Mbuti are not the Baka; the Batwa of Kahuzi-Biega are not the Batwa of every Great Lakes country; and Congo Basin peoples are not interchangeable with southern Africa’s San or Tanzania’s Hadza. XTRAfrica’s guide to the Hadza people of Tanzania concerns another distinct hunter-gatherer society with its own language, territory and political realities. Languages and Identities Do Not Fit One Box A research-based map illustrates the distribution of languages spoken by Indigenous hunter-gatherer communities across the wider Congo Basin, using green for Bantu languages, purple for Ubangian languages and red for Sudanic languages. Based on Bahuchet’s 2006 classification, it demonstrates why there is no single “Pygmy language.” Credit: Kwamikagami/Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. There is no “Pygmy language.” Communities speak different languages associated with several Central African language families, and multilingualism is common. Long relationships with neighbouring farmers, traders and towns have produced language contact, borrowing and, in some places, language shift. A language spoken by one Mbuti or Batwa community should not be assigned automatically to another. This matters because language is not just a classification on a map. It carries forest vocabulary, place names, humour, song, kinship terms, historical memory and the practical knowledge used in work. At the same time, speaking a language also used by neighbouring communities does not cancel a people’s distinct identity. Identity can rest on shared history, customary territory, social relations and self-identification as well as speech. Map of Twa populations A scholarly distribution map shows populations identified as Twa across Central Africa. It should be used as a regional orientation graphic rather than a current census map, because “Twa” is a meaningful identity for some communities but is not an appropriate replacement name for every Mbuti, Baka or other Congo Basin people. Credit: Kwamikagami, based on Hewlett and Fancher/Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. The complexity is visible even inside broad names. “Mbuti” is often used for hunter-gatherer peoples of the Ituri region, but research may distinguish communities such as Efe and groups associated historically with net hunting or bow hunting. Those distinctions are not trivial. They can correspond to different languages, neighbours, subsistence choices and gendered work. A national pillar article should make the diversity legible without turning every local name into a rigid box. Readers should also be wary of old museum labels and travel writing that present community names as timeless biological categories. People marry across boundaries, move, learn new languages, enter schools and churches, organise politically and revise how they describe themselves. Culture has continuity, but identity is lived in the present tense. Forest Livelihoods Are More Than Hunting and Gathering Hunting and gathering remain important to the history and identity of many forest communities, but neither term describes a complete economy. Depending on place and season, livelihoods can include collecting honey, mushrooms, nuts, fruits, caterpillars and medicinal materials; fishing; small-scale farming; exchanging forest products for cultivated foods; wage labour; craft production; and work connected to towns, roads, farms, mines or conservation projects. ADVERTISEMENT A farmer’s hut stands among oil palms in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2015. The image illustrates how agriculture, forest resources and settlement can occupy the same landscape. The source does not identify the residents as Indigenous, so the photograph should be used only as environmental and economic context. Credit: Abel Kavanagh/MONUSCO via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 2.0. The forest itself is not an untouched supermarket. Using it well demands accumulated knowledge: when a plant fruits, where animals move, how weather changes paths, which materials are safe, and how to travel without losing orientation. Such expertise is learned through participation and experience. It can also be undermined when a road, concession, armed group or protected-area boundary cuts people off from familiar territory. Nor is work divided everywhere by one fixed rule. A classic comparison from the Ituri Forest found that women regularly participated in collective net hunting but rarely in bow hunting. The contrast reflected different local systems rather than a universal law about “Pygmy gender roles” (Bailey and Aunger, 1989, abstract). The study of women’s subsistence strategies in Ituri is a useful warning against turning one camp’s practice into a portrait of an entire people. An Mbuti hunter photographed near Epulu in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2005. Hunting remains culturally and economically important in some communities, but it is only one part of diverse livelihoods that may also include gathering, fishing, cultivation, trade and paid work. Credit: Radio Okapi via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0. Trade with farming neighbours has existed for generations, sometimes through cooperation and mutual dependence, sometimes through unequal patronage, debt or exploitation. Calling communities “isolated” erases that history. It also makes present-day farming or paid work look like cultural failure. In reality, combining forest foods, cultivation and markets can be a rational response to changing access, prices and security. The wider ecological stakes are enormous. The DRC contains much of the world’s second-largest tropical forest system, but the value of that forest cannot be reduced to carbon, timber or a headline price. XTRAfrica’s overview of the Congo Basin’s ecological and economic wealth is best read alongside a rights question: who has authority over the land, who receives benefits, and whose knowledge is recognised when governments and investors assign value to a forest? Sharing, Autonomy and How Children Learn Indigenous women identified in the original archive as “Pygmy women” perform a traditional dance during a United Nations delegation’s visit to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in Ituri Province in September 2015. The performance documents one public occasion and should not be presented as the music or dance tradition of every Indigenous community in the DRC. Credit: Abel Kavanagh/MONUSCO via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 2.0. Studies of Congo Basin hunter-gatherers often describe strong expectations of sharing, personal autonomy and relatively egalitarian decision-making. In some small camps, successful food acquisition creates an obligation to distribute rather than an unrestricted right to accumulate. Ridicule, conversation, withdrawal of cooperation and movement between camps can help limit domineering behaviour. These tendencies are important, but they are not a constitution shared by every Mbuti, Baka or Batwa community. Research on childhood makes the same point. Hewlett’s review of Aka, Baka, Mbuti and Efe studies describes close physical care, help from people beyond a child’s biological mother, mixed-age play and learning through observation, imitation and participation. Children do not simply wait for formal lessons before contributing; daily activity can bring them into food preparation, carrying, gathering, play hunting and the social practice of sharing. Yet the evidence is uneven. Hewlett notes that most child-focused studies concentrated on Aka-related communities, infants and young children, while Mbuti and Efe research was far thinner and often older. Political insecurity limited fieldwork in the DRC from the mid-1980s. Any confident statement about “how Pygmy children are raised” therefore outruns the evidence (Hewlett, 2014, pp. 245–248). The full review of hunter-gatherer childhoods in the Congo Basin is strongest when its limitations travel with its findings. Formal education adds another layer. Families may want literacy, qualifications and access to wider opportunities while also wanting children to retain language, land-based knowledge and dignity. Barriers can include distance, fees and materials, displacement, missing civil documents, discrimination, an unfamiliar language of instruction and school calendars that do not fit local livelihoods. The answer is not to romanticise exclusion from school, nor to treat forest knowledge as an obstacle to education. A culturally safe system should make room for both. Music, Play and Spiritual Relationships with the Forest Music is one of the most celebrated aspects of Congo forest cultures and one of the easiest to flatten into spectacle. Historical recordings of Mbuti singing reveal layered, interlocking vocal parts, rhythmic play, collective participation and songs connected to work, games and ceremonies. The performance is social: a listener cannot understand it fully by searching for a single star singer or a fixed “tribal anthem.” UNESCO’s multimedia archive, Songs of the Okapi Forest , documents Mbuti, Nande and Pakombe performances recorded in Ituri in 2004. Its track descriptions include musical games and ceremonial contexts rather than presenting one sound as the music of everyone. The UNESCO archive of Ituri forest songs is a helpful public entry point, although recordings should still be approached as moments from named places and communities, not as timeless samples. Forest spirituality is equally specific. Mitsuo Ichikawa’s work with Mbuti communities describes the forest not merely as a store of resources but as an encompassing source of life, continuity and belonging. In his account, hunting and ritual relationships with the forest help affirm the connection between living people, ancestors and the world around them (Ichikawa, 1998, pp. 119–129). The journal overview of Mbuti ecology and views of nature supports a Mbuti-specific reading; it should not be converted into a universal religion for all Indigenous peoples of the DRC. Belief also changes. Christianity, local churches and other religious influences may coexist with or transform older practices. Ceremonies can be private, gendered, age-specific or inappropriate for outsiders to reproduce. Respectful cultural reporting explains significance without publishing restricted knowledge or treating sacred performance as entertainment for tourists. A History Shaped by Outsiders and by Indigenous Agency Mbuti community members photographed with American explorer Osa Johnson in the Ituri Forest in 1930, during the colonial Belgian Congo period. The image is useful for examining how foreign explorers placed themselves at the centre of photographs of Indigenous communities; it should not represent present-day Mbuti life. Credit: Martin Johnson via Wikimedia Commons. Public-domain-marked historical image. Popular accounts often begin Congo forest history when a European traveller entered the forest. That is the wrong starting point. Indigenous communities had their own territories, exchange networks, rivalries, alliances, ecological knowledge and histories long before colonial borders divided the Congo Basin. Oral traditions and place-based memory remain essential sources even when colonial archives barely record them. Colonial rule nevertheless changed the scale and pressure of outside demands. Ivory, rubber, labour recruitment, taxation, missions and administrative classifications reached forest societies through violent and unequal systems. Hunters could be drawn into commercial supply chains that had little to do with household subsistence. Outsiders also produced enduring stereotypes: the childlike forest dweller, the untouched primitive, the naturally servile labourer and the mystical conservationist. Postcolonial conflict, commercial logging, mining, plantation expansion, road building and protected areas have continued to reshape access to land. Indigenous people have never responded in only one way. They have moved, negotiated, traded, concealed knowledge, joined churches, entered schools, worked for wages, formed associations, used courts and demanded new laws. That is agency, even when the choices available are unfair. The record of anthropology must be read critically too. Older ethnographies contain valuable observations but often foreground a foreign researcher while Indigenous collaborators remain unnamed. Contemporary writers can do better by distinguishing direct community testimony from interpretation, checking whether a finding comes from one group or many, and recognising that a decades-old field account is not automatically a description of life today. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY Infrastructure DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Scholarships 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Infrastructure DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Healthcare System DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Scholarships Chevening Scholarships 2027–2028 Open Across Africa — How to Apply . ADVERTISEMENT When Conservation Separates People From Their Land The tension between conservation and Indigenous rights is stark at Kahuzi-Biega National Park in eastern DRC. The park is internationally known for biodiversity and eastern lowland gorillas. XTRAfrica’s guide to Kahuzi-Biega National Park describes that wildlife landscape, but the conservation story is incomplete without the Batwa people whose ancestral territory lies in and around the park. In a decision adopted in 2022 and placed on its official site in 2025, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights found that the DRC had violated multiple provisions of the African Charter. It recognised the Kahuzi-Biega Forest as the Batwa’s ancestral home, rejected an exclusionary “fortress conservation” model, and called for measures including demarcation and titling, reintegration, compensation, public services and a public apology. The African Commission’s Batwa decision is not an argument against biodiversity protection. It is a finding that conservation cannot be legitimate when it dispossesses the people who have long lived with the forest. The demand is not abstract. In a joint statement following the ruling, an anonymous Batwa victim of eviction asked, “when will we become owners of our land?” The community response published by Forest Peoples Programme carries both hope and impatience: a favourable decision matters only when it changes access, security and authority. There has been reported movement, but not completion. In 2026, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee commended steps including Batwa and local-community representation in the Park Council, a human-rights unit, a complaint mechanism and work on land access. In the same decision, it urged faster implementation of the African Commission ruling and kept Kahuzi-Biega on the List of World Heritage in Danger. That 2026 UNESCO decision on Kahuzi-Biega shows why celebratory and catastrophic narratives are both inadequate: institutional progress, unresolved rights obligations, ecological damage and armed insecurity can exist at the same time. The 2022 Indigenous Peoples Law Changed the Legal Ground Law No. 22/030 of 15 July 2022 is a major shift in Congolese law. It affirms equality and dignity, prohibits discrimination, and addresses justice, public services, education, health, culture, environment, land, resources and work. It also recognises free, prior and informed consent often shortened to FPIC as a collective right to approve or refuse projects likely to affect traditionally possessed, occupied or used lands and natural resources. The land provisions are unusually important. Articles 42–48 recognise rights over lands and resources that communities possess, occupy or traditionally use; prohibit relocation without consent and fair compensation; require consultation before resource exploitation; provide for benefits from third-party commercial activity; and call for legal recognition and protection of customary land. The cultural provisions protect traditions, languages, oral literature, sacred sites and Indigenous knowledge. These are not favours. They are stated rights in the official text of Law No. 22/030 (DRC, 2022, pp. 2, 5–8). A law, however, is not self-executing. Communities need accessible procedures, budgets, accountable institutions, land demarcation, remedies and information in languages they understand. Officials, judges, park agencies, companies and local authorities need to apply the law consistently. Civil registration and legal assistance matter because a right that cannot be claimed in practice remains fragile. On 2 April 2025, the Ministry of the Interior created a multi-actor consultation framework to coordinate implementation. The order describes a plenary assembly, steering committee and permanent secretariat, and provides for an Indigenous representative selected through community consultation and representative decision structures. The 2025 ministerial implementation order is evidence of institutional follow-through, not proof that every right has reached every village (DRC Ministry of the Interior, 2025, pp. 1–3). Community forestry is another practical route. Congolese law allows local community forest concessions that can secure long-term rights over land and resources, although access to mapping, applications and governance support is uneven. XTRAfrica’s report on community forests in the DRC explains their climate potential. For Indigenous communities, the first test is more immediate: whether the process recognises customary tenure, prevents elite capture and puts decision-making power in the hands of rights-holders. Conflict, Displacement, Education and Health Legal reform has unfolded during severe armed conflict, especially in eastern DRC. Violence can force communities from forests and villages, separate families, close schools and clinics, destroy livelihoods, and expose women and children to particular risks. Displacement can be especially damaging where identity, food systems and spiritual life are tied to a customary territory. In April 2025, the Chair and expert members of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues expressed grave concern about displacement, extreme violence and conflict-related sexual violence affecting Indigenous peoples in the DRC. They called for investigations, accountability, protection of women and children, and meaningful Indigenous participation in peace processes. The UN Permanent Forum statement on Indigenous peoples in the DRC is a warning against treating land and culture as peacetime topics detached from security (UNPFII, 2025, pp. 1–2). Health inequalities cannot be explained by “traditional lifestyle” alone. Distance from facilities, cost, discrimination, insecurity, displacement and lack of documents can restrict access to care. Medicinal plant knowledge may remain important, but respecting that knowledge does not justify withholding vaccination, emergency treatment, maternal care or other services. Law No. 22/030 explicitly protects access to health and recognises Indigenous pharmacopoeia; the two should be complementary, guided by safety and informed choice. Education faces a similar false choice. Children should not have to surrender their identity to enter a classroom. Anti-discrimination, instruction that respects language and culture, flexible access for displaced families, trained teachers, and participation by parents and Indigenous organisations are more constructive than assuming low enrolment reflects indifference. Data should be disaggregated with care and consent so that exclusion becomes visible without exposing small communities to harm. Culture Is Changing, Not Disappearing Modern life does not make an Indigenous person less authentic. A Mbuti student with a phone, a Batwa land-rights organiser, a Baka farmer or a family living near a town can remain connected to community, memory and customary territory. The idea that “real” forest peoples must reject schools, markets, Christianity, politics and technology is another way outsiders police identity. ADVERTISEMENT Change can still involve loss. A language may weaken when children are punished for speaking it. Songs may disappear when displacement breaks the occasions on which they are performed. Forest knowledge can become harder to transmit when access is criminalised. Young people may hide their identity to avoid abuse. These are not inevitable effects of modernity; they are shaped by discrimination and policy. Culture can also generate new institutions. Indigenous associations document abuses, support schooling, map customary lands, advocate for women, negotiate with conservation bodies and explain the 2022 law. Community members adapt performance, radio, video and public events to speak to new audiences. The critical question is who chooses the change and who controls the knowledge being shared. Respectful partnership starts with consent. Researchers, journalists, tourists and organisations should ask before recording people, ceremonies or places; explain how material will be used; agree on attribution; protect sacred or sensitive information; and return useful copies or benefits to the community. Images of unnamed, semi-clothed children used to advertise “vanishing tribes” are not neutral documentation. They repeat the visual language of colonial display. Myths That Flatten Living Communities Myth: They are one tribe Reality: “Pygmy peoples” is an umbrella and legal category covering distinct communities. Names, languages, histories and local institutions differ. Use Mbuti, Baka, Batwa, Efe or another verified name when the subject is specific. Myth: Everyone lives permanently as a nomadic hunter-gatherer Reality: Mobility and forest foraging remain important in many places, but livelihoods vary. Fishing, farming, trade, wage work and village residence may be part of the same household economy. Adaptation is not cultural disappearance. Myth: Forest peoples live outside politics and markets Reality: Relations with farmers, traders, states, missions and commercial networks are old. Today, communities also engage courts, laws, conservation agencies, schools, churches and civil-society organisations. The problem is often unequal power, not lack of contact. Myth: Conservation requires removing Indigenous residents Reality: The African Commission’s Kahuzi-Biega decision rejected exclusionary fortress conservation in the Batwa case. Protecting biodiversity and recognising customary land can reinforce each other when communities hold real authority, consent is respected and abuses have remedies. Myth: Culture can be described without naming a place or source Reality: A Mbuti account from Ituri is not evidence for every Baka or Batwa community. Good reporting names the people, location, date and source, and says when research is old, narrow or contested. The Future Depends on Rights, Not Stereotypes The most important change in how Congo’s Indigenous forest peoples are represented is a shift from fascination to citizenship. Music, hunting knowledge and forest spirituality deserve attention, but so do land titles, safe schools, maternal health, political participation, fair work, language rights and protection from violence. The DRC’s 2022 law supplies a national framework, the 2025 consultation order supplies part of an implementation structure, and the Batwa ruling supplies a regional human-rights standard. None guarantees results on its own. Progress must be measured in communities: whether a family can return safely, whether a woman can seek justice, whether a child learns without humiliation, whether consent changes a project, and whether customary territory receives durable legal protection. There is no need to turn Mbuti, Baka or Batwa people into perfect ecological heroes to defend those rights. Indigenous peoples are entitled to dignity because they are people and citizens, not because outsiders find them picturesque or useful to a climate narrative. The strongest future is one in which communities decide how forest knowledge continues, how culture changes and how development enters their lands. Frequently Asked Questions Is “Pygmy” the correct word to use? It is an official legal and public-policy term in the DRC, but it is also historically burdened and can be offensive when used carelessly. Prefer the specific community name such as Mbuti, Baka, Batwa or Efe when known. Use “Pygmy peoples” for the explained national category, not as a label for an individual or a synonym for “primitive.” Are the Mbuti, Baka and Batwa the same people? No. They are distinct peoples, and broad names can contain further local diversity. They may share experiences of forest connection, discrimination or land pressure, but they do not share one language, origin story, livelihood or political history. Where do the Pygmy peoples live in the DRC? Communities live across many provinces, including forest regions in the northeast, east, southeast, north and west. Population and distribution figures vary by source, and mobility, displacement and weak census coverage make exact numbers difficult to verify. Do all communities still hunt and gather? No. Hunting, gathering and fishing remain important in many places, but households may also farm, trade, make crafts, take paid work or live near towns. Livelihoods differ by community, territory, season, market access and security. What is special about Mbuti music? Mbuti music is known for interlocking vocal parts, collective participation and close links to games, work and ceremonial life. It should be described as Mbuti music from a particular place and occasion, not as a single soundtrack for every Indigenous forest people in Central Africa. What rights does DRC Law No. 22/030 protect? The law addresses equality, non-discrimination, justice, education, health, cultural identity, environment, work, customary land and natural resources. It also recognises free, prior and informed consent for projects affecting traditionally possessed, occupied or used lands and resources. Implementation remains the decisive challenge. What happened to the Batwa at Kahuzi-Biega? Batwa communities were excluded from ancestral land associated with the national park. The African Commission found multiple human-rights violations and called for land demarcation and titling, reintegration, compensation and other remedies. UNESCO reported some institutional progress in 2026 while still urging full implementation of that decision. Sources and Further Reading African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. (2022; official page published in 2025). “Communication 588/15: Batwa of Kahuzi-Biega National Park v. Democratic Republic of the Congo” . Official decision on the merits and remedies. Bailey, R. C., and R. Aunger Jr. (1989). “Net Hunters vs. Archers: Variation in Women’s Subsistence Strategies in the Ituri Forest” . Human Ecology , 17, 273–297. Democratic Republic of the Congo. (2022). Loi No. 22/030 du 15 juillet 2022 portant protection et promotion des droits des peuples autochtones pygmées . Journal Officiel de la République Démocratique du Congo , special issue, pp. 2–10. DRC Ministry of the Interior, Security, Decentralisation and Customary Affairs. (2025). Ministerial Order of 2 April 2025 Creating the Multi-Actor Consultation Framework for Implementing Law No. 22/030 , pp. 1–6. Forest Peoples Programme. (2024). “The African Commission Sets a Significant Precedent for Indigenous Peoples’ Land Rights in the Context of Conservation” . Joint statement with a Batwa community response. Hewlett, B. S. (2014). “Introduction” . In B. S. Hewlett (Ed.), Hunter-Gatherers of the Congo Basin: Cultures, Histories, and Biology , pp. xvii–xxviii. Hewlett, B. S. (2014). “Hunter-Gatherer Childhoods in the Congo Basin” . In B. S. Hewlett (Ed.), Hunter-Gatherers of the Congo Basin: Cultures, Histories, and Biology , pp. 245–275. Ichikawa, M. (1998). “Ecology and a View of Nature of the Mbuti Pygmies in the African Forest” . Tropics , 8(1–2), 119–129. Mochire, D. (2024). “Democratic Republic of the Congo” . In IWGIA, The Indigenous World 2024 , pp. 52–56. UNESCO. (2004). Songs of the Okapi Forest: Mbuti, Nande and Pakombe . UNESCO Multimedia Archives. UNESCO World Heritage Committee. (2026). “Decision 48 COM 7A: Kahuzi-Biega National Park” . United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. (2025). “Statement on Human Rights Violations and Violence Against Indigenous Peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo” , 8 April 2025, pp. 1–2. ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Infrastructure DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects Leaders target shared oil revenue, SONANGOL supplies and electricity for Grand Katanga . Scholarships 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply Up to 120 EAC Master’s scholarships are open to nationals of eight East African countries, . Infrastructure DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade New facility strengthens migration control, security and formal cross-border commerce . Healthcare System DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks DRC orders the nationwide withdrawal of SNIPER and all products containing dichlorvos following . Tags DR.Congo DR.Congo The Pygmy Peoples The Pygmy Peoples

This Tuesday, May 13, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo made a special visit to the Société de Production des Permis de Conduire (SPC) in Gombe, Kinshasa DR Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi personally tested the new digital driver’s license system during a visit to the SPC center in Gombe. This Tuesday, May 13, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo made a special visit to the Société de Production des Permis de Conduire (SPC) in Gombe, Kinshasa. The SPC is a private partner working with CONADEP, the National Commission in charge of driver’s licenses. Tshisekedi came to understand how the new biometric digital driver’s license is issued, and he even got one himself. 🔍 A New Process That’s Modern and Transparent Welcomed by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba, and SPC Director General, the President was shown how the modern one-stop shop works. Each applicant: First goes to an “observation room” to choose the vehicle type. Then pays $18 at a commercial bank counter. Takes a 20-question theoretical exam on a computer (30 seconds per question). If they score at least 12 correct, they move on to a driving simulator for the practical test. Continue Reading Full Article DRC Launches Secure Biometric Driver License System This Tuesday, May 13, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo made a special visit to the Société de Production des Permis de Conduire (SPC) in Gombe, Kinshasa May 18, 2025 at 12:34:11 AM May 15, 2026 at 3:03:26 PM 🕒 3 min read By Serge Kitoko Tshibanda Political Analyst Serge Kitoko Tshibanda Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link DR Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi personally tested the new digital driver’s license system during a visit to the SPC center in Gombe. This Tuesday, May 13, President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo made a special visit to the Société de Production des Permis de Conduire (SPC) in Gombe, Kinshasa. The SPC is a private partner working with CONADEP, the National Commission in charge of driver’s licenses. Tshisekedi came to understand how the new biometric digital driver’s license is issued, and he even got one himself. ADVERTISEMENT 🔍 A New Process That’s Modern and Transparent Welcomed by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba, and SPC Director General, the President was shown how the modern one-stop shop works. Each applicant: First goes to an “observation room” to choose the vehicle type. Then pays $18 at a commercial bank counter. Takes a 20-question theoretical exam on a computer (30 seconds per question). If they score at least 12 correct, they move on to a driving simulator for the practical test. Once both steps are passed, the driver is informed by email and receives the new digital license within 48 hours. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY Infrastructure DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Scholarships 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Infrastructure DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Healthcare System DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Scholarships Chevening Scholarships 2027–2028 Open Across Africa — How to Apply . ADVERTISEMENT Secure, Fast, and International Standard “The new biometric driver’s license is highly secure and meets international standards,” Nicolas Nkane, President of the License Issuing Commission According to SPC officials, this upgrade isn’t just about going digital, it’s about road safety. They believe the new process: Reduces fraud and fake licenses Ensures real driving skills Improves traffic safety by reducing accidents caused by human error ADVERTISEMENT Presidential Participation in the Process During his visit, President Tshisekedi chose to personally go through the entire licensing procedure and was issued a biometric driver’s license at the end of the process. His involvement offered a practical demonstration of how the new system functions for the public. SPC officials noted that this rollout could help introduce a more streamlined and secure approach to issuing driver’s licenses across the country. The shift to biometric and digital licenses reflects Congo’s intention to modernize public services and align with international practices. While still early, such reforms, if consistently implemented may contribute to better governance, improved road safety, and enhanced service delivery. ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Infrastructure DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects Leaders target shared oil revenue, SONANGOL supplies and electricity for Grand Katanga . Scholarships 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply Up to 120 EAC Master’s scholarships are open to nationals of eight East African countries, . Infrastructure DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade New facility strengthens migration control, security and formal cross-border commerce . Healthcare System DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks DRC orders the nationwide withdrawal of SNIPER and all products containing dichlorvos following . Tags DR.Congo DR.Congo Technology & Innovation Technology & Innovation

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya set a new world record for a women-only marathon event at the London Marathon on Sunday, April 21, achieving a dual triumph by putting herself in pole position to defend her Olympic title. Jepchirchir delivered an outstanding performance, showcasing a commanding finish and outpacing her competitors to cross the finish line on The Mall with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 16 seconds. This remarkable feat not only earned her victory but also shattered the previous women-only marathon world record of 2:17:01, set by Mary Keitany in 2017 at the same event. The women’s elite race in London traditionally starts ahead of the men's field, giving the women their own separate contest. For Jepchirchir, this victory is likely to secure her selection for Kenya’s Olympic marathon team for the upcoming Paris Games. Her performance exceeded her own expectations, with her focus on Olympic preparation rather than record-breaking runs. This win marks a significant comeback for her after a third-place finish in the previous year's London Marathon. Jepchirchir's confidence will undoubtedly be fortified by her late sprint to victory, a tactic she believes gives her an edge in the closing stages of a race. Complementing her success was fellow Kenyan Alexander Mutiso Munyao, who claimed victory in the men's race with a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 1 second. The day was particularly poignant as the London Marathon also commemorated Kelvin Kiptum, last year’s champion from Kenya who tragically passed away in a car accident in February at the age of 24. Continue Reading Full Article April 21, 2024 at 4:14:39 PM May 15, 2026 at 3:03:32 PM 🕒 2 min read By Author Name Author Name Follow SHARE THIS ARTICLE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Copy link Triumphant Kenyan runner Peres Jepchirchir celebrates a groundbreaking victory and a new women-only marathon world record at the London Marathon. Photo:gettyimages Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya set a new world record for a women-only marathon event at the London Marathon on Sunday, April 21, achieving a dual triumph by putting herself in pole position to defend her Olympic title. Jepchirchir delivered an outstanding performance, showcasing a commanding finish and outpacing her competitors to cross the finish line on The Mall with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 16 seconds. This remarkable feat not only earned her victory but also shattered the previous women-only marathon world record of 2:17:01, set by Mary Keitany in 2017 at the same event. The women’s elite race in London traditionally starts ahead of the men's field, giving the women their own separate contest. ADVERTISEMENT For Jepchirchir, this victory is likely to secure her selection for Kenya’s Olympic marathon team for the upcoming Paris Games. Her performance exceeded her own expectations, with her focus on Olympic preparation rather than record-breaking runs. This win marks a significant comeback for her after a third-place finish in the previous year's London Marathon. TRENDING NOW DRC and Angola Accelerate Joint Oil and Power Projects . Infrastructure 120 EAC Master’s Scholarships Open to EAC Students — How to Apply . Scholarships DRC Opens Lonshi Border Post to Expand Zambia Trade . Infrastructure DRC Bans SNIPER Insecticide Over Poisoning Risks . Healthcare System POPULAR TODAY ADVERTISEMENT Jepchirchir's confidence will undoubtedly be fortified by her late sprint to victory, a tactic she believes gives her an edge in the closing stages of a race. Complementing her success was fellow Kenyan Alexander Mutiso Munyao, who claimed victory in the men's race with a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 1 second. The day was particularly poignant as the London Marathon also commemorated Kelvin Kiptum, last year’s champion from Kenya who tragically passed away in a car accident in February at the age of 24. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT RELATED ARTICLE Tags