A volcanic eruption in eastern Congo left a smoking trail of destruction half a mile wide on Sunday that buried hundreds of houses and left residents searching for missing loved ones, before halting just short of the city of Goma.&nbsp;

Goma was thrown into panic on Saturday evening as Mount Nyiragongo, one of the world's most active and dangerous volcanoes, erupted, turning the night sky an eerie red and sending a wall of orange lava downhill towards the lakeside city of about two million people.&nbsp;

Fifteen were killed, including nine in a traffic accident as residents fled, four, who tried to escape Munzenze prison in Goma and two, who were burned to death, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a statement.&nbsp;

That figure will likely rise considerably. A reporter saw two people getting killed by the initial eruption in a village north of Goma, and witnesses spoke of dead and missing relatives.&nbsp;

Haunted by memories of an eruption in 2002 that killed 250 people and left 120,000 homeless, residents fled on foot with their belongings, some towards the nearby border with Rwanda.&nbsp;

The International Federation of Red Cross said that between 3,000 and 5,000 fled into Rwanda on Saturday, many of them peasants and farmers with livestock. Some began returning on Sunday.&nbsp;

The eruption was caused when fractures opened in the volcano's side, causing lava flows in various directions.&nbsp;

As the sun rose on Sunday a smouldering black gash about half a mile wide could be seen on the outskirts of Goma, where the lava had cooled to rubble.&nbsp;

At some points it was three-storey high, engulfing even large buildings and sending smoke into the grey morning sky.&nbsp;

Residents in the Buhene district sorted through the mangled white remains of tin roofs or lifted rocks - tiny individual efforts in what will likely be a months-long campaign to restore the zone.&nbsp;

Elsewhere, groups of people posed for photos on the steaming lava.&nbsp;

In all, seventeen villages were hit, Muyaya said, and three health centres, a primary school and a water pipeline were destroyed.&nbsp;

Lava crossed a main road running north from Goma, severing a key aid and supply route, and the city's principle supply of electricity, delivered along a line run by the Congolese Water and Electricity Distribution Company, was cut.&nbsp;

A government delegation has been dispatched to Goma to help in the response, he said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A volcanic eruption in eastern Congo left a smoking trail of destruction half a mile wide on Sunday that buried hundreds of houses and left residents searching for missing loved ones, before halting just short of the city of Goma.

A volcanic eruption in eastern Congo left a smoking trail of destruction half a mile wide on Sunday that buried hundreds of houses and left residents searching for missing loved ones, before halting just short of the city of Goma. Goma was thrown into panic on Saturday evening as Mount Nyiragongo, one of the world's most active and dangerous volcanoes, erupted, turning the night sky an eerie red and sending a wall of orange lava downhill towards the lakeside city of about two million people. Fifteen were killed, including nine in a traffic accident as residents fled, four, who tried to escape Munzenze prison in Goma and two, who were burned to death, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a statement. That figure will likely rise considerably. A reporter saw two people getting killed by the initial eruption in a village north of Goma, and witnesses spoke of dead and missing relatives. Haunted by memories of an eruption in 2002 that killed 250 people and left 120,000 homeless, residents fled on foot with their belongings, some towards the nearby border with Rwanda. The International Federation of Red Cross said that between 3,000 and 5,000 fled into Rwanda on Saturday, many of them peasants and farmers with livestock. Some began returning on Sunday. The eruption was caused when fractures opened in the volcano's side, causing lava flows in various directions. As the sun rose on Sunday a smouldering black gash about half a mile wide could be seen on the outskirts of Goma, where the lava had cooled to rubble. At some points it was three-storey high, engulfing even large buildings and sending smoke into the grey morning sky. Residents in the Buhene district sorted through the mangled white remains of tin roofs or lifted rocks - tiny individual efforts in what will likely be a months-long campaign to restore the zone. Elsewhere, groups of people posed for photos on the steaming lava. In all, seventeen villages were hit, Muyaya said, and three health centres, a primary school and a water pipeline were destroyed. Lava crossed a main road running north from Goma, severing a key aid and supply route, and the city's principle supply of electricity, delivered along a line run by the Congolese Water and Electricity Distribution Company, was cut. A government delegation has been dispatched to Goma to help in the response, he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Congo volcano leaves death and smoking wreckage, but major city spared 

Lava from a volcanic eruption approached the airport of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's main city of Goma.

Massive volcano erupts in eastern Congo

Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupted for the first time in nearly two decades, turning the night sky a fiery red and sending lava onto a major highway as panicked residents tried to flee Goma.

Congo's Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupts after nearly 2 decades

Tourists&nbsp;who were near the crater the Nyiragongo&nbsp;volcano&nbsp;in the Democratic Republic Congo erupted are&nbsp;safe, the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) said Sunday.

Nor were the rare mountain&nbsp;gorillas&nbsp;in the Virunga National Park threatened by the&nbsp;eruption, the institute added.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lava-stops-short-of-congo-city-after-volcanic-eruption-386816">Lava stops short of Congo city after volcanic eruption</a>

"The&nbsp;tourists&nbsp;present yesterday at the crater are&nbsp;safe&nbsp;and sound", the institute, which oversees the wildlife sanctuary, said on Twitter, without indicating their numbers or nationalities.

The park, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, covers 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) of tropical rainforest that is notably home to the world's biggest population of eastern lowland&nbsp;gorillas.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congo-volcanic-eruption-indian-peacekeepers-play-key-role-in-saving-civilians-un-assets-386893">Congo volcanic eruption: Indian peacekeepers play key role in saving civilians, UN assets</a>

The Nyiragongo&nbsp;volcano, whose slopes of which dominate the city of Goma and Lake Kivu, erupted suddenly on Saturday night, sending thousands of residents fleeing in panic.

A vast river of molten lava came to a halt Sunday on the outskirts of Goma, sparing the city.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lava-stops-short-of-congo-city-after-volcanic-eruption-386816">Lava stops short of Congo city after volcanic eruption</a>

The Goma region is a zone of intense seismic activity, with six volcanos, including Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, which rise to 3,470 and 3,058 metres (11,384 and 10,033 feet) respectively.

Eruptions are frequent, not just from craters but from the sides of the volcanos.

Tourists who were near the crater the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic Congo erupted are safe, the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) said Sunday.

Tourists who were near the crater the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic Congo erupted are safe, the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) said Sunday. Nor were the rare mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park threatened by the eruption, the institute added. Also Read | Lava stops short of Congo city after volcanic eruption "The tourists present yesterday at the crater are safe and sound", the institute, which oversees the wildlife sanctuary, said on Twitter, without indicating their numbers or nationalities. The park, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, covers 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) of tropical rainforest that is notably home to the world's biggest population of eastern lowland gorillas. Also Read | Congo volcanic eruption: Indian peacekeepers play key role in saving civilians, UN assets The Nyiragongo volcano, whose slopes of which dominate the city of Goma and Lake Kivu, erupted suddenly on Saturday night, sending thousands of residents fleeing in panic. A vast river of molten lava came to a halt Sunday on the outskirts of Goma, sparing the city. Also Read | Lava stops short of Congo city after volcanic eruption The Goma region is a zone of intense seismic activity, with six volcanos, including Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, which rise to 3,470 and 3,058 metres (11,384 and 10,033 feet) respectively. Eruptions are frequent, not just from craters but from the sides of the volcanos.

Tourists and gorillas 'safe' after DRC volcano eruption

A smoking trail of lava from a volcanic eruption appeared to have halted a few hundred metres from the edge of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's main city on Sunday morning.

Goma, a lakeside city of about two million people, was thrown into panic on Saturday evening as the nearby Mount Nyiragongo erupted, turning the night sky an eerie red. Thousands fled with their belongings on foot, some towards the nearby border with Rwanda.

As the sun rose on Sunday, much of the hillside to the north of the town was burned black and houses had been demolished. The sky was again a cloudy gray.

"Local authorities who have been monitoring the eruption overnight report that the lava flow has lost intensity," government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said on Twitter on Sunday.

Nyiragongo's previous eruption in 2002 killed 250 people and left 120,000 homeless. It is one of the world's most active volcanoes and is considered among the most dangerous. Saturday's eruption appears to have been caused when fractures opened in the volcano's side, causing lava flows in various directions.

Experts were worried that the volcanic activity observed in the past five years at Nyiragongo mirrors that in the years preceding eruptions in 1977 and 2002.

The lava flow had stopped short of Goma's airport and the city limits but that surrounding villages were hit.&nbsp;Lava crossed a main road out of Goma, cutting if off from cities to the north. Traffic was in gridlock in most places as people tried to leave or return to assess the damage to their homes.

It was not possible to estimate material damage or if anyone had died.&nbsp;A separate lava flow that headed east over unpopulated terrain towards Rwanda also appeared to have stopped.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A smoking trail of lava from a volcanic eruption appeared to have halted a few hundred metres from the edge of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's main city on Sunday morning.

A smoking trail of lava from a volcanic eruption appeared to have halted a few hundred metres from the edge of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's main city on Sunday morning. Goma, a lakeside city of about two million people, was thrown into panic on Saturday evening as the nearby Mount Nyiragongo erupted, turning the night sky an eerie red. Thousands fled with their belongings on foot, some towards the nearby border with Rwanda. As the sun rose on Sunday, much of the hillside to the north of the town was burned black and houses had been demolished. The sky was again a cloudy gray. "Local authorities who have been monitoring the eruption overnight report that the lava flow has lost intensity," government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said on Twitter on Sunday. Nyiragongo's previous eruption in 2002 killed 250 people and left 120,000 homeless. It is one of the world's most active volcanoes and is considered among the most dangerous. Saturday's eruption appears to have been caused when fractures opened in the volcano's side, causing lava flows in various directions. Experts were worried that the volcanic activity observed in the past five years at Nyiragongo mirrors that in the years preceding eruptions in 1977 and 2002. The lava flow had stopped short of Goma's airport and the city limits but that surrounding villages were hit. Lava crossed a main road out of Goma, cutting if off from cities to the north. Traffic was in gridlock in most places as people tried to leave or return to assess the damage to their homes. It was not possible to estimate material damage or if anyone had died. A separate lava flow that headed east over unpopulated terrain towards Rwanda also appeared to have stopped. (With inputs from agencies)

Lava stops short of Congo city after volcanic eruption

Indian Army personnel&nbsp;working with the&nbsp;UN Peacekeeping Forces&nbsp;in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have played a key role in reaching out to the local population and saving UN assets amid a major volcanic eruption from Mount Nyiragongo.

Mount Nyiragongo is an active volcano which started spewing lava at 6.30 pm local time on Saturday sparking panic in nearby Goma town with a population of 600,000.

The Indian Army personnel are part of the MONUSCO or United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Indian Brigade Headquarters located adjacent to the Goma airfield. Within hours of the eruption, the Indian Brigade jumped into action to ensure there is no threat to UN and national assets and also made sure real-time updates on the volcanic eruption were passed on to United Nations.

The timely information by Indian peacekeepers, also known as "blue helmets"&nbsp;helped in bringing orderly civilian evacuation. &nbsp;

While the Indian Brigade HQ has been thinned out, with 70 per cent&nbsp;with camp being sent to Himbi Company Operating Base (COB) for safety,&nbsp;minimum strength continues to hold on to camp to ensure it continues to be in operation.&nbsp;

"Actions by the Indian contingent in the face of imminent danger has facilitated the smooth evacuation and protection of civilians and other UN personnel in Goma", Indian Army officials aware of the development on the ground told WION.&nbsp;

Indian Army has a brigade consisting of two Infantry Battalion groups, one level-III hospital, and sizeable strength of officers as military observers and staff officers in the mission. The total strength stands at around over 2,200.&nbsp;MONUSCO has 14,000 military personnel with India, its largest troop-contributing country. Other countries that are contributing troops to the UN mission in Congo are Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nepal, Brazil, Malawi, Ghana, Uruguay, and Tanzania.

MONUSCO took over from an earlier UN peacekeeping operation – the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) – on 1 July 2010. The new mission has been authorised to use all necessary means to carry out the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and support the central African country's government.

According to the latest updates, most of the lava has flown towards neighbouring Rwanda, with a small quantity flowing towards Goma city. The United Nations in an internal security alert had informed the various country contingents as of now no immediate evacuation is required. But a majority of the country contingents including aviation contingents have been evacuated.&nbsp;

As of now, according to the latest ground reports, lava is unlikely to reach Goma. Meanwhile, the area is witnessing earthquakes of very low intensity intermittently.

Indian Army personnel working with the UN Peacekeeping Forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have played a key role in reaching out to the local population and saving UN assets amid a major volcanic eruption from Mount Nyiragongo.

Indian Army personnel working with the UN Peacekeeping Forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have played a key role in reaching out to the local population and saving UN assets amid a major volcanic eruption from Mount Nyiragongo. Mount Nyiragongo is an active volcano which started spewing lava at 6.30 pm local time on Saturday sparking panic in nearby Goma town with a population of 600,000. The Indian Army personnel are part of the MONUSCO or United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Indian Brigade Headquarters located adjacent to the Goma airfield. Within hours of the eruption, the Indian Brigade jumped into action to ensure there is no threat to UN and national assets and also made sure real-time updates on the volcanic eruption were passed on to United Nations. The timely information by Indian peacekeepers, also known as "blue helmets" helped in bringing orderly civilian evacuation. While the Indian Brigade HQ has been thinned out, with 70 per cent with camp being sent to Himbi Company Operating Base (COB) for safety, minimum strength continues to hold on to camp to ensure it continues to be in operation. "Actions by the Indian contingent in the face of imminent danger has facilitated the smooth evacuation and protection of civilians and other UN personnel in Goma", Indian Army officials aware of the development on the ground told WION. Indian Army has a brigade consisting of two Infantry Battalion groups, one level-III hospital, and sizeable strength of officers as military observers and staff officers in the mission. The total strength stands at around over 2,200. MONUSCO has 14,000 military personnel with India, its largest troop-contributing country. Other countries that are contributing troops to the UN mission in Congo are Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nepal, Brazil, Malawi, Ghana, Uruguay, and Tanzania. MONUSCO took over from an earlier UN peacekeeping operation – the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) – on 1 July 2010. The new mission has been authorised to use all necessary means to carry out the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and support the central African country's government. According to the latest updates, most of the lava has flown towards neighbouring Rwanda, with a small quantity flowing towards Goma city. The United Nations in an internal security alert had informed the various country contingents as of now no immediate evacuation is required. But a majority of the country contingents including aviation contingents have been evacuated. As of now, according to the latest ground reports, lava is unlikely to reach Goma. Meanwhile, the area is witnessing earthquakes of very low intensity intermittently.

Congo volcanic eruption: Indian peacekeepers play key role in saving civilians, UN assets

Thirty people were sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday for their role in anti-police violence marking the end of Ramadan in the capital Kinshasa.

A policeman was killed on Thursday as rival Muslim groups fought over the right to mark the end of Ramadan at a major sports stadium, officials said.

The government has also confirmed that one policewoman is in critical condition and 46 others were injured with eight in a serious state.

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About ten police vehicles were damaged including one that was completely incinerated.

A total of 38 people who had been arrested appeared at Friday's trial.

The trial was broadcast live on public television and lasted until the early hours of Saturday.

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A lawyer for civil parties, Chief Tshipamba, told AFP 30 people were sentenced to death and a recording of the proceedings obtained by AFP confirmed the verdict.

DR Congo has not carried out death penalties since a moratorium was introduced in 2003. Since then, death sentences are commuted to life imprisonment.

Two rival factions have for years disputed the leadership of the DRC's Comico Muslim federation.

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While the case remains before the courts, the two sides remain at odds and occasionally come to blows.

Around 10 percent of the DRC's population are Muslim, most concentrated in the country's east.

But Kinshasa on the Congo river in the west of the vast central African country also traditionally sees mass celebrations for the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in public squares and on major roads.

Speaking with AFP reporters outside the stadium, dismayed worshipper Papy Okitankoyi Kimoto said it was "devastating to do a month of fasting only to have it end in guerilla street scenes like this".

Widely circulated images of the violence and of the injured police officers have prompted authorities to call for religious leaders to be held accountable.

DR Congo's minister of sports Serge Chembo Nkonde has sanctioned the managers of the stadium where the violence took place.

Thirty people were sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday for their role in anti-police violence marking the end of Ramadan in the capital Kinshasa.

Thirty people were sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday for their role in anti-police violence marking the end of Ramadan in the capital Kinshasa. A policeman was killed on Thursday as rival Muslim groups fought over the right to mark the end of Ramadan at a major sports stadium, officials said. The government has also confirmed that one policewoman is in critical condition and 46 others were injured with eight in a serious state. Also read | Sex abuse row tarnishes WHO in Congo About ten police vehicles were damaged including one that was completely incinerated. A total of 38 people who had been arrested appeared at Friday's trial. The trial was broadcast live on public television and lasted until the early hours of Saturday. Also read | Islamist militia kills Malawian peacekeeper in east Congo: UN A lawyer for civil parties, Chief Tshipamba, told AFP 30 people were sentenced to death and a recording of the proceedings obtained by AFP confirmed the verdict. DR Congo has not carried out death penalties since a moratorium was introduced in 2003. Since then, death sentences are commuted to life imprisonment. Two rival factions have for years disputed the leadership of the DRC's Comico Muslim federation. Also read | Congo declares state of siege over eastern bloodshed While the case remains before the courts, the two sides remain at odds and occasionally come to blows. Around 10 percent of the DRC's population are Muslim, most concentrated in the country's east. But Kinshasa on the Congo river in the west of the vast central African country also traditionally sees mass celebrations for the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in public squares and on major roads. Speaking with AFP reporters outside the stadium, dismayed worshipper Papy Okitankoyi Kimoto said it was "devastating to do a month of fasting only to have it end in guerilla street scenes like this". Widely circulated images of the violence and of the injured police officers have prompted authorities to call for religious leaders to be held accountable. DR Congo's minister of sports Serge Chembo Nkonde has sanctioned the managers of the stadium where the violence took place.

30 sentenced to death over anti-police clashes in DR Congo

A guardian angel turned predator: that's the best way to describe the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is the agency set up to lead the world to make a healthy planet. Instead it is mired in controversies and petty politics. First, they failed to warn the world about the pandemic.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-who-silences-sex-abuse-survivors-384627/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It is a broken organisation as it missed all the warnings and signs about the pandemic and the leadership couldn't care less about what's happening.

Thugs and perverts have infiltrated its ranks. Now reports have emerged about horrors unleashed by WHO officials in Congo, with Dr Tedros and his friends complicit with their silence.

Bouba car Diallo, a doctor from Canada, was in Congo managing the WHO's campaign against Ebola in 2019.&nbsp;

The same year he approached a Congolese nurse with a job offer. Her name was Shekina. Back then she was working as a nurse's aid in northeastern Congo, a region infested with violence and disease.

Nurses in Congo are doing god's work but they are paid practically nothing, so Shekina took up the job offer and that's when Dr Diallo started demanding sexual favours from her.

It is a classic example of a man misusing his position of power. On the one side was Diallo - an influential doctor from the West backed by the WHO. On the other was Shekina - a nurse who has known nothing but war and poverty.

She had no option but to accept.&nbsp;

"The economic crisis pushed me to accept this offer but I also saw that he was a great leader within the WHO, that he has a lot of influence within the WHO, so, I had no other choice but to sleep with him," Shekina said.

The WHO says its motto is to serve the vulnerable but in Congo, its doctors were preying on the vulnerable. The WHO has dozens of predators in its ranks and systemic abuse of women is a pan-organisation problem.

Another doctor, Jean-Paul Ngandu in Congo impregnated a local woman and later denied being the child's father, so the woman turned to the WHO for help. However, the organisation filed no complaint and did not punish Ngandu. Instead it covered it up.

Ngandu signed a contract with the woman and promised to pay her $100 per month until the child was born. He also bought her some land.&nbsp;Two WHO staffers including a manager signed as a witness to this contract.&nbsp;

The abusive doctor bought the woman's silence and the WHO signed off on it. In October 2020, Dr Tedros finally addressed the issue.

"We will not tolerate behaviour like this from our staff, contractors or partners. Anyone identified as being involved will be held to account and face serious consequences, including immediate dismissal," the WHO director-general said.

Dr Tedros wants people to believe that he was unaware of the reports and that he wouldn't put up with such behavior.

However, the truth is something else.

WHO's internal e-mails and staffers tell a different story. The leadership was informed of Diallo's misconduct in 2019 itself but they decided to not take the matter further because the agency's reputation was at stake.

The same happened with Dr Ngandu.

An e-mail written by a staffer to doctor Michael Yao, who&nbsp;was the WHO's emergency operations manager at the time, said: “We cannot afford to have people tarnishing the sweat and effort of individuals sacrificing themselves through inappropriate sexual harassment and bullying.”

One week after the e-mail was sent, Ngandu signed the contract. He says his WHO colleagues advised him to settle out of court. However, the fact is the WHO was more concerned about optics than justice. They launched an internal probe into doctor Diallo but not even a single accuser was interviewed.

Some of the female staffers are losing patience with the leadership. They say the WHO has ignored sex abuse issues for years and this is the organisation tasked with creating a safer, healthier world.

A guardian angel turned predator: that's the best way to describe the World Health Organization (WHO). It is the agency set up to lead the world to make a healthy planet.

A guardian angel turned predator: that's the best way to describe the World Health Organization (WHO). It is the agency set up to lead the world to make a healthy planet. Instead it is mired in controversies and petty politics. First, they failed to warn the world about the pandemic. Watch: It is a broken organisation as it missed all the warnings and signs about the pandemic and the leadership couldn't care less about what's happening. Thugs and perverts have infiltrated its ranks. Now reports have emerged about horrors unleashed by WHO officials in Congo, with Dr Tedros and his friends complicit with their silence. Bouba car Diallo, a doctor from Canada, was in Congo managing the WHO's campaign against Ebola in 2019. The same year he approached a Congolese nurse with a job offer. Her name was Shekina. Back then she was working as a nurse's aid in northeastern Congo, a region infested with violence and disease. Nurses in Congo are doing god's work but they are paid practically nothing, so Shekina took up the job offer and that's when Dr Diallo started demanding sexual favours from her. It is a classic example of a man misusing his position of power. On the one side was Diallo - an influential doctor from the West backed by the WHO. On the other was Shekina - a nurse who has known nothing but war and poverty. She had no option but to accept. "The economic crisis pushed me to accept this offer but I also saw that he was a great leader within the WHO, that he has a lot of influence within the WHO, so, I had no other choice but to sleep with him," Shekina said. The WHO says its motto is to serve the vulnerable but in Congo, its doctors were preying on the vulnerable. The WHO has dozens of predators in its ranks and systemic abuse of women is a pan-organisation problem. Another doctor, Jean-Paul Ngandu in Congo impregnated a local woman and later denied being the child's father, so the woman turned to the WHO for help. However, the organisation filed no complaint and did not punish Ngandu. Instead it covered it up. Ngandu signed a contract with the woman and promised to pay her $100 per month until the child was born. He also bought her some land. Two WHO staffers including a manager signed as a witness to this contract. The abusive doctor bought the woman's silence and the WHO signed off on it. In October 2020, Dr Tedros finally addressed the issue. "We will not tolerate behaviour like this from our staff, contractors or partners. Anyone identified as being involved will be held to account and face serious consequences, including immediate dismissal," the WHO director-general said. Dr Tedros wants people to believe that he was unaware of the reports and that he wouldn't put up with such behavior. However, the truth is something else. WHO's internal e-mails and staffers tell a different story. The leadership was informed of Diallo's misconduct in 2019 itself but they decided to not take the matter further because the agency's reputation was at stake. The same happened with Dr Ngandu. An e-mail written by a staffer to doctor Michael Yao, who was the WHO's emergency operations manager at the time, said: “We cannot afford to have people tarnishing the sweat and effort of individuals sacrificing themselves through inappropriate sexual harassment and bullying.” One week after the e-mail was sent, Ngandu signed the contract. He says his WHO colleagues advised him to settle out of court. However, the fact is the WHO was more concerned about optics than justice. They launched an internal probe into doctor Diallo but not even a single accuser was interviewed. Some of the female staffers are losing patience with the leadership. They say the WHO has ignored sex abuse issues for years and this is the organisation tasked with creating a safer, healthier world.

Sex abuse row tarnishes WHO in Congo

W.H.O officials silenced sex abuse survivors in Congo in an attempt to protect the agency's reputation. Palki Sharma tells you how thugs and perverts have infiltrated the W.H.O ranks and why Director-General Tedros remains a spectator.

Gravitas: W.H.O silences sex abuse survivors

A female peacekeeper from Malawi was killed in an attack by an Islamist militia in eastern Congo`s North Kivu province on Monday morning, the U.N. and the Malawian government said. 
 
A local civil rights group said separately that fighters with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist armed group with Ugandan origins, attacked the village of Kilia, around 18km southeast of Beni in the province, killing at least five people. It was not clear if that figure included the peacekeeper. 
 
"A peacekeeper was killed in an attack by alleged ADF in the Beni region," said MONUSCO, the U.N. peacekeeping mission, which has deployed around 12,000 troops to contain violence by more than 120 armed groups in the east of the country. 
 
Chitenji Kamanga, 28, was killed when the UN&nbsp;base in the village of Kilia, was attacked at 13:30 local time, the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) said in a statement. 
 
"Malawi has lost a courageous, hardworking and disciplined female soldier," the MDF said. 
 
In March the United States labelled the ADF a foreign terrorist organisation because of alleged links to Islamic State group, although the UN&nbsp;has consistently downplayed the strength and nature of Islamic State`s influence in Congo. 
 
The last peacekeeper killed in Congo was an Indonesian national on June 22 last year. More than 370 have been killed since the UN&nbsp;first sent troops during the civil war in 1999. 
 
The ADF, which has been active in Congo since the 1990s, has carried out a string of reprisal attacks on civilians since the army began operations against it in late 2019, killing around 850 people last year, according to the UN.

A female peacekeeper from Malawi was killed in an attack by an Islamist militia in eastern Congo`s North Kivu province on Monday morning, the U.N. and the Malawian government said.

A female peacekeeper from Malawi was killed in an attack by an Islamist militia in eastern Congo`s North Kivu province on Monday morning, the U.N. and the Malawian government said. A local civil rights group said separately that fighters with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist armed group with Ugandan origins, attacked the village of Kilia, around 18km southeast of Beni in the province, killing at least five people. It was not clear if that figure included the peacekeeper. "A peacekeeper was killed in an attack by alleged ADF in the Beni region," said MONUSCO, the U.N. peacekeeping mission, which has deployed around 12,000 troops to contain violence by more than 120 armed groups in the east of the country. Chitenji Kamanga, 28, was killed when the UN base in the village of Kilia, was attacked at 13:30 local time, the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) said in a statement. "Malawi has lost a courageous, hardworking and disciplined female soldier," the MDF said. In March the United States labelled the ADF a foreign terrorist organisation because of alleged links to Islamic State group, although the UN has consistently downplayed the strength and nature of Islamic State`s influence in Congo. The last peacekeeper killed in Congo was an Indonesian national on June 22 last year. More than 370 have been killed since the UN first sent troops during the civil war in 1999. The ADF, which has been active in Congo since the 1990s, has carried out a string of reprisal attacks on civilians since the army began operations against it in late 2019, killing around 850 people last year, according to the UN.

Islamist militia kills Malawian peacekeeper in east Congo: UN

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Friday declared a state of siege over the worsening violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu that has killed hundreds this year and displaced more than 1.5 million. &nbsp;

A surge in attacks by armed militias and inter-communal violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have killed over 300 people since the start of the year as government troops and UN peacekeepers struggle to stabilise the mineral-rich territory. &nbsp;

Announcing Tshisekedi's decision, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said, "The objective is to swiftly end the insecurity which is killing our fellow citizens in that part of the country on a daily basis."&nbsp;

He did not say what steps would be taken next under the state of siege in the two affected regions.&nbsp;

On Friday armed police in North Kivu’s regional hub of Beni dispersed students, who were staging an eight-day sit-in at the town hall to draw attention to the worsening security situation. Several students were wounded and others were arrested, according to a witness.&nbsp;

A Ugandan insurgent faction active in eastern Congo since the 1990s called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is believed to be responsible for much of the recent bloodshed. &nbsp;

It has committed a spate of brutal reprisal attacks on civilians since the army began operations against it in late 2019, killing around 850 people last year, according to UN figures.&nbsp;

The violence has fuelled a humanitarian crisis with more than 1.6 million people displaced in Ituri out of a total population of 5.7 million people, UNICEF said in April. Some 2.8 million people there are in need of some form of emergency assistance, it said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Friday declared a state of siege over the worsening violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu that has killed hundreds this year and displaced more than 1.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Friday declared a state of siege over the worsening violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu that has killed hundreds this year and displaced more than 1.5 million. A surge in attacks by armed militias and inter-communal violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have killed over 300 people since the start of the year as government troops and UN peacekeepers struggle to stabilise the mineral-rich territory. Announcing Tshisekedi's decision, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said, "The objective is to swiftly end the insecurity which is killing our fellow citizens in that part of the country on a daily basis." He did not say what steps would be taken next under the state of siege in the two affected regions. On Friday armed police in North Kivu’s regional hub of Beni dispersed students, who were staging an eight-day sit-in at the town hall to draw attention to the worsening security situation. Several students were wounded and others were arrested, according to a witness. A Ugandan insurgent faction active in eastern Congo since the 1990s called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is believed to be responsible for much of the recent bloodshed. It has committed a spate of brutal reprisal attacks on civilians since the army began operations against it in late 2019, killing around 850 people last year, according to UN figures. The violence has fuelled a humanitarian crisis with more than 1.6 million people displaced in Ituri out of a total population of 5.7 million people, UNICEF said in April. Some 2.8 million people there are in need of some form of emergency assistance, it said. (With inputs from agencies)

Congo declares state of siege over eastern bloodshed 

The Democratic Republic of&nbsp;Congo&nbsp;accused Uganda of "barbarity" Tuesday in a fresh bid at the UN's top court to extract billions of dollars in compensation over a brutal war two decades ago.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 2005 that Uganda had to pay Kinshasa reparations for invading its vast central African neighbour during a 1998-2003 war that left three million people dead.

The case is now back before the Hague-based ICJ, which must make a final ruling on the amount of compensation after the two squabbling countries failed to reach an agreement through negotiations.

"The armed conflict led by Uganda was very large scale. A five-year occupation followed by very serious breaches of human rights that were verging on barbarity," the DRC's legal agent Paul-Crispin Kakhozi Bin-Bulongo told the court.

Congolese officials said at the time of the original decision that they would claim between $6 billion to $10 billion from Kampala.

They had expected Uganda to "fully assume its responsiblity for the injury caused and a substantial contribution", but that had not happened in the end, Bin-Bulongo added.

"The judgment said parties should seek agreement in good faith... Unfortunately Uganda never acted in the same spirit."

Kinshasa filed a new application in 2015, asking the 75-year-old world court to reopen the case and to make a finding on reparations as negotiations failed.&nbsp;

The ICJ, in its 2005 ruling, however also said that Uganda was entitled to compensation after its embassy in Kinshasa was attacked and its diplomats abused.

The conflict at it its height drew in some nine African countries, with Uganda and Rwanda backing rebel forces against the Kinshasa government as they jostled for control of the mineral-rich Ituri region.

Uganda's representatives will state their case for a counter-claim on Thursday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo accused Uganda of "barbarity" Tuesday in a fresh bid at the UN's top court to extract billions of dollars in compensation over a brutal war two decades ago.

The Democratic Republic of Congo accused Uganda of "barbarity" Tuesday in a fresh bid at the UN's top court to extract billions of dollars in compensation over a brutal war two decades ago. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2005 that Uganda had to pay Kinshasa reparations for invading its vast central African neighbour during a 1998-2003 war that left three million people dead. The case is now back before the Hague-based ICJ, which must make a final ruling on the amount of compensation after the two squabbling countries failed to reach an agreement through negotiations. "The armed conflict led by Uganda was very large scale. A five-year occupation followed by very serious breaches of human rights that were verging on barbarity," the DRC's legal agent Paul-Crispin Kakhozi Bin-Bulongo told the court. Congolese officials said at the time of the original decision that they would claim between $6 billion to $10 billion from Kampala. They had expected Uganda to "fully assume its responsiblity for the injury caused and a substantial contribution", but that had not happened in the end, Bin-Bulongo added. "The judgment said parties should seek agreement in good faith... Unfortunately Uganda never acted in the same spirit." Kinshasa filed a new application in 2015, asking the 75-year-old world court to reopen the case and to make a finding on reparations as negotiations failed. The ICJ, in its 2005 ruling, however also said that Uganda was entitled to compensation after its embassy in Kinshasa was attacked and its diplomats abused. The conflict at it its height drew in some nine African countries, with Uganda and Rwanda backing rebel forces against the Kinshasa government as they jostled for control of the mineral-rich Ituri region. Uganda's representatives will state their case for a counter-claim on Thursday.

DR Congo claims billions for Uganda 'barbarity'

DR Congo's Catholic Church on Thursday hit out at what it called "Islamisation" in the troubled east of the country, where a notorious militia group has carried out a string of massacres.

At a news conference, Congolese prelates released a message saying civilians who had escaped after being abducted by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia, historically a Ugandan Islamist group, had spoken of being "forced to convert to Islam".

The message denounced the "Islamisation of the region to the detriment of religious freedom."

Asked to elaborate, Church spokesman Donatien Nshole said: "The problem here is a faction of Islam that forces people to become Muslim."

Nshole, an abbot, stressed that the Church had "very good relations" with Islam, but described this development as "scary".

The Church's peace and justice commission "is deepening its investigation into the matter," he added. 
The ADF is the bloodiest among dozens of militias that roam eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, many of them a legacy of two regional wars in the 1990s.

On March 11, the United States said the ADF was linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. 
The prelates' message also said thousands of people have been killed or kidnapped in the region since 2013, and at least three million people have been displaced.

In the Beni region of North Kivu province alone, more than 6,000 people have been killed since 2013, while another 2,000 lives were claimed in neighbouring Ituri province just last year, Nshole said. 
Around 7,500 have been kidnapped in the two regions last year, he added.

The prelates' message also denounced "the occupation of land (and) illegal exploitation of natural resources" as well as widespread torching of villages, destruction and closure of schools and health clinics, sacking of administrative buildings and the looting of livestock and farmland in the region.

After a joint mission by the Central African Catholic Church (ACEAC) and the DRC's Church (CENCO) in the region, they concluded that the Congolese army's operations had had "mixed" results.

Violent protest

They said the soldiers were underpaid and alleged that their pay and rations were embezzled, decreasing their motivation.

Local sources said the major cities of Beni and Butembo were "paralysed" on Monday on the first day of protest strikes over the continuing massacres of civilians which the army and UN peacekeepers have failed to stop.

Beni saw strike action for a fourth day running on Thursday, with schools and shops closed and the streets deserted.

Police violently broke up a demonstration using bats and rifle butts, according to local NGO Lucha, or Movement for Change, which shot video of the unrest.

A police spokesman in Beni told AFP that protesters threw stones at police and 57 people had been arrested.

DR Congo's Catholic Church on Thursday hit out at what it called "Islamisation" in the troubled east of the country, where a notorious militia group has carried out a string of massacres.

DR Congo's Catholic Church on Thursday hit out at what it called "Islamisation" in the troubled east of the country, where a notorious militia group has carried out a string of massacres. At a news conference, Congolese prelates released a message saying civilians who had escaped after being abducted by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia, historically a Ugandan Islamist group, had spoken of being "forced to convert to Islam". The message denounced the "Islamisation of the region to the detriment of religious freedom." Asked to elaborate, Church spokesman Donatien Nshole said: "The problem here is a faction of Islam that forces people to become Muslim." Nshole, an abbot, stressed that the Church had "very good relations" with Islam, but described this development as "scary". The Church's peace and justice commission "is deepening its investigation into the matter," he added. The ADF is the bloodiest among dozens of militias that roam eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, many of them a legacy of two regional wars in the 1990s. On March 11, the United States said the ADF was linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. The prelates' message also said thousands of people have been killed or kidnapped in the region since 2013, and at least three million people have been displaced. In the Beni region of North Kivu province alone, more than 6,000 people have been killed since 2013, while another 2,000 lives were claimed in neighbouring Ituri province just last year, Nshole said. Around 7,500 have been kidnapped in the two regions last year, he added. The prelates' message also denounced "the occupation of land (and) illegal exploitation of natural resources" as well as widespread torching of villages, destruction and closure of schools and health clinics, sacking of administrative buildings and the looting of livestock and farmland in the region. After a joint mission by the Central African Catholic Church (ACEAC) and the DRC's Church (CENCO) in the region, they concluded that the Congolese army's operations had had "mixed" results. Violent protest They said the soldiers were underpaid and alleged that their pay and rations were embezzled, decreasing their motivation. Local sources said the major cities of Beni and Butembo were "paralysed" on Monday on the first day of protest strikes over the continuing massacres of civilians which the army and UN peacekeepers have failed to stop. Beni saw strike action for a fourth day running on Thursday, with schools and shops closed and the streets deserted. Police violently broke up a demonstration using bats and rifle butts, according to local NGO Lucha, or Movement for Change, which shot video of the unrest. A police spokesman in Beni told AFP that protesters threw stones at police and 57 people had been arrested.

DR Congo's Catholic Church warns of 'Islamisation' in east

The latest round of talks between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Kinshasa have ended with no progress. The meeting of the delegations from three countries were held in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sudan-Egypt-Ethiopia talks over dam fail in Kinshasa

A record 27.3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing acute hunger, one-third of the violence-wracked central African country's population, two UN agencies warned on Tuesday. 
 
The DRC is "home to the highest number of people in urgent need of food security assistance in the world," the World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organization said in a joint statement, describing the scale of the crisis as "staggering." 
 
They said one in three people -- a record high -- are now critically hungry in a country that has immense natural wealth, including vast deposits of diamonds. 
 
"Conflict remains a key cause of hunger with large swathes of the conflict-affected eastern provinces of Ituri, North and South Kivu and Tanganyika, as well as the central region of Kasais, the scene of recent conflict, the worst hit," the statement said. 
 
The Covid-19 pandemic and an economic downturn have also contributed to the crisis, it added. 
 
The agencies said some families have been surviving by eating only taro, a tuber that grows wild, or only cassava leaves boiled in water. 
 
"This country should be able to feed its population and export a surplus," said Peter Musoko, WFP's country representative. "We cannot have children going to bed hungry and families skipping meals for an entire day." 
 
The WFP said it needed $662 million this year to avoid plunging millions of people in desperate need of aid further into hunger. 
 
The most affected populations, it said, are mainly more than 5.2 million displaced people, alongside refugees from the Central African Republic and female-headed households. 
 
"Added to this are the poorest populations in urban and peri-urban areas and those living in landlocked areas with low purchasing power and access to food through markets," the statement said. 
 
More than 100 armed groups roam eastern Democratic of Congo, many of them a legacy of wars in the 1990s that sucked in countries from around central Africa.

&nbsp;

A record 27.3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing acute hunger, one-third of the violence-wracked central African country's population, two UN agencies warned on Tuesday.

A record 27.3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing acute hunger, one-third of the violence-wracked central African country's population, two UN agencies warned on Tuesday. The DRC is "home to the highest number of people in urgent need of food security assistance in the world," the World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organization said in a joint statement, describing the scale of the crisis as "staggering." They said one in three people -- a record high -- are now critically hungry in a country that has immense natural wealth, including vast deposits of diamonds. "Conflict remains a key cause of hunger with large swathes of the conflict-affected eastern provinces of Ituri, North and South Kivu and Tanganyika, as well as the central region of Kasais, the scene of recent conflict, the worst hit," the statement said. The Covid-19 pandemic and an economic downturn have also contributed to the crisis, it added. The agencies said some families have been surviving by eating only taro, a tuber that grows wild, or only cassava leaves boiled in water. "This country should be able to feed its population and export a surplus," said Peter Musoko, WFP's country representative. "We cannot have children going to bed hungry and families skipping meals for an entire day." The WFP said it needed $662 million this year to avoid plunging millions of people in desperate need of aid further into hunger. The most affected populations, it said, are mainly more than 5.2 million displaced people, alongside refugees from the Central African Republic and female-headed households. "Added to this are the poorest populations in urban and peri-urban areas and those living in landlocked areas with low purchasing power and access to food through markets," the statement said. More than 100 armed groups roam eastern Democratic of Congo, many of them a legacy of wars in the 1990s that sucked in countries from around central Africa.

One in three people critically hungry in DR Congo, says UN

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 23 civilians in an overnight raid on a village near Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the provincial governor's office said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The death toll was still provisional as the search for bodies continued in&nbsp;Manyama-Moliso, north of the city of Beni, the North Kivu governor's office said on Twitter.&nbsp;

It blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan militia active in eastern Congo since the 1990s. The authorities have blamed the ADF for the deaths of hundreds of people since 2014.&nbsp;

The group has stepped up reprisals against civilians since Congo's army launched a fresh offensive in late 2019.&nbsp;

The United States designated the ADF a foreign terrorist&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;earlier this month, accusing it of links to Islamic State. UN experts in Congo, however, have not found evidence of a direct relationship between the two groups.&nbsp;

Two of the assailants were also killed when the army responded, the governor's office added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 23 civilians in an overnight raid on a village near Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the provincial governor's office said on Wednesday.

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 23 civilians in an overnight raid on a village near Beni in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the provincial governor's office said on Wednesday. The death toll was still provisional as the search for bodies continued in Manyama-Moliso, north of the city of Beni, the North Kivu governor's office said on Twitter. It blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan militia active in eastern Congo since the 1990s. The authorities have blamed the ADF for the deaths of hundreds of people since 2014. The group has stepped up reprisals against civilians since Congo's army launched a fresh offensive in late 2019. The United States designated the ADF a foreign terrorist organisation earlier this month, accusing it of links to Islamic State. UN experts in Congo, however, have not found evidence of a direct relationship between the two groups. Two of the assailants were also killed when the army responded, the governor's office added. (With inputs from agencies)

Suspected Islamists kill 23 civilians in eastern Congo 

The main opposition challenger in Congo Republic's March 21 presidential election Guy Brice&nbsp;Parfiat&nbsp;Kolelas,&nbsp;who was sick in hospital with Covid-19 has died at 61, a spokesman said on Monday.&nbsp;

Kolelas's&nbsp;election campaign said on Sunday that the former minister was in hospital with Covid-19 and could be evacuated to France.&nbsp;

The spokesman Justin&nbsp;Nzoloufoua&nbsp;declined to give the cause of death, but said&nbsp;Kolelas&nbsp;died while he was being evacuated for medical treatment.&nbsp;

Kolelas&nbsp;released a video from his hospital bed late on Saturday. Breathing heavily and holding an oxygen mask next to his face, he said he was&nbsp;'battling against death'&nbsp;but urged Congolese to&nbsp;'go vote for change'.&nbsp;

Kolelas, the son of former Prime Minister Bernard&nbsp;Kolelas, came second in the 2016 presidential election. He was seen as the main challenger to President Denis&nbsp;Sassou&nbsp;Nguesso,&nbsp;who is seeking to extend his 36-year rule in Congo.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The main opposition challenger in Congo Republic's March 21 presidential election Guy Brice Parfiat Kolelas, who was sick in hospital with Covid-19 has died at 61, a spokesman said on Monday.

The main opposition challenger in Congo Republic's March 21 presidential election Guy Brice Parfiat Kolelas, who was sick in hospital with Covid-19 has died at 61, a spokesman said on Monday. Kolelas's election campaign said on Sunday that the former minister was in hospital with Covid-19 and could be evacuated to France. The spokesman Justin Nzoloufoua declined to give the cause of death, but said Kolelas died while he was being evacuated for medical treatment. Kolelas released a video from his hospital bed late on Saturday. Breathing heavily and holding an oxygen mask next to his face, he said he was 'battling against death' but urged Congolese to 'go vote for change'. Kolelas, the son of former Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas, came second in the 2016 presidential election. He was seen as the main challenger to President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who is seeking to extend his 36-year rule in Congo. (With inputs from agencies)

Congo Republic opposition presidential candidate Kolelas dies at 61 

Child soldiers and other victims of convicted Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda should get a total of $30 million compensation, International Criminal Court judges ruled on Monday, in their highest ever reparation order.&nbsp;

The judges said Ntaganda did not have the resources to pay the compensation himself. Instead, they asked the tribunal's own Trust Fund to help set up and finance vocational and other programmes to support victims of his crimes.&nbsp;

Ntaganda was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2019 for murder, rape and other atrocities committed when he was military chief of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002-2003.&nbsp;

Hundreds of civilians were killed and many thousands forced to flee during the fighting.&nbsp;

"The chamber hereby unanimously issues an order for reparations against mister Ntaganda (and) assesses mister Ntaganda's liability for these reparations at 30 million US dollars," judge Chang-ho Chung said.&nbsp;

As Ntaganda could not pay, "the Chamber encourages the Trust Fund for Victims to complement the reparation awards to the extent possible and engage in additional fundraising efforts as necessary to complement the totality of the award," he added.&nbsp;

In 2020 the fund, which relies on voluntary contributions, had around 18 million euros in reserves and much of that was already pledged in other cases.&nbsp;

Victims eligible for the reparations programme include victims of attacks led by Ntaganda, child soldiers under his command, rape victims and children born out of rape.&nbsp;

The judges awarded collective reparations, meaning there will be no individual pay outs. Any money will instead go to charities or funds set up to help victims.&nbsp;

Ntaganda is appealing against his conviction.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Child soldiers and other victims of convicted Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda should get a total of $30 million compensation, International Criminal Court judges ruled on Monday, in their highest ever reparation order.

Child soldiers and other victims of convicted Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda should get a total of $30 million compensation, International Criminal Court judges ruled on Monday, in their highest ever reparation order. The judges said Ntaganda did not have the resources to pay the compensation himself. Instead, they asked the tribunal's own Trust Fund to help set up and finance vocational and other programmes to support victims of his crimes. Ntaganda was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2019 for murder, rape and other atrocities committed when he was military chief of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002-2003. Hundreds of civilians were killed and many thousands forced to flee during the fighting. "The chamber hereby unanimously issues an order for reparations against mister Ntaganda (and) assesses mister Ntaganda's liability for these reparations at 30 million US dollars," judge Chang-ho Chung said. As Ntaganda could not pay, "the Chamber encourages the Trust Fund for Victims to complement the reparation awards to the extent possible and engage in additional fundraising efforts as necessary to complement the totality of the award," he added. In 2020 the fund, which relies on voluntary contributions, had around 18 million euros in reserves and much of that was already pledged in other cases. Victims eligible for the reparations programme include victims of attacks led by Ntaganda, child soldiers under his command, rape victims and children born out of rape. The judges awarded collective reparations, meaning there will be no individual pay outs. Any money will instead go to charities or funds set up to help victims. Ntaganda is appealing against his conviction. (With inputs from agencies)

ICC orders record $30 million compensation for Congo victims 

Assailants killed a dozen people in two overnight attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the army, a witness and a local rights group said on Wednesday, blaming an Islamist militia.

The army said fighters launched their assault on the towns of Oicha and Kisima in North Kivu Province.

President Felix Tshisekedi has said he wants to end decades of unrest in the mineral-rich east, but killings there have more than doubled in the last year, according to the United Nations.

In late 2019 the Congo army began a campaign to eliminate the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan militia that has been operating in the vast country since the 1990s. The ADF responded with a series of retaliatory massacres of civilians.

"We have just launched a new operation in the Rwenzori sector in a bid to drive the ADF enemy out of the Congolese territory," army spokesman Antony Mwalushayi said.

"The problem is that we have an enemy that attacks the defenceless."

The army did not confirm the death toll from the latest raids, but a civil rights activist in Kisima said the attackers killed 10 people in Kisima and two in Oicha using knives and machetes.

"We are farmers but they don`t want us to even have access to our fields - that`s killing us twice. They`ve also burned down several houses and taken some of the inhabitants into the bush," activist Roger Masimango said.

"They killed my father and my brothers," said Kavuva Blaise, who witnessed the attack on Kisima. "I was saved by a miracle. They were so numerous and spoke in a foreign language - that is what made me believe that it was really the ADF."

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several suspected ADF attacks in the past, but U.N. experts in the region have found no direct link between the two groups.

Assailants killed a dozen people in two overnight attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the army, a witness and a local rights group said on Wednesday, blaming an Islamist militia.

Assailants killed a dozen people in two overnight attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the army, a witness and a local rights group said on Wednesday, blaming an Islamist militia. The army said fighters launched their assault on the towns of Oicha and Kisima in North Kivu Province. President Felix Tshisekedi has said he wants to end decades of unrest in the mineral-rich east, but killings there have more than doubled in the last year, according to the United Nations. In late 2019 the Congo army began a campaign to eliminate the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan militia that has been operating in the vast country since the 1990s. The ADF responded with a series of retaliatory massacres of civilians. "We have just launched a new operation in the Rwenzori sector in a bid to drive the ADF enemy out of the Congolese territory," army spokesman Antony Mwalushayi said. "The problem is that we have an enemy that attacks the defenceless." The army did not confirm the death toll from the latest raids, but a civil rights activist in Kisima said the attackers killed 10 people in Kisima and two in Oicha using knives and machetes. "We are farmers but they don`t want us to even have access to our fields - that`s killing us twice. They`ve also burned down several houses and taken some of the inhabitants into the bush," activist Roger Masimango said. "They killed my father and my brothers," said Kavuva Blaise, who witnessed the attack on Kisima. "I was saved by a miracle. They were so numerous and spoke in a foreign language - that is what made me believe that it was really the ADF." Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several suspected ADF attacks in the past, but U.N. experts in the region have found no direct link between the two groups.

Suspected Islamists kill a dozen people in eastern Congo attacks

The bodies of the Italian ambassador and police officer have arrived in Italy. Italy's ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo Luka Attanasio and Officer Vittorio Lacovacci were shot while driving the World Food Programme convoy.

Envoy, Officer were assassinated, bodies reach in Italy

The Italian ambassador to Congo and an Italian Carabinieri police officer were killed Monday while travelling in Congo in a UN convoy, the Foreign Ministry said.

Italian ambassador to DR Congo dies in attack

Rwandan Hutu rebels on Tuesday denied accusations they were behind the killing of the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo and instead blamed the armies of the DRC and Rwanda, as further details emerged about the attack.&nbsp;

Luca Attanasio, 43, died on Monday after a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy was ambushed in a dangerous part of eastern DRC.&nbsp;

The envoy's Italian bodyguard, Vittorio Iacovacci, and a Congolese driver, who has not been identified also died on the field trip.&nbsp;

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The DRC's interior ministry on Monday blamed the killings on 'members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)', Rwandan Hutu rebel group that has plagued the region for more than a quarter of a century.&nbsp;

But the FDLR rejected the allegation, blaming the Rwandan army and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) for the attack in a statement received on Tuesday. &nbsp; &nbsp;

It said the ambassador's convoy was attacked near the Rwandan border, 'not far from a position of the FARDC'.&nbsp;

"The responsibility for this despicable killing is to be found in the ranks of these two armies and their sponsors, who have forged an unnatural alliance to perpetuate the pillaging of eastern DRC," it said.&nbsp;

The FDLR called on Kinshasa and UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO to 'shed light' on the killings 'instead of resorting to hasty accusations'.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italian-ambassador-luca-attanasio-killed-in-dr-congo-during-kidnapping-attempt-365444">Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio killed in DR Congo during kidnapping attempt</a>

The DRC and Rwanda authorities have not reported the presence of any regular Rwandan troops in the DRC.&nbsp;

But an expert at the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), a US monitor, said the Hutu rebel group has a known presence in the region. &nbsp;

"The FDLR are near the place where the attack took place. It's in the realm of possibility that the Rwandan rebels are responsible for this attack," the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

Rwandan Hutu rebels on Tuesday denied accusations they were behind the killing of the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo and instead blamed the armies of the DRC and Rwanda, as further details emerged about the attack.

Rwandan Hutu rebels on Tuesday denied accusations they were behind the killing of the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo and instead blamed the armies of the DRC and Rwanda, as further details emerged about the attack. Luca Attanasio, 43, died on Monday after a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy was ambushed in a dangerous part of eastern DRC. The envoy's Italian bodyguard, Vittorio Iacovacci, and a Congolese driver, who has not been identified also died on the field trip. × The DRC's interior ministry on Monday blamed the killings on 'members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)', Rwandan Hutu rebel group that has plagued the region for more than a quarter of a century. But the FDLR rejected the allegation, blaming the Rwandan army and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) for the attack in a statement received on Tuesday. It said the ambassador's convoy was attacked near the Rwandan border, 'not far from a position of the FARDC'. "The responsibility for this despicable killing is to be found in the ranks of these two armies and their sponsors, who have forged an unnatural alliance to perpetuate the pillaging of eastern DRC," it said. The FDLR called on Kinshasa and UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO to 'shed light' on the killings 'instead of resorting to hasty accusations'. Also Read: Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio killed in DR Congo during kidnapping attempt The DRC and Rwanda authorities have not reported the presence of any regular Rwandan troops in the DRC. But an expert at the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), a US monitor, said the Hutu rebel group has a known presence in the region. "The FDLR are near the place where the attack took place. It's in the realm of possibility that the Rwandan rebels are responsible for this attack," the expert said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Hutu rebels blame DRC, Rwanda armies for Italian ambassador's killing

The Italian ambassador to Congo and an Italian Carabinieri police officer were killed Monday while travelling in Congo in a UN convoy, the Foreign Ministry said.

In a brief statement, the ministry said Luca Attanasio and the officer were killed in Goma. They were travelling in a convoy of the UN stabilization mission in Congo.

The convoy was attacked near the town of Kanyamahoro at around 10:15 am (0815 GMT) and was part of a kidnap attempt, the Virunga National Park said.

The envoy, Luca Attanasio, "died of his wounds" after a convoy of the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) came under fire near Goma, the source said in Kinshasa.

Two other people also died in the attack, Major Guillaume Djike, the army's spokesman in North Kivu province said, without identifying the casualties. 
 
In January 2019, Congo experienced its first peaceful democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960 following the election of President Felix Tshisekedi.

He succeeded strongman Joseph Kabila in a disputed election marked by allegations of large-scale fraud and suspicions of a backroom deal by Kabila to install Tshisekedi over an opposition candidate who, according to leaked electoral data, was the real winner.

The resource-rich nation the size of Western Europe suffered through one of the most brutal colonial reigns ever known before undergoing decades of corrupt dictatorship.

Back-to-back civil wars later drew in a number of neighbouring countries. And many rebel groups have come and gone during the UN Mission's years of operation, at times invading the eastern regional capital, Goma, where the ambassador was killed.

The UN Peacekeeping mission, known by its acronym MONUSCO, has been working to draw down its 15,000-troop presence and transfer its security work to Congolese authorities.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Italian ambassador to Congo and an Italian Carabinieri police officer were killed Monday while travelling in Congo in a UN convoy, the Foreign Ministry said. In a brief statement, the ministry said Luca Attanasio and the officer were killed in Goma. They were travelling in a convoy of the UN stabilization mission in Congo. The convoy was attacked near the town of Kanyamahoro at around 10:15 am (0815 GMT) and was part of a kidnap attempt, the Virunga National Park said. The envoy, Luca Attanasio, "died of his wounds" after a convoy of the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) came under fire near Goma, the source said in Kinshasa. Two other people also died in the attack, Major Guillaume Djike, the army's spokesman in North Kivu province said, without identifying the casualties. In January 2019, Congo experienced its first peaceful democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960 following the election of President Felix Tshisekedi. He succeeded strongman Joseph Kabila in a disputed election marked by allegations of large-scale fraud and suspicions of a backroom deal by Kabila to install Tshisekedi over an opposition candidate who, according to leaked electoral data, was the real winner. The resource-rich nation the size of Western Europe suffered through one of the most brutal colonial reigns ever known before undergoing decades of corrupt dictatorship. Back-to-back civil wars later drew in a number of neighbouring countries. And many rebel groups have come and gone during the UN Mission's years of operation, at times invading the eastern regional capital, Goma, where the ambassador was killed. The UN Peacekeeping mission, known by its acronym MONUSCO, has been working to draw down its 15,000-troop presence and transfer its security work to Congolese authorities. (With inputs from agencies)

Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio killed in DR Congo during kidnapping attempt

A new case of the Ebola virus was detected in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo near the city of Butembo, the health ministry said on Sunday. The infected person has now died.

The announcement can essentially be termed as the start of Congo's 12th Ebola outbreak.

A woman was found with symptoms of the deadly virus in the town of Biena on February 1 and died in hospital in Butembo on Feb. 3. She was married to a man who had contracted the virus in a previous outbreak.

The virus is spread through contact with body fluids.

"The provincial response team is already hard at work. It will be supported by the national response team which will visit Butembo shortly," the statement said.

The virus was discovered near the Ebola River in 1976. The recent outbreak comes nearly three months after Congo announced the end to its 11th outbreak hundreds of miles away in the west, which infected 130 people and killed 55.&nbsp;

Notably, the 11th outbreak overlapped with an earlier one in the east that killed more than 2,200 people.

Infection due to Ebola virus causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

A new case of the Ebola virus was detected in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo near the city of Butembo, the health ministry said on Sunday. The infected person has now died.

A new case of the Ebola virus was detected in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo near the city of Butembo, the health ministry said on Sunday. The infected person has now died. The announcement can essentially be termed as the start of Congo's 12th Ebola outbreak. A woman was found with symptoms of the deadly virus in the town of Biena on February 1 and died in hospital in Butembo on Feb. 3. She was married to a man who had contracted the virus in a previous outbreak. The virus is spread through contact with body fluids. "The provincial response team is already hard at work. It will be supported by the national response team which will visit Butembo shortly," the statement said. The virus was discovered near the Ebola River in 1976. The recent outbreak comes nearly three months after Congo announced the end to its 11th outbreak hundreds of miles away in the west, which infected 130 people and killed 55. Notably, the 11th outbreak overlapped with an earlier one in the east that killed more than 2,200 people. Infection due to Ebola virus causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

New Ebola case detected in eastern Congo

The head of a Congolese satirical weekly has been arrested for libel, a journalists' union said Wednesday, weeks ahead of polls in which President Denis Sassou Nguesso will seek re-election.

Raymond Malonga, editor of Sel-Piment (Salt and Pepper), "was arrested yesterday... because he had supposedly libelled the wife of a senior official," Union of Press Professionals in Congo (UPPC) president Jean-Charles Maniongui told AFP.

Maniongui said 60-year-old Malonga's detention was "an attempt to muzzle the press" before the March 21 presidential poll in the Republic of Congo, also called Congo-Brazzaville.

"We're in the process of gathering all the documents to determine whether or not our colleague is guilty," the press union chief added.

The online weekly, known for stories critical of the government, was suspended several weeks ago by the High Council for Freedom of Communication (CSLC) -- led by a former minister from Sassou Nguesso's PCT party.

Congo was ranked 118th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' global Press Freedom Index last year.

President Sassou Nguesso, 77, who has ruled for a total of 36 years, faces little opposition in the upcoming vote as the main opposition Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) has said it will boycott the polls.

Meanwhile the country's Catholic bishops have warned the ballot may not be free and fair given coronavirus restrictions and issues with the electoral system.

The head of a Congolese satirical weekly has been arrested for libel, a journalists' union said Wednesday, weeks ahead of polls in which President Denis Sassou Nguesso will seek re-election.

The head of a Congolese satirical weekly has been arrested for libel, a journalists' union said Wednesday, weeks ahead of polls in which President Denis Sassou Nguesso will seek re-election. Raymond Malonga, editor of Sel-Piment (Salt and Pepper), "was arrested yesterday... because he had supposedly libelled the wife of a senior official," Union of Press Professionals in Congo (UPPC) president Jean-Charles Maniongui told AFP. Maniongui said 60-year-old Malonga's detention was "an attempt to muzzle the press" before the March 21 presidential poll in the Republic of Congo, also called Congo-Brazzaville. "We're in the process of gathering all the documents to determine whether or not our colleague is guilty," the press union chief added. The online weekly, known for stories critical of the government, was suspended several weeks ago by the High Council for Freedom of Communication (CSLC) -- led by a former minister from Sassou Nguesso's PCT party. Congo was ranked 118th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' global Press Freedom Index last year. President Sassou Nguesso, 77, who has ruled for a total of 36 years, faces little opposition in the upcoming vote as the main opposition Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) has said it will boycott the polls. Meanwhile the country's Catholic bishops have warned the ballot may not be free and fair given coronavirus restrictions and issues with the electoral system.

Congo detains journalist weeks before presidential vote

As the world embarks on an unprecedented campaign to bring ultra-cold COVID-19 vaccines to billions in remote areas, Democratic Republic of Congo’s experience holds vital lessons in distributing the vaccine and gaining the trust of those receiving it.

What the world can learn from Congo's Ebola response

Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mauritania, Ghana and Ivory Coast have seen a sharp rise in cases and are reporting near record levels of infection.

Africa crosses 2.5 million COVID-19 cases as it witnesses second wave of infections

MPs turn over tables and throw chairs in parliament amid a political crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It came a day after President Felix Tshisekedi announced the end of the governing coalition, which was formed in January last year with the parliamentary majority.

Violence in DR Congo Parliament as political crisis grows

Armed men freed more than 1,300 prisoners from a jail in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a coordinated attack on Tuesday, the town`s mayor said, blaming an Islamist militant group operating in the area.

Only 110 of 1,456 inmates, including a number of militia fighters, remained following the simultaneous early morning assaults on the Kangbayi central prison in Beni and the military camp defending it, said Modeste Bakwanamaha.

"The attackers, who came in large numbers, managed to break the door with electrical equipment," Bakwanamaha told Reuters. "We believe it was the ADF who did this."

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group active in eastern Congo since the 1990s, has killed more than 1,000 civilians since the start of 2019, according to U.N. figures, despite repeated military campaigns aimed at destroying it.

Islamic State said fighters from its Central African Province franchise carried out the attack, according to its AMAQ news agency. The group has claimed responsibility for several suspected ADF attacks in the past.

But U.N. experts have consistently found that claims ADF is linked to international jihadists are overblown or false, said Dan Fahey, a former U.N. investigator.

Escapes are common from Congo`s overcrowded and poorly secured prisons. A similar number of inmates escaped when the same jail was attacked in June 2017.

"This sounds more like an attack by Mai Mai (local rebels), who did the attack three years ago," Fahey said.

'MAY THE STATE HAVE MERCY'

Two inmates were shot dead during Tuesday`s raid, which started at around 4:30 a.m., police said on Twitter.

The bolt on the prison`s front door appeared to be cut, as well as the metal grate behind it, Reuters TV footage in the aftermath of the raid showed.

"We were sleeping in the morning, but around 4:00 we heard a really loud exchange of fire," said Lukiya Bafana Ruban, one of the few inmates who decided not to flee.

"May the state have mercy on us because we voluntarily stayed here in prison."

Kangbayi prison holds members of local rebel groups as well as ADF fighters. Bakwanamaha said there were rumours ADF fighters in the prison were preparing a break-out in the days preceding the attack.

By midday around 20 prisoners had returned to the prison, he added.

A year ago the army launched a large-scale counter-insurgency campaign against the ADF. In response, the group abandoned its bases, split into smaller, more mobile groups, and retaliated against civilians.

Armed men freed more than 1,300 prisoners from a jail in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a coordinated attack on Tuesday, the town`s mayor said, blaming an Islamist militant group operating in the area.

Armed men freed more than 1,300 prisoners from a jail in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a coordinated attack on Tuesday, the town`s mayor said, blaming an Islamist militant group operating in the area. Only 110 of 1,456 inmates, including a number of militia fighters, remained following the simultaneous early morning assaults on the Kangbayi central prison in Beni and the military camp defending it, said Modeste Bakwanamaha. "The attackers, who came in large numbers, managed to break the door with electrical equipment," Bakwanamaha told Reuters. "We believe it was the ADF who did this." The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group active in eastern Congo since the 1990s, has killed more than 1,000 civilians since the start of 2019, according to U.N. figures, despite repeated military campaigns aimed at destroying it. Islamic State said fighters from its Central African Province franchise carried out the attack, according to its AMAQ news agency. The group has claimed responsibility for several suspected ADF attacks in the past. But U.N. experts have consistently found that claims ADF is linked to international jihadists are overblown or false, said Dan Fahey, a former U.N. investigator. Escapes are common from Congo`s overcrowded and poorly secured prisons. A similar number of inmates escaped when the same jail was attacked in June 2017. "This sounds more like an attack by Mai Mai (local rebels), who did the attack three years ago," Fahey said. 'MAY THE STATE HAVE MERCY' Two inmates were shot dead during Tuesday`s raid, which started at around 4:30 a.m., police said on Twitter. The bolt on the prison`s front door appeared to be cut, as well as the metal grate behind it, Reuters TV footage in the aftermath of the raid showed. "We were sleeping in the morning, but around 4:00 we heard a really loud exchange of fire," said Lukiya Bafana Ruban, one of the few inmates who decided not to flee. "May the state have mercy on us because we voluntarily stayed here in prison." Kangbayi prison holds members of local rebel groups as well as ADF fighters. Bakwanamaha said there were rumours ADF fighters in the prison were preparing a break-out in the days preceding the attack. By midday around 20 prisoners had returned to the prison, he added. A year ago the army launched a large-scale counter-insurgency campaign against the ADF. In response, the group abandoned its bases, split into smaller, more mobile groups, and retaliated against civilians.

Suspected Islamists free 1,300 prisoners from east Congo jail

A makeshift gold mine collapsed in the&nbsp;eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday after continuous&nbsp;torrential rain in the area.

The mine is located in&nbsp;the town of Kamituga, in South Kivu province. The accident has taken nearly 50 lives, as per the initial investigations, most of whom were young people trying to earn a living and support their families.

Kamituga mayor Alexandre Bundya said "we are not yet sure of the exact number" of victims. However, the locals present at the spot they can estimate more than 50 people who are being feared dead, with only one survivor.

The locals have told the local media that the collapse happened as a river flooded after torrential rain and water&nbsp;went into the three tunnels. The high pressure of the water unabled the miners to run out of the tunnels.

A two-day mourning period has been announced in the region to pay respects to the ones who lost their lives, and help the local authorities in rescue mission.

"Investigations must be carried out to find out the causes of this disaster," said a representative of the civil society, Nicolas Kyalangalilwa.

"The authorities must take responsibility instead of taxing" these miners.

A makeshift gold mine collapsed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday after continuous torrential rain in the area. The mine is located in the town of Kamituga, in South Kivu province.

A makeshift gold mine collapsed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday after continuous torrential rain in the area. The mine is located in the town of Kamituga, in South Kivu province. The accident has taken nearly 50 lives, as per the initial investigations, most of whom were young people trying to earn a living and support their families. Kamituga mayor Alexandre Bundya said "we are not yet sure of the exact number" of victims. However, the locals present at the spot they can estimate more than 50 people who are being feared dead, with only one survivor. The locals have told the local media that the collapse happened as a river flooded after torrential rain and water went into the three tunnels. The high pressure of the water unabled the miners to run out of the tunnels. A two-day mourning period has been announced in the region to pay respects to the ones who lost their lives, and help the local authorities in rescue mission. "Investigations must be carried out to find out the causes of this disaster," said a representative of the civil society, Nicolas Kyalangalilwa. "The authorities must take responsibility instead of taxing" these miners.

More than 50 feared dead after gold mine collapse in DR Congo

A Belgian judge has agreed that a tooth taken from the remains of assassinated Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba be returned to his family, prosecutors said Thursday.

The tooth had been seized from a Belgian policeman who by his own account took it while helping to dispose of Lumumba's body after the charismatic leader was murdered in 1961.

Eric Van Duyse, spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office, told AFP the tooth would be returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a former Belgian colony that gained independence 60 years ago.

He described the return as a symbolic gesture, since there was no "absolute certainty" that the tooth was Lumumba's.

"No DNA test has been carried out, it would have destroyed it," he said.

The tooth had been held as evidence in a separate case.

"The prosecutor was in favour of sending it back, but we needed the go-ahead from the investigating magistrate, and that came this week," Van Duyse said.

A pan-Africanist who played a key part in steering Belgian Congo towards independence, Lumumba was appointed the newly decolonised country's first premier at the age of just 34.

In the presence of the then-king Baudouin, he used the moment of independence to lash Belgium for racist persecution and forcing "humiliating slavery" on the Congolese people.

On June 30 this year -- the 60th anniversary of independence -- his daughter Juliana Amato Lumumba called on Belgium to return her father's "relics".

Belgium's current monarch, Philippe, also chose the anniversary to make a landmark gesture, expressing his "deepest regrets" for the "suffering and humiliation" of his country's reign.

Historians say millions were killed, mutilated or died of disease as they worked on rubber plantations belonging to the rapacious 19th-century king Leopold II.

- Drunken dismemberment -

Lumumba's stay in power was short.

Within months, the fledgling state was plunged into crisis by an army mutiny and the secession of the mineral-rich province of Katanga, a crisis stoked by Belgian involvement.

Lumumba was overthrown, then jailed, tortured and finally killed by firing squad in January 1961. Forty years later, Belgium acknowledged it bore "moral responsibility" for his death.

In 2000, Belgian Police Commissioner Gerard Soete told AFP that he had chopped up Lumumba's body and those of his companions, Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo, and then dissolved the remains in acid.

"We started by getting drunk, to have the courage. We dismembered the corpse, the hardest bit was cutting it up," the now dead Soete said. The corpse was doused in acid and only some teeth remained.

In a documentary screened the same year on the German TV channel ARD, Soete showed two teeth that he said had belonged to Lumumba.

In 2016, a Belgian academic, Ludo De Witte, filed a legal complaint against Soete's daughter after she showed a gold tooth, which she said had belonged to Lumumba, during a newspaper interview.

In Juliana Lumumba's letter this year, which she said was written on behalf of her "wider family", she said that her father was a "hero without a grave".

She condemned "vile statements made in Belgium about holding some of his remains" and blasted the authorities' ambiguous response.

"The remains of Patrice Emery Lumumba are being used on the one hand as trophies by some of your fellow citizens, and on the other as funereal possessions sequestered by your kingdom's judiciary," she said.

A Belgian judge has agreed that a tooth taken from the remains of assassinated Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba be returned to his family, prosecutors said Thursday.

A Belgian judge has agreed that a tooth taken from the remains of assassinated Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba be returned to his family, prosecutors said Thursday. The tooth had been seized from a Belgian policeman who by his own account took it while helping to dispose of Lumumba's body after the charismatic leader was murdered in 1961. Eric Van Duyse, spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office, told AFP the tooth would be returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a former Belgian colony that gained independence 60 years ago. He described the return as a symbolic gesture, since there was no "absolute certainty" that the tooth was Lumumba's. "No DNA test has been carried out, it would have destroyed it," he said. The tooth had been held as evidence in a separate case. "The prosecutor was in favour of sending it back, but we needed the go-ahead from the investigating magistrate, and that came this week," Van Duyse said. A pan-Africanist who played a key part in steering Belgian Congo towards independence, Lumumba was appointed the newly decolonised country's first premier at the age of just 34. In the presence of the then-king Baudouin, he used the moment of independence to lash Belgium for racist persecution and forcing "humiliating slavery" on the Congolese people. On June 30 this year -- the 60th anniversary of independence -- his daughter Juliana Amato Lumumba called on Belgium to return her father's "relics". Belgium's current monarch, Philippe, also chose the anniversary to make a landmark gesture, expressing his "deepest regrets" for the "suffering and humiliation" of his country's reign. Historians say millions were killed, mutilated or died of disease as they worked on rubber plantations belonging to the rapacious 19th-century king Leopold II. - Drunken dismemberment - Lumumba's stay in power was short. Within months, the fledgling state was plunged into crisis by an army mutiny and the secession of the mineral-rich province of Katanga, a crisis stoked by Belgian involvement. Lumumba was overthrown, then jailed, tortured and finally killed by firing squad in January 1961. Forty years later, Belgium acknowledged it bore "moral responsibility" for his death. In 2000, Belgian Police Commissioner Gerard Soete told AFP that he had chopped up Lumumba's body and those of his companions, Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo, and then dissolved the remains in acid. "We started by getting drunk, to have the courage. We dismembered the corpse, the hardest bit was cutting it up," the now dead Soete said. The corpse was doused in acid and only some teeth remained. In a documentary screened the same year on the German TV channel ARD, Soete showed two teeth that he said had belonged to Lumumba. In 2016, a Belgian academic, Ludo De Witte, filed a legal complaint against Soete's daughter after she showed a gold tooth, which she said had belonged to Lumumba, during a newspaper interview. In Juliana Lumumba's letter this year, which she said was written on behalf of her "wider family", she said that her father was a "hero without a grave". She condemned "vile statements made in Belgium about holding some of his remains" and blasted the authorities' ambiguous response. "The remains of Patrice Emery Lumumba are being used on the one hand as trophies by some of your fellow citizens, and on the other as funereal possessions sequestered by your kingdom's judiciary," she said.

Belgium to return slain Congo leader's tooth to family

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