Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is staring at hunger crisis says the World Food Programme. According to World Food Programme, about 13 million congolese are food insecure.

Congo: 5.8 million children & women suffer from acute malnutrition

More than 300,000 people have fled inter-ethnic violence in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Watch this video to know more.

People flee ethnic violence in Congo

The World Health Organization said on Friday (May 3) it feared continued "intense transmission" of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where deaths from a nine-month-old epidemic stood at 994 and were expected to exceed 1,000 within hours.

Congo Ebola death toll nears 1,000, expected to spread: WHO

DR Congo rebuked the African Union on Friday over its calls to suspend the announcement of final results from the presidential election, insisting that the Constitutional Court assessing the vote's legality was impartial.

The court is examining a dispute over the December 30 election to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila, with runner up Martin Fayulu claiming he was cheated of victory by fraud.

"The court is independent, both of us and the African Union," government spokesman Lambert Mende said.

"I don't think it is the business of the government or even of the African Union to tell the court what it should do."

At a meeting on Thursday in Addis Ababa, AU heads of state and government agreed to send a high-level delegation to Kinshasa help solve the crisis.

AU commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, currently the AU chairman, are expected to fly in on Monday.

The summit also said there were "serious doubts" about the provisional results of the vote and called for the final announcement to be suspended -- a matter which now lies in the hands of the Constitutional Court.

Mende, who is also minister of communication and the media, added bluntly: "I don't know if there are countries where people can interfere like that in a legal procedure.

"The court will do what is right for showing the truth. We should all trust it," he said.

Appeal

On January 10, DR Congo's electoral commission declared opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi the provisional winner of the December 30 vote with 38.57 per cent against Fayulu's 34.8 per cent.

But Fayulu declared the result to be an "electoral coup" forged by Tshisekedi and Kabila, and filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court a day later.&nbsp;

He claims he won with 61 per cent of the vote.

The Financial Times and other foreign media have reported seeing documents that confirm Fayulu as the winner.

The court's ruling, and the announcement of the final results have to be completed by next Tuesday when the new president is scheduled to be sworn in.&nbsp;

Fears of violence

The dispute has raised fears that the political crisis that began when Kabila refused to step down at the end of his constitutional term in office two years ago, could turn into a bloodbath.

The vast and chronically unstable country lived through two regional wars in 1996-97 and 1998-2003, and the previous two elections in 2006 and 2011, were marred by bloody clashes.

The AU has taken the firmest line of all major international bodies with regard to the post-election crisis.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a bloc that includes Angola and South Africa, initially called for a recount and a unity government.

But in a later communique, it made no mention of those demands, instead of calling on Congolese politicians to "address any electoral grievances in line with the Democratic Republic of Congo's Constitution and relevant electoral laws".

Kagame's visit as part of the AU delegation could complicate matters, analysts say.

Rwanda backed the 1997 ouster of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko by Kabila's father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, but then changed allies. Sporadic clashes occurred last year on the border between the two neighbours.

DR Congo rebuked the African Union on Friday over its calls to suspend the announcement of final results from the presidential election, insisting that the Constitutional Court assessing the vote's legality was impartial.

DR Congo rebuked the African Union on Friday over its calls to suspend the announcement of final results from the presidential election, insisting that the Constitutional Court assessing the vote's legality was impartial. The court is examining a dispute over the December 30 election to choose a successor to President Joseph Kabila, with runner up Martin Fayulu claiming he was cheated of victory by fraud. "The court is independent, both of us and the African Union," government spokesman Lambert Mende said. "I don't think it is the business of the government or even of the African Union to tell the court what it should do." At a meeting on Thursday in Addis Ababa, AU heads of state and government agreed to send a high-level delegation to Kinshasa help solve the crisis. AU commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, currently the AU chairman, are expected to fly in on Monday. The summit also said there were "serious doubts" about the provisional results of the vote and called for the final announcement to be suspended -- a matter which now lies in the hands of the Constitutional Court. Mende, who is also minister of communication and the media, added bluntly: "I don't know if there are countries where people can interfere like that in a legal procedure. "The court will do what is right for showing the truth. We should all trust it," he said. Appeal On January 10, DR Congo's electoral commission declared opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi the provisional winner of the December 30 vote with 38.57 per cent against Fayulu's 34.8 per cent. But Fayulu declared the result to be an "electoral coup" forged by Tshisekedi and Kabila, and filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court a day later. He claims he won with 61 per cent of the vote. The Financial Times and other foreign media have reported seeing documents that confirm Fayulu as the winner. The court's ruling, and the announcement of the final results have to be completed by next Tuesday when the new president is scheduled to be sworn in. Fears of violence The dispute has raised fears that the political crisis that began when Kabila refused to step down at the end of his constitutional term in office two years ago, could turn into a bloodbath. The vast and chronically unstable country lived through two regional wars in 1996-97 and 1998-2003, and the previous two elections in 2006 and 2011, were marred by bloody clashes. The AU has taken the firmest line of all major international bodies with regard to the post-election crisis. The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a bloc that includes Angola and South Africa, initially called for a recount and a unity government. But in a later communique, it made no mention of those demands, instead of calling on Congolese politicians to "address any electoral grievances in line with the Democratic Republic of Congo's Constitution and relevant electoral laws". Kagame's visit as part of the AU delegation could complicate matters, analysts say. Rwanda backed the 1997 ouster of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko by Kabila's father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, but then changed allies. Sporadic clashes occurred last year on the border between the two neighbours.

DR Congo slaps down Africa Union call to suspend final vote result

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opposition-leader-felix-tshisekedi-declared-winner-in-dr-congo-presidential-election-189319">Opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi</a> was on Thursday declared winner of DR Congo's presidential election, but his victory was dismissed by the runner-up and questioned by the Catholic church, clouding the vote's legitimacy and hopes of peace.

In a pre-dawn announcement, election officials named Tshisekedi, son of the country's long-term opposition leader, provisional winner of the troubled vote to replace President Joseph Kabila.&nbsp;

The news brought thousands of supporters onto the streets while others who had backed his opposition rival Martin Fayulu came out in protest. Four people died in unrest.

Fayulu, who came a close second, denounced the result as an "electoral coup". The Democratic Republic of Congo's influential Catholic church also said Tshisekedi's victory did not tally with data collected by its own monitors.&nbsp;

"These results have nothing to do with the truth at the ballot box," Fayulu told Radio France International.&nbsp;

"They have stolen the Congolese people's victory and the people will never accept that."

At stake is political stewardship of the notoriously unstable central African nation, which has never known a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

Election chief Corneille Nangaa declared Tshisekedi the winner with 38.57 per cent of the 30 December vote, just ahead of Fayulu with 34.8 per cent.&nbsp;

Kabila's preferred successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, came a distant third with 23.8 per cent.

Results of parliamentary elections, which were held alongside the presidential vote, are expected on Friday evening and the pro-Kabila majority are already claiming to have won the house.

The last two elections in 2006 and 2011, both of which were won by Kabila, were marred by bloodshed, and many fear a repeat of the violence if the result lacks credibility.&nbsp; 
Two civilians and two policemen were killed Thursday and another 10 people injured when a protest erupted in the western city of Kikwit, a Fayulu stronghold, police said.&nbsp;

Wild celebrations

In Kinshasa, thousands of people converged upon the headquarters of Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the country's oldest and largest opposition party, singing and dancing at his surprise victory.&nbsp;

Pouring onto the streets, they celebrated wildly, cheering and honking car horns in scenes of joy that lasted into the morning under the bemused eye of the security forces who had fanned out across the capital.&nbsp;

In his first remarks after the result, the portly 55-year-old, who has never held high office or even a managerial role, immediately pledged to work closely with Kabila.&nbsp;

"Today we should no longer see him as an adversary, but rather as a partner for democratic change in our country," he told supporters.

But elsewhere in Kinshasa, the mood was sombre, with representatives of the Catholic church openly disputing the figures released by the Independent National Election Commission (CENI).

"The result of the presidential election as published by CENI does not correspond with the data collected by our observer mission from polling stations and counting centres," said Father Donatien Nshole, spokesman for CENCO, which represents the country's Catholic bishops.

The Church has long been pressing for the departure of Kabila, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 2001, well beyond the limit of his second and final term in December 2016.

Calls for calm

Abroad, the mood was watchful, marked by a noticeable lack of congratulations for Tshisekedi.&nbsp;

Many have eyed the developments in sub-Saharan Africa's largest country with concern, with the United Nations leading calls to avoid violence.&nbsp;

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian dismissed Tshisekedi's victory as "not consistent" with the actual results, indicating that Fayulu had won, while the US State Department demanded "clarification" over the result and urged "all stakeholders to remain calm".

The African Union said it "took note" of the result and warned any dispute over the outcome should be "resolved peacefully".

The European Union said it was awaiting clarification from international observers.&nbsp;

In contrast, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged "all regional and international interested parties to refrain from speculation" and let the election board complete its work. &nbsp;

The announcement of an opposition win was a shock as many had expected the results to be stacked in Shadary's favour, prompting heavy international pressure on Kinshasa to respect the wishes of the electorate.&nbsp;

'Tshisekedi debt to Kabila'

The vast central African country has been increasingly on edge over the long-delayed vote. &nbsp;

Kabila's hold on power has sparked a political crisis and protests that were bloodily repressed.&nbsp;

"Kabila did not want to risk announcing Shadary as the winner, which would have triggered violent protests and international condemnation," said Robert Besseling, executive director of risk consultancy EXX Africa.

"Instead, he chose to split the opposition by creating a power-sharing deal with Tshisekedi."

Tshisekedi "owes his ascendancy to power to Kabila's control of the electoral commission", and in exchange Kabila would look for immunity from any prosecution or asset seizure after handing over power, Besseling said.

Opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi was on Thursday declared winner of DR Congo's presidential election, but his victory was dismissed by the runner-up and questioned by the Catholic church, clouding the vote's legitimacy and hopes of peace.

Opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi was on Thursday declared winner of DR Congo's presidential election, but his victory was dismissed by the runner-up and questioned by the Catholic church, clouding the vote's legitimacy and hopes of peace. In a pre-dawn announcement, election officials named Tshisekedi, son of the country's long-term opposition leader, provisional winner of the troubled vote to replace President Joseph Kabila. The news brought thousands of supporters onto the streets while others who had backed his opposition rival Martin Fayulu came out in protest. Four people died in unrest. Fayulu, who came a close second, denounced the result as an "electoral coup". The Democratic Republic of Congo's influential Catholic church also said Tshisekedi's victory did not tally with data collected by its own monitors. "These results have nothing to do with the truth at the ballot box," Fayulu told Radio France International. "They have stolen the Congolese people's victory and the people will never accept that." At stake is political stewardship of the notoriously unstable central African nation, which has never known a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. Election chief Corneille Nangaa declared Tshisekedi the winner with 38.57 per cent of the 30 December vote, just ahead of Fayulu with 34.8 per cent. Kabila's preferred successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, came a distant third with 23.8 per cent. Results of parliamentary elections, which were held alongside the presidential vote, are expected on Friday evening and the pro-Kabila majority are already claiming to have won the house. The last two elections in 2006 and 2011, both of which were won by Kabila, were marred by bloodshed, and many fear a repeat of the violence if the result lacks credibility. Two civilians and two policemen were killed Thursday and another 10 people injured when a protest erupted in the western city of Kikwit, a Fayulu stronghold, police said. Wild celebrations In Kinshasa, thousands of people converged upon the headquarters of Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the country's oldest and largest opposition party, singing and dancing at his surprise victory. Pouring onto the streets, they celebrated wildly, cheering and honking car horns in scenes of joy that lasted into the morning under the bemused eye of the security forces who had fanned out across the capital. In his first remarks after the result, the portly 55-year-old, who has never held high office or even a managerial role, immediately pledged to work closely with Kabila. "Today we should no longer see him as an adversary, but rather as a partner for democratic change in our country," he told supporters. But elsewhere in Kinshasa, the mood was sombre, with representatives of the Catholic church openly disputing the figures released by the Independent National Election Commission (CENI). "The result of the presidential election as published by CENI does not correspond with the data collected by our observer mission from polling stations and counting centres," said Father Donatien Nshole, spokesman for CENCO, which represents the country's Catholic bishops. The Church has long been pressing for the departure of Kabila, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 2001, well beyond the limit of his second and final term in December 2016. Calls for calm Abroad, the mood was watchful, marked by a noticeable lack of congratulations for Tshisekedi. Many have eyed the developments in sub-Saharan Africa's largest country with concern, with the United Nations leading calls to avoid violence. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian dismissed Tshisekedi's victory as "not consistent" with the actual results, indicating that Fayulu had won, while the US State Department demanded "clarification" over the result and urged "all stakeholders to remain calm". The African Union said it "took note" of the result and warned any dispute over the outcome should be "resolved peacefully". The European Union said it was awaiting clarification from international observers. In contrast, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged "all regional and international interested parties to refrain from speculation" and let the election board complete its work. The announcement of an opposition win was a shock as many had expected the results to be stacked in Shadary's favour, prompting heavy international pressure on Kinshasa to respect the wishes of the electorate. 'Tshisekedi debt to Kabila' The vast central African country has been increasingly on edge over the long-delayed vote. Kabila's hold on power has sparked a political crisis and protests that were bloodily repressed. "Kabila did not want to risk announcing Shadary as the winner, which would have triggered violent protests and international condemnation," said Robert Besseling, executive director of risk consultancy EXX Africa. "Instead, he chose to split the opposition by creating a power-sharing deal with Tshisekedi." Tshisekedi "owes his ascendancy to power to Kabila's control of the electoral commission", and in exchange Kabila would look for immunity from any prosecution or asset seizure after handing over power, Besseling said.

Church, rival cry foul as opposition chief wins vote in DR Congo

Breaking News: Opposition wins historic Dr Congo Polls

Preliminary results from Democratic Republic of Congo`s tumultuous presidential election will be delayed past Sunday`s deadline, the head of the election commission told Reuters.&nbsp;

The commission, known as CENI, had received only 47 per cent of vote tally sheets as of Saturday, said its president, Corneille Nangaa, and it was not yet clear when the results would be ready.

The delay is the latest setback in a disorganised poll to pick a successor to President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the country of 80 million people since his father was assassinated in 2001.&nbsp;

The December 30 vote could mark Congo`s first democratic transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. But tensions rose after observers reported a litany of irregularities that the opposition says are part of the ruling party`s effort to steal the election.&nbsp;

The opposition, represented by its two main candidates Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi, and the ruling coalition all say their candidates have won.&nbsp;

"It will not be possible to announce the results tomorrow," Nangaa said.&nbsp;

A CENI spokesman later said that the commission was holding a meeting on Sunday to decide when they will be announced.&nbsp;

Worried that disputes and delays could spark the kind of violence seen after the 2006 and 2011 elections, the United Nations Security Council met on Friday to discuss how to react, but was unable to reach an agreement, according to an internal report seen by Reuters.

The United States condemned a lack of transparency in the contest, while China, a major investor, lauded the process.&nbsp;

"Tensions were mounting while the CENI tabulated the results, notably in light of posturing by parties and candidates," Leila Zerrougui, head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo, told the meeting, according to the internal report.&nbsp;

But the 15 council members "differed in their appreciation of the problems that beset the process and were divided over the question of whether the Council should issue a press statement", the report went on to say.&nbsp;

A negative international reaction could be problematic for Kabila, whose government has defended the election`s organisation, and could weaken the legitimacy of Kabila`s hand-picked successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, should he be declared winner.&nbsp;

Inflame the situation

In the meeting, France pushed for the publication of a statement that recognised that Congo`s election had allowed people to exercise their democratic right and called for calm, but criticised the government`s decision to cut access to the Internet and some media outlets.&nbsp;

The United States, which has threatened to impose sanctions against those who undermine the election process and has deployed troops to Gabon in case its citizens need rescuing from any violence, backed the statement, alongside Britain, Ivory Coast, Belgium and others.&nbsp;

South Africa, long a Kabila ally, said the statement could "inflame" the situation if issued before the results, the report said. Russia said it could be seen as an attempt to skew public opinion. China "lauded the manner in which elections were conducted", the report said, and said a statement should not be published before the results.&nbsp;

Congo`s Catholic church body, CENCO, said this week that it had identified the victor based on its own tallies collected by 40,000 observers, though it did not name the winner. The declaration was widely seen as a warning to authorities against rigging the vote.&nbsp;

Preliminary results from Democratic Republic of Congo`s tumultuous presidential election will be delayed past Sunday`s deadline, the head of the election commission told Reuters.

Preliminary results from Democratic Republic of Congo`s tumultuous presidential election will be delayed past Sunday`s deadline, the head of the election commission told Reuters. The commission, known as CENI, had received only 47 per cent of vote tally sheets as of Saturday, said its president, Corneille Nangaa, and it was not yet clear when the results would be ready. The delay is the latest setback in a disorganised poll to pick a successor to President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the country of 80 million people since his father was assassinated in 2001. The December 30 vote could mark Congo`s first democratic transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. But tensions rose after observers reported a litany of irregularities that the opposition says are part of the ruling party`s effort to steal the election. The opposition, represented by its two main candidates Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi, and the ruling coalition all say their candidates have won. "It will not be possible to announce the results tomorrow," Nangaa said. A CENI spokesman later said that the commission was holding a meeting on Sunday to decide when they will be announced. Worried that disputes and delays could spark the kind of violence seen after the 2006 and 2011 elections, the United Nations Security Council met on Friday to discuss how to react, but was unable to reach an agreement, according to an internal report seen by Reuters. The United States condemned a lack of transparency in the contest, while China, a major investor, lauded the process. "Tensions were mounting while the CENI tabulated the results, notably in light of posturing by parties and candidates," Leila Zerrougui, head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo, told the meeting, according to the internal report. But the 15 council members "differed in their appreciation of the problems that beset the process and were divided over the question of whether the Council should issue a press statement", the report went on to say. A negative international reaction could be problematic for Kabila, whose government has defended the election`s organisation, and could weaken the legitimacy of Kabila`s hand-picked successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, should he be declared winner. Inflame the situation In the meeting, France pushed for the publication of a statement that recognised that Congo`s election had allowed people to exercise their democratic right and called for calm, but criticised the government`s decision to cut access to the Internet and some media outlets. The United States, which has threatened to impose sanctions against those who undermine the election process and has deployed troops to Gabon in case its citizens need rescuing from any violence, backed the statement, alongside Britain, Ivory Coast, Belgium and others. South Africa, long a Kabila ally, said the statement could "inflame" the situation if issued before the results, the report said. Russia said it could be seen as an attempt to skew public opinion. China "lauded the manner in which elections were conducted", the report said, and said a statement should not be published before the results. Congo`s Catholic church body, CENCO, said this week that it had identified the victor based on its own tallies collected by 40,000 observers, though it did not name the winner. The declaration was widely seen as a warning to authorities against rigging the vote.

Congo election results delayed past Sunday deadline

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US military personnel had deployed to Gabon in response to possible violent demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a presidential election there.

In a letter to congressional leaders, Trump said the first of about 80 military personnel arrived in Gabon on Wednesday in case they are needed to protect US citizens and diplomatic facilities in Congo`s capital Kinshasa.

He said they "will remain in the region until the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes such that their presence is no longer needed."

Trump said additional forces may deploy to Gabon "if necessary."

Congo's electoral commission is scheduled to release provisional results of the presidential election on Sunday, but it has said there could be delays because of the slow arrival of tally sheets.

Observers and the opposition say the election was marred by serious irregularities. Congo`s government says the election was fair and went smoothly.

President Joseph Kabila`s ruling coalition is backing his hand-picked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary.

The international community has raised concerns that a disputed result could cause unrest, as was the case after the 2006 and 2011 elections.

On Thursday, the US State Department called on the electoral commission to ensure votes were accurately counted and threatened to impose sanctions against those who undermined the process or threatened peace and stability in the country.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US military personnel had deployed to Gabon in response to possible violent demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a presidential election there.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that US military personnel had deployed to Gabon in response to possible violent demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a presidential election there. In a letter to congressional leaders, Trump said the first of about 80 military personnel arrived in Gabon on Wednesday in case they are needed to protect US citizens and diplomatic facilities in Congo`s capital Kinshasa. He said they "will remain in the region until the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes such that their presence is no longer needed." Trump said additional forces may deploy to Gabon "if necessary." Congo's electoral commission is scheduled to release provisional results of the presidential election on Sunday, but it has said there could be delays because of the slow arrival of tally sheets. Observers and the opposition say the election was marred by serious irregularities. Congo`s government says the election was fair and went smoothly. President Joseph Kabila`s ruling coalition is backing his hand-picked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. The international community has raised concerns that a disputed result could cause unrest, as was the case after the 2006 and 2011 elections. On Thursday, the US State Department called on the electoral commission to ensure votes were accurately counted and threatened to impose sanctions against those who undermined the process or threatened peace and stability in the country.

Fearing Congo violence, US deploys small military force to Gabon

Polling stations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo opened on Sunday for a presidential election that could lead to the country`s first democratic transfer of power but has been marred by campaign violence and chaotic preparations.&nbsp;

President Joseph Kabila, in power since his father's assassination in 2001, is due to step down after the vote in a milestone for a country plagued by authoritarian rule, coups and civil wars since independence from Belgium in 1960.

A Reuters witness in the eastern city of Goma said polls opened at 6 a.m (0400 GMT). Due to the time difference, voting is scheduled to start an hour later in western parts of the country. The last polls close at 5 p.m., although voting will continue for those still in line.&nbsp;

Kabila`s agreement to stick to constitutional term limits should represent progress for the mineral-rich central African country.

Critics, however, say the vote will be tarnished by fraud, and that Kabila could continue to rule from the sidelines. He has not ruled out running again for president in 2023.

Despite repeated delays to the election, which was originally meant to take place in 2016, diplomats and poll observers say authorities are ill-prepared, raising fears of a repeat of the violence that followed elections in 2006 and 2011.

Security forces killed more than half a dozen opposition supporters on the campaign trail and violent protests erupted this week after authorities announced that three opposition strongholds, accounting for more than 1.2 million out of 40 million voters nationwide, would not be able to vote due to health risks from an ongoing Ebola outbreak and ethnic violence.&nbsp;

Foreign diplomats told Reuters on Friday that only about 60 per cent of voting materials across the country were in place, and election observers said polling stations in the capital Kinshasa would struggle to accommodate all voters during voting hours.&nbsp;

Opponents fear vote rigging

Opponents of Kabila say the government is trying to tip the election in favour of his preferred successor, former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, whom opinion polls show trailing two opposition candidates.&nbsp;

The most recent poll released by New York University's Congo Research Group on Friday showed former Exxon Mobil manager and opposition lawmaker Martin Fayulu leading the race on 47 per cent.&nbsp;

Another opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi, trailed with 24 per cent, while Shadary got 19 per cent.&nbsp;

Both Fayulu and Tshisekedi have spoken confidently of victory, but Shadary has big institutional advantages, including round-the-clock coverage on state media. Kabila appointees also dominate national institutions.

"Tomorrow I will be president," Shadary told Reuters on Saturday by phone.&nbsp;

His opponents accuse the ruling coalition of preparing outright vote rigging, with much of their scepticism focused on largely untested electronic voting machines that are being used for the first time.&nbsp;

The national electoral commission (CENI) has tried to reassure the opposition by saying that only print-outs from the machines counted by hand will be factored into the official results.&nbsp;

But any disputed outcome could lead to a wider security breakdown across Congo, particularly along its eastern borders with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, where dozens of armed militia are active.

Polling stations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo opened on Sunday for a presidential election that could lead to the country`s first democratic transfer of power but has been marred by campaign violence and chaotic preparations.

Polling stations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo opened on Sunday for a presidential election that could lead to the country`s first democratic transfer of power but has been marred by campaign violence and chaotic preparations. President Joseph Kabila, in power since his father's assassination in 2001, is due to step down after the vote in a milestone for a country plagued by authoritarian rule, coups and civil wars since independence from Belgium in 1960. A Reuters witness in the eastern city of Goma said polls opened at 6 a.m (0400 GMT). Due to the time difference, voting is scheduled to start an hour later in western parts of the country. The last polls close at 5 p.m., although voting will continue for those still in line. Kabila`s agreement to stick to constitutional term limits should represent progress for the mineral-rich central African country. Critics, however, say the vote will be tarnished by fraud, and that Kabila could continue to rule from the sidelines. He has not ruled out running again for president in 2023. Despite repeated delays to the election, which was originally meant to take place in 2016, diplomats and poll observers say authorities are ill-prepared, raising fears of a repeat of the violence that followed elections in 2006 and 2011. Security forces killed more than half a dozen opposition supporters on the campaign trail and violent protests erupted this week after authorities announced that three opposition strongholds, accounting for more than 1.2 million out of 40 million voters nationwide, would not be able to vote due to health risks from an ongoing Ebola outbreak and ethnic violence. Foreign diplomats told Reuters on Friday that only about 60 per cent of voting materials across the country were in place, and election observers said polling stations in the capital Kinshasa would struggle to accommodate all voters during voting hours. Opponents fear vote rigging Opponents of Kabila say the government is trying to tip the election in favour of his preferred successor, former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, whom opinion polls show trailing two opposition candidates. The most recent poll released by New York University's Congo Research Group on Friday showed former Exxon Mobil manager and opposition lawmaker Martin Fayulu leading the race on 47 per cent. Another opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi, trailed with 24 per cent, while Shadary got 19 per cent. Both Fayulu and Tshisekedi have spoken confidently of victory, but Shadary has big institutional advantages, including round-the-clock coverage on state media. Kabila appointees also dominate national institutions. "Tomorrow I will be president," Shadary told Reuters on Saturday by phone. His opponents accuse the ruling coalition of preparing outright vote rigging, with much of their scepticism focused on largely untested electronic voting machines that are being used for the first time. The national electoral commission (CENI) has tried to reassure the opposition by saying that only print-outs from the machines counted by hand will be factored into the official results. But any disputed outcome could lead to a wider security breakdown across Congo, particularly along its eastern borders with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, where dozens of armed militia are active.

Congo heads to polls for tense, long-delayed presidential vote

One of the world's powder-keg countries faces a crunch test on Sunday when the Democratic Republic of Congo heads into elections marred by delays, clashes and fears of polling-day chaos.

The vote crowns two years of turmoil, sharpening worries that the fragile giant of central Africa may once more spiral into violence.

Twenty-one candidates are vying to succeed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-congolese-president-joseph-kabila-vows-peaceful-credible-dr-congo-vote-167847">Joseph Kabila</a>, who aged just 47 has been at the helm for nearly 18 years.

If all goes well, one will be sworn in on January 18 -- the very first time that the DRC will have achieved a peaceful transition of power since gaining independence in 1960.

But the prospects of achieving this have dimmed as concern over the poll's credibility has risen, along with a diplomatic storm with Europe.

Sunday's election will be the DRC's first presidential ballot in seven years.&nbsp;

It should have been held in 2016 when Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001, reached a two-term limit.

But he remained in office, invoking a caretaker clause under the constitution.

It came at the cost of protests that were bloodily crushed, leaving scores of dead.

Then came a string of three election postponements -- followed on Wednesday by a fourth delay in two regions hit by violence -- and a storm over the introduction of electronic voting machines.

The turbulence has revived traumatic memories of the DRC's bloodied past.

On Wednesday, the presidents of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and the neighbouring Republic of Congo called for "peaceful, free, democratic and transparent" elections and expressed deep concern at the violence.

In 1996-1997 and 1998-2003, the DRC was the theatre of two terrible conflicts -- the second of which was called "the Great War of Africa" for the millions of dead and homeless that it left.

The conflict drew in countries from around central and southern Africa and its legacy lies heavily today on the east of the country, where militias fight over resources.

Powerful trio

The presidential elections -- unfolding alongside legislative and municipal ballots -- have a field of 21 candidates, with three men leading the pack.

They are Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a hardline former interior minister; Felix Tshisekedi, head of the veteran UDPS opposition; and Martin Fayulu, a little-known legislator and former oil executive.

But analysts also point to another power trio.

None of their names are on the ballot sheets, but they are likely to wield much power behind the scenes regardless of who wins.

One is Kabila himself, who personally selected the loyalist Shadary as his party's candidate -- a choice that has invited speculation of a comeback the 2023 elections.

The others are former militia leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, 56, and Moise Katumbi, 53, a wealthy businessman and former mayor of Katanga province.

Both were barred from contesting the elections and are supporting Fayulu behind the scenes.

Youth vote

Two-thirds of DR Congo's estimated 80 million population are under the age of 25, which means that a "Kabila Generation" could have a huge say on polling day.

Despite the many problems surrounding the election, many young voters interviewed by AFP said they would turn out, and economic reform was uppermost in their minds.

"We want things to change. We cannot live like this," said 24-year-old Kalumba Mwewa in Lubumbashi, capital of the mining province of Katanga.

Mwewa said he trained as a mechanic but could not find work so instead earns a few dollars a day by illegally digging for copper and cobalt. He is considering voting for Fayulu.

"Maybe if I vote for him, it will change," Mwewa said.

One of the world's powder-keg countries faces a crunch test on Sunday when the Democratic Republic of Congo heads into elections marred by delays, clashes and fears of polling-day chaos.

One of the world's powder-keg countries faces a crunch test on Sunday when the Democratic Republic of Congo heads into elections marred by delays, clashes and fears of polling-day chaos. The vote crowns two years of turmoil, sharpening worries that the fragile giant of central Africa may once more spiral into violence. Twenty-one candidates are vying to succeed Joseph Kabila, who aged just 47 has been at the helm for nearly 18 years. If all goes well, one will be sworn in on January 18 -- the very first time that the DRC will have achieved a peaceful transition of power since gaining independence in 1960. But the prospects of achieving this have dimmed as concern over the poll's credibility has risen, along with a diplomatic storm with Europe. Sunday's election will be the DRC's first presidential ballot in seven years. It should have been held in 2016 when Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001, reached a two-term limit. But he remained in office, invoking a caretaker clause under the constitution. It came at the cost of protests that were bloodily crushed, leaving scores of dead. Then came a string of three election postponements -- followed on Wednesday by a fourth delay in two regions hit by violence -- and a storm over the introduction of electronic voting machines. The turbulence has revived traumatic memories of the DRC's bloodied past. On Wednesday, the presidents of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and the neighbouring Republic of Congo called for "peaceful, free, democratic and transparent" elections and expressed deep concern at the violence. In 1996-1997 and 1998-2003, the DRC was the theatre of two terrible conflicts -- the second of which was called "the Great War of Africa" for the millions of dead and homeless that it left. The conflict drew in countries from around central and southern Africa and its legacy lies heavily today on the east of the country, where militias fight over resources. Powerful trio The presidential elections -- unfolding alongside legislative and municipal ballots -- have a field of 21 candidates, with three men leading the pack. They are Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a hardline former interior minister; Felix Tshisekedi, head of the veteran UDPS opposition; and Martin Fayulu, a little-known legislator and former oil executive. But analysts also point to another power trio. None of their names are on the ballot sheets, but they are likely to wield much power behind the scenes regardless of who wins. One is Kabila himself, who personally selected the loyalist Shadary as his party's candidate -- a choice that has invited speculation of a comeback the 2023 elections. The others are former militia leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, 56, and Moise Katumbi, 53, a wealthy businessman and former mayor of Katanga province. Both were barred from contesting the elections and are supporting Fayulu behind the scenes. Youth vote Two-thirds of DR Congo's estimated 80 million population are under the age of 25, which means that a "Kabila Generation" could have a huge say on polling day. Despite the many problems surrounding the election, many young voters interviewed by AFP said they would turn out, and economic reform was uppermost in their minds. "We want things to change. We cannot live like this," said 24-year-old Kalumba Mwewa in Lubumbashi, capital of the mining province of Katanga. Mwewa said he trained as a mechanic but could not find work so instead earns a few dollars a day by illegally digging for copper and cobalt. He is considering voting for Fayulu. "Maybe if I vote for him, it will change," Mwewa said.

Volatile DR Congo braces for troubled election

Mortar bombs were fired at a UN peacekeeping base and gunfire could be heard on Friday in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Beni, an area which has seen a surge in fighting with rebel groups, two sources said.

The attack follows the death of twelve Congolese soldiers and seven UN peacekeepers in clashes with militias earlier this week - one of the deadliest for troops in Congo's volatile eastern borderlands since a rebel attack in early 2018.

Congolese army spokesman Mak Hazukay said the army was monitoring the situation in Beni and had imposed a curfew on part of the city.

Eastern Congo has been plagued by banditry and armed insurrections for more than two decades since the fall of military ruler Mobutu Sese Seko. The past year has seen a surge in violence around North Kivu region.

Beni is the epicentre of the region's Ebola epidemic and efforts to control the outbreak - the worst in Congo's history with over 300 infected and two-thirds of those killed - have been hampered by insecurity.

Mortar bombs were fired at a UN peacekeeping base and gunfire could be heard on Friday in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Beni, an area which has seen a surge in fighting with rebel groups, two sources said.

Mortar bombs were fired at a UN peacekeeping base and gunfire could be heard on Friday in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern city of Beni, an area which has seen a surge in fighting with rebel groups, two sources said. The attack follows the death of twelve Congolese soldiers and seven UN peacekeepers in clashes with militias earlier this week - one of the deadliest for troops in Congo's volatile eastern borderlands since a rebel attack in early 2018. Congolese army spokesman Mak Hazukay said the army was monitoring the situation in Beni and had imposed a curfew on part of the city. Eastern Congo has been plagued by banditry and armed insurrections for more than two decades since the fall of military ruler Mobutu Sese Seko. The past year has seen a surge in violence around North Kivu region. Beni is the epicentre of the region's Ebola epidemic and efforts to control the outbreak - the worst in Congo's history with over 300 infected and two-thirds of those killed - have been hampered by insecurity.

Mortar bombs fired at UN peacekeeping base in eastern Congo

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed 164 lives, according to health authorities.

In mid-October, Congolese authorities said they were facing a "second wave" of the outbreak centred on Beni, a town in North Kivu near the border with Uganda.

The epicentre had earlier been focussed on Mangina, a town around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Beni.

In total, 257 cases had been recorded in the region, of which 222 were confirmed and 35 were probable, since the start of the outbreak at the beginning of August, the Congolese Health Ministry said in a bulletin dated Friday.

On October 17, the World Health Organisation said the death toll stood at 139, although it said the outbreak did not yet merit being labelled a global health emergency.

The second wave of the deadly virus has been attributed to community resistance to measures already taken to tackle the disease.

On Thursday, around 1,000 students marched through the streets of Beni to launch a campaign to fight Ebola.

Since a vaccination programme began on August 8, over 22,000 people have been innoculated, of whom around 11,000 were in Beni, the health ministry said.

An Ebola treatment centre in the city now had more than 60 beds, it added.

The latest outbreak is the 10th in DR Congo since Ebola was first detected there in 1976.

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed 164 lives, according to health authorities. In mid-October, Congolese authorities said they were facing a "second wave" of the outbreak centred on Beni, a town in North Kivu near the border with Uganda.

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed 164 lives, according to health authorities. In mid-October, Congolese authorities said they were facing a "second wave" of the outbreak centred on Beni, a town in North Kivu near the border with Uganda. The epicentre had earlier been focussed on Mangina, a town around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Beni. In total, 257 cases had been recorded in the region, of which 222 were confirmed and 35 were probable, since the start of the outbreak at the beginning of August, the Congolese Health Ministry said in a bulletin dated Friday. On October 17, the World Health Organisation said the death toll stood at 139, although it said the outbreak did not yet merit being labelled a global health emergency. The second wave of the deadly virus has been attributed to community resistance to measures already taken to tackle the disease. On Thursday, around 1,000 students marched through the streets of Beni to launch a campaign to fight Ebola. Since a vaccination programme began on August 8, over 22,000 people have been innoculated, of whom around 11,000 were in Beni, the health ministry said. An Ebola treatment centre in the city now had more than 60 beds, it added. The latest outbreak is the 10th in DR Congo since Ebola was first detected there in 1976.

DR Congo Ebola death toll rises to 164

Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak is expected to last several months and could spread at any time to Uganda or Rwanda, which are well prepared but have not approved use of a vaccine, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

But the most concerning area is the city of Beni in Congo's North Kivu province, where dozens of people who may have been exposed to the deadly disease are hiding from health workers, emergency response chief Peter Salama told Reuters.&nbsp;

"We anticipate that now we’ll be looking at least at another 3-4 months in order to really stem this outbreak, with a strong focus in Beni and surrounding areas," Salama said. "I’d say that’s the best case scenario.”

The outbreak has now caused 194 cases and 122 deaths, and two-thirds of cases in the past month have been in and around Beni, where the Ebola response was disrupted last month by a spate of attacks by armed groups and a period of official mourning.

The next few days will tell if the recent wave of infections in Beni is over, he said, depending on the security situation and the local community`s willingness to support the response.

"If, however, this peak is accompanied by a peak in insecurity which limits our ability to get to all these cases and their contacts, then we could see a much larger wave building. A lot is depending on that security situation," Salama said.

Many of the new cases are already known to healthworkers as people who have had contact with recorded Ebola patients. On average, 80-90 per cent of people with potential Ebola exposure are being monitored on a daily basis.

But a smaller number, around 40 or more, are "actively avoiding follow-up" and have not been found for days on end, increasing the risk of the disease spreading, Salama said. More than 90 per cent of those people were in Beni, he added.

Some Ebola victims are suspicious of healthworkers, fearing that hospitalisation is a death sentence - despite the obvious risks of missing out on treatment - while families believe that bodies may not be returned for traditional burials.

Local authorities in Beni have threatened people who harbour suspected patients with three-month jail sentences.

Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak is expected to last several months and could spread at any time to Uganda or Rwanda, which are well prepared but have not approved use of a vaccine, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak is expected to last several months and could spread at any time to Uganda or Rwanda, which are well prepared but have not approved use of a vaccine, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. But the most concerning area is the city of Beni in Congo's North Kivu province, where dozens of people who may have been exposed to the deadly disease are hiding from health workers, emergency response chief Peter Salama told Reuters. "We anticipate that now we’ll be looking at least at another 3-4 months in order to really stem this outbreak, with a strong focus in Beni and surrounding areas," Salama said. "I’d say that’s the best case scenario.” The outbreak has now caused 194 cases and 122 deaths, and two-thirds of cases in the past month have been in and around Beni, where the Ebola response was disrupted last month by a spate of attacks by armed groups and a period of official mourning. The next few days will tell if the recent wave of infections in Beni is over, he said, depending on the security situation and the local community`s willingness to support the response. "If, however, this peak is accompanied by a peak in insecurity which limits our ability to get to all these cases and their contacts, then we could see a much larger wave building. A lot is depending on that security situation," Salama said. Many of the new cases are already known to healthworkers as people who have had contact with recorded Ebola patients. On average, 80-90 per cent of people with potential Ebola exposure are being monitored on a daily basis. But a smaller number, around 40 or more, are "actively avoiding follow-up" and have not been found for days on end, increasing the risk of the disease spreading, Salama said. More than 90 per cent of those people were in Beni, he added. Some Ebola victims are suspicious of healthworkers, fearing that hospitalisation is a death sentence - despite the obvious risks of missing out on treatment - while families believe that bodies may not be returned for traditional burials. Local authorities in Beni have threatened people who harbour suspected patients with three-month jail sentences.

WHO sees Congo's Ebola outbreak lasting 3-4 months at least

A&nbsp;boat&nbsp;tipped over in a river in the northern Democratic Republic of&nbsp;Congo, drowning 49 people on board while about the same number survived the&nbsp;accident, a local official told a&nbsp;Congolese radio station.

Richard Mboyo Iluka, vice governor of remote Tshuapa province, in northern&nbsp;Congo, told Radio Top&nbsp;Congo&nbsp;that the whaleboat&nbsp;had sunk with all of its passengers late on Wednesday.

Deadly&nbsp;boat&nbsp;accidents are common in&nbsp;Congo, a vast, forested country which has few roads outside of major towns and is carved up by a network of rivers that drain the&nbsp;Congo&nbsp;Basin. For most people, these rivers are the only means of travelling over long distances.

Deadly boat accidents are common in Congo, a vast, forested country which has few roads outside of major towns and is carved up by a network of rivers that drain the Congo Basin

A boat tipped over in a river in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo, drowning 49 people on board while about the same number survived the accident, a local official told a Congolese radio station. Richard Mboyo Iluka, vice governor of remote Tshuapa province, in northern Congo, told Radio Top Congo that the whaleboat had sunk with all of its passengers late on Wednesday. Deadly boat accidents are common in Congo, a vast, forested country which has few roads outside of major towns and is carved up by a network of rivers that drain the Congo Basin. For most people, these rivers are the only means of travelling over long distances.

Congo river boat accident kills 49

In the city of Mbandaka in northwest Congo, Mbombo Roge does not shake hands with friends anymore: Ebola changed all that.

Roge simply bowed when he met a group of friends on Saturday afternoon, obeying one of the key lessons taught by health officials since an outbreak of the deadly virus was confirmed in the city of 1.5 million people this week.

"Ebola doesn't forgive," said Roge on a street in the center of Mbandaka "We just greet each other with words so as to not get contaminated."

The Democratic Republic of Congo joined with world agencies and neighbouring countries on Friday in boosting the response to an Ebola outbreak in the sprawling country's northwest, as the toll mounted.

The health ministry declared it had activated an "action plan" in the city of Mbandaka after a case of Ebola occurred there.

After visiting the Mbandaka and launching a coordination centre there, Health Minister Oly Ilunga announced on television that all health care would be free.

"Financial hurdles should not in any way be a brake to having access to health care, especially at a time of epidemic," Ilunga said.

Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola because the disease has been confirmed in a patient in a big city, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, raising its assessment from "high" previously.

The risk to countries in the region was now "high", raised from "moderate", but the global risk remained "low", the WHO said.

So far, the changes in Mbandaka are subtle, but they point to a growing trepidation. At the small regional airport, health inspectors check the temperature of arriving passengers. Local aid agencies have gone to churches and schools to try to educate people of the dangers.

Soap dispensers have been put outside some local businesses so people can wash their hands before entering. Meat sales at riverside markets have dropped off, traders say, because of the fear of eating contaminated bush meat which can pass Ebola on to humans.

"We are scared of this epidemic. We can't make contact with people coming from outside," said border hygiene inspector Bolongoyi Juptie.

Not everyone is convinced of the dangers, and one resident said that Ebola can be cured through prayer.

But the general wariness is encouraging for health officials who remember how mistrust of doctors, nurses, authorities and western aid agencies made containment more difficult during the 2013-16 epidemic.

The reassessment came after the first confirmed case in Mbandaka, a city of around 1.5 million in the northwest. Previous reports of the disease had all been in remote areas where Ebola might spread be more easily contained.

They have started deploying emergency teams of specialists last week to try to prevent the spread of an Ebola epidemic suspected to have infected more than 30 people, they said.

The outbreak of Ebola in Congo, the vast central African country's ninth since the disease made its first known appearance near the northern Ebola river in the 1970s, is believed to have cost the lives of 25 people since April.

The outbreak is dwarfed by the epidemic which killed over 11,300 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone between 2013 and 2016, but it brings with it some worrying echoes.

The Ebola virus causes hemorrhagic fever and is spread through direct contact with body fluids from an infected person, who suffers severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhea.

The Democratic Republic of Congo joined with world agencies and neighbouring countries on Friday in boosting the response to an Ebola outbreak in the sprawling country's northwest, as the toll mounted

In the city of Mbandaka in northwest Congo, Mbombo Roge does not shake hands with friends anymore: Ebola changed all that. Roge simply bowed when he met a group of friends on Saturday afternoon, obeying one of the key lessons taught by health officials since an outbreak of the deadly virus was confirmed in the city of 1.5 million people this week. "Ebola doesn't forgive," said Roge on a street in the center of Mbandaka "We just greet each other with words so as to not get contaminated." The Democratic Republic of Congo joined with world agencies and neighbouring countries on Friday in boosting the response to an Ebola outbreak in the sprawling country's northwest, as the toll mounted. The health ministry declared it had activated an "action plan" in the city of Mbandaka after a case of Ebola occurred there. After visiting the Mbandaka and launching a coordination centre there, Health Minister Oly Ilunga announced on television that all health care would be free. "Financial hurdles should not in any way be a brake to having access to health care, especially at a time of epidemic," Ilunga said. Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola because the disease has been confirmed in a patient in a big city, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, raising its assessment from "high" previously. The risk to countries in the region was now "high", raised from "moderate", but the global risk remained "low", the WHO said. So far, the changes in Mbandaka are subtle, but they point to a growing trepidation. At the small regional airport, health inspectors check the temperature of arriving passengers. Local aid agencies have gone to churches and schools to try to educate people of the dangers. Soap dispensers have been put outside some local businesses so people can wash their hands before entering. Meat sales at riverside markets have dropped off, traders say, because of the fear of eating contaminated bush meat which can pass Ebola on to humans. "We are scared of this epidemic. We can't make contact with people coming from outside," said border hygiene inspector Bolongoyi Juptie. Not everyone is convinced of the dangers, and one resident said that Ebola can be cured through prayer. But the general wariness is encouraging for health officials who remember how mistrust of doctors, nurses, authorities and western aid agencies made containment more difficult during the 2013-16 epidemic. The reassessment came after the first confirmed case in Mbandaka, a city of around 1.5 million in the northwest. Previous reports of the disease had all been in remote areas where Ebola might spread be more easily contained. They have started deploying emergency teams of specialists last week to try to prevent the spread of an Ebola epidemic suspected to have infected more than 30 people, they said. The outbreak of Ebola in Congo, the vast central African country's ninth since the disease made its first known appearance near the northern Ebola river in the 1970s, is believed to have cost the lives of 25 people since April. The outbreak is dwarfed by the epidemic which killed over 11,300 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone between 2013 and 2016, but it brings with it some worrying echoes. The Ebola virus causes hemorrhagic fever and is spread through direct contact with body fluids from an infected person, who suffers severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhea.

In Congo city where Ebola resides, fear but not panic

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-to-challenge-the-appointment-of-kg-bopaiah-as-pro-tem-speaker-in-the-sc-137972">Karnataka crisis: Congress to challenge KG Bopaiah's appointment as pro-tem Speaker in Supreme Court</a>

Congress to challenge the appointment of KG Bopaiah as pro-tem Speaker in the Supreme Court on Friday. According to television reports, Congress is moving Supreme Court to challenge the Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to appoint KG Bopiah as pro-tem speaker ahead of the floor test on Saturday 4 pm.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ahead-of-pm-modis-visit-to-jk-pakistan-summons-indian-high-commissioner-over-unprovoked-ceasefire-violations-along-loc-137934">Pakistan summons Indian High Commissioner over 'unprovoked ceasefire violations' along LoC</a>

As PM Modi prepares to visit J&K on Saturday, Pakistan today summoned Indian High Commissioner over "unprovoked ceasefire violations" allegedly carried out by Indian forces along the Line of Control(LoC).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-allows-karti-chidambaram-to-travel-abroad-137929">Supreme Court allows Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad</a>

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, to travel to offshore locations in United Kingdom, Germany and Spain with certain conditions, including that he would not open or close a bank account abroad.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-offering-200-billion-package-to-slash-us-trade-gap-137953">China denies offering $200 billion </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-offering-200-billion-package-to-slash-us-trade-gap-137953">package</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-offering-200-billion-package-to-slash-us-trade-gap-137953"> to slash US trade gap</a>

China denied on Friday that it had offered a package to slash the US trade deficit by up to $200 billion, hours after it dropped an anti-dumping probe into US sorghum imports in a conciliatory gesture as top negotiators meet in Washington.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/congo-faces-very-high-risk-from-ebola-outbreak-who--137926">Congo faces 'very high' risk from Ebola outbreak: WHO</a>

Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola because the disease has been confirmed in a patient in a big city, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, raising its assessment from "high" previously.

&nbsp

Karnataka crisis: Congress to challenge KG Bopaiah's appointment as pro-tem Speaker in Supreme Court Congress to challenge the appointment of KG Bopaiah as pro-tem Speaker in the Supreme Court on Friday. According to television reports, Congress is moving Supreme Court to challenge the Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to appoint KG Bopiah as pro-tem speaker ahead of the floor test on Saturday 4 pm. Pakistan summons Indian High Commissioner over 'unprovoked ceasefire violations' along LoC As PM Modi prepares to visit J&K on Saturday, Pakistan today summoned Indian High Commissioner over "unprovoked ceasefire violations" allegedly carried out by Indian forces along the Line of Control(LoC). Supreme Court allows Karti Chidambaram to travel abroad The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, to travel to offshore locations in United Kingdom, Germany and Spain with certain conditions, including that he would not open or close a bank account abroad. China denies offering $200 billion package to slash US trade gap China denied on Friday that it had offered a package to slash the US trade deficit by up to $200 billion, hours after it dropped an anti-dumping probe into US sorghum imports in a conciliatory gesture as top negotiators meet in Washington. Congo faces 'very high' risk from Ebola outbreak: WHO Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola because the disease has been confirmed in a patient in a big city, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, raising its assessment from "high" previously.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola because the disease has been confirmed in a patient in a big city, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, raising its assessment from "high" previously.

The risk to countries in the region was now "high", raised from "moderate", but the global risk remained "low", the WHO said.

The reassessment came after the first confirmed case in Mbandaka, a city of around 1.5 million in the northwest. Previous reports of the disease had all been in remote areas where Ebola might spread be more easily contained.

"The confirmed case in Mbandaka, a large urban centre located on major national and international river, road and domestic air routes, increases the risk of spread within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to neighbouring countries," the WHO said.

WHO Deputy Director-General for Emergency Preparedness and Response Peter Salama had told reporters on Thursday that the risk assessment was being reviewed.

"We're certainly not trying to cause any panic in the national or international community," he said.

"What we're saying though is that urban Ebola is very different phenomenon to rural Ebola because we know that people in urban areas can have far more contacts so that means that urban Ebola can result in an exponential increase in cases in a way that rural Ebola struggles to do."

Later on Friday, the WHO will convene an Emergency Committee of experts to advise on the international response to the outbreak, and decide whether it constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern".

The nightmare scenario is an outbreak in Kinshasa, a crowded city where millions live in unsanitary slums not connected to a sewer system.

Jeremy Farrar, an infectious disease expert and director of the Wellcome Trust global health charity, said the outbreak had "all the features of something that could turn really nasty".

"As more evidence comes in of the separation of cases in space and time, and healthcare workers getting infected, and people attending funerals and then travelling quite big distances - it's got everything we would worry about," he told Reuters.

The WHO statement said there had been 21 suspected, 20 probable and 3 confirmed cases of Ebola between April 4 and May 15, a total of 44 cases, including 15 deaths. Mbandaka had three suspected cases in addition to the confirmed case.

The WHO is sending 7,540 doses of an experimental vaccine to try to stop the outbreak in its tracks, and 4,300 doses have already arrived in Kinshasa. It will be used to protect healthworkers and "rings" of contacts around each case.

The vaccine supplies will be enough to vaccinate 50 rings of 150 people, the WHO said. As of 15 May, 527 contacts had been identified and were being followed up and monitored.

The risk to countries in the region was now 'high', raised from 'moderate'

Democratic Republic of Congo faces a "very high" public health risk from Ebola because the disease has been confirmed in a patient in a big city, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, raising its assessment from "high" previously. The risk to countries in the region was now "high", raised from "moderate", but the global risk remained "low", the WHO said. The reassessment came after the first confirmed case in Mbandaka, a city of around 1.5 million in the northwest. Previous reports of the disease had all been in remote areas where Ebola might spread be more easily contained. "The confirmed case in Mbandaka, a large urban centre located on major national and international river, road and domestic air routes, increases the risk of spread within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to neighbouring countries," the WHO said. WHO Deputy Director-General for Emergency Preparedness and Response Peter Salama had told reporters on Thursday that the risk assessment was being reviewed. "We're certainly not trying to cause any panic in the national or international community," he said. "What we're saying though is that urban Ebola is very different phenomenon to rural Ebola because we know that people in urban areas can have far more contacts so that means that urban Ebola can result in an exponential increase in cases in a way that rural Ebola struggles to do." Later on Friday, the WHO will convene an Emergency Committee of experts to advise on the international response to the outbreak, and decide whether it constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern". The nightmare scenario is an outbreak in Kinshasa, a crowded city where millions live in unsanitary slums not connected to a sewer system. Jeremy Farrar, an infectious disease expert and director of the Wellcome Trust global health charity, said the outbreak had "all the features of something that could turn really nasty". "As more evidence comes in of the separation of cases in space and time, and healthcare workers getting infected, and people attending funerals and then travelling quite big distances - it's got everything we would worry about," he told Reuters. The WHO statement said there had been 21 suspected, 20 probable and 3 confirmed cases of Ebola between April 4 and May 15, a total of 44 cases, including 15 deaths. Mbandaka had three suspected cases in addition to the confirmed case. The WHO is sending 7,540 doses of an experimental vaccine to try to stop the outbreak in its tracks, and 4,300 doses have already arrived in Kinshasa. It will be used to protect healthworkers and "rings" of contacts around each case. The vaccine supplies will be enough to vaccinate 50 rings of 150 people, the WHO said. As of 15 May, 527 contacts had been identified and were being followed up and monitored.

Congo faces 'very high' risk from Ebola outbreak: WHO

Congo's Ebola outbreak has entered "a new phase" after a case of the deadly virus was detected for the first time in the northwest city of Mbandaka, with a population of about 1 million people, the health minister said late on Wednesday.

So far, the 23 deaths believed to have been caused by Democratic Republic of Congo's latest Ebola outbreak had been detected in more isolated areas, giving authorities a better chance of ring-fencing the virus.

The first urban case to be announced threatens to change that. The World Health Organization, which on Wednesday deployed the first experimental vaccines in the vast central African country, had expressed concern about the disease reaching Mbandaka, which would make the outbreak far harder to tackle.

Adding to concerns is the city's location on the banks of the Congo River, a major thoroughfare for trade and transport into the capital, Kinshasa. The Congo Republic is on the other side of the river.

"We are entering a new phase of the Ebola outbreak that is now affecting three health zones, including an urban health zone," Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga said in a statement. "Since the announcement of the alert in Mbandaka, our epidemiologists are working in the field to identify people who have been in contact with suspected cases."

He said authorities would intensify population tracing at all air, river and road routes out of the city.

It is the ninth time Ebola has been recorded in Congo since the disease made its first known appearance near its northern Ebola river in the 1970s.

Ebola is most feared for the internal and external bleeding it can cause in victims owing to damage done to blood vessels.

Before Wednesday's announcement, there had been only two cases of the virus confirmed by lab tests.

First vaccine batch

The first batch of over 4,000 Ebola vaccines was sent by the WHO to Kinshasa on Wednesday. The Health Ministry said vaccinations would start by early next week, the first time the vaccine would come into use since it was developed two years ago.

The vaccine, developed by Merck and Co Inc, is still not licensed but proved effective during limited trials in West Africa in the biggest-ever outbreak of Ebola, which killed 11,300 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from 2014 to 2016.

Before the latest confirmed case, Peter Salama, the WHO's deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, said the current number of suspected, probable or confirmed cases stood at 42, with 23 deaths attributed to the outbreak. He said another 4,000-vaccine batch was expected soon.

Health workers have recorded confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola in three health zones of Congo's Equateur province, and have identified 432 people who may have had contact with the disease, the WHO said.

Supplies sent to Congo included more than 300 body bags for safe burials in affected communities. The vaccine will be reserved for people suspected of coming into contact with the disease, as well as health workers.

The vaccine requires storage at a temperature between -60 and -80 degrees C, tricky in a country with unreliable electricity.

"We are now tracing more than 4,000 contacts of patients and they have spread out all over the region of northwest Congo, so they have to be followed up and the only way to reach them is motorcycles," Salama said.

So far, the 23 deaths believed to have been caused by Democratic Republic of Congo's latest Ebola outbreak had been detected in more isolated areas

Congo's Ebola outbreak has entered "a new phase" after a case of the deadly virus was detected for the first time in the northwest city of Mbandaka, with a population of about 1 million people, the health minister said late on Wednesday. So far, the 23 deaths believed to have been caused by Democratic Republic of Congo's latest Ebola outbreak had been detected in more isolated areas, giving authorities a better chance of ring-fencing the virus. The first urban case to be announced threatens to change that. The World Health Organization, which on Wednesday deployed the first experimental vaccines in the vast central African country, had expressed concern about the disease reaching Mbandaka, which would make the outbreak far harder to tackle. Adding to concerns is the city's location on the banks of the Congo River, a major thoroughfare for trade and transport into the capital, Kinshasa. The Congo Republic is on the other side of the river. "We are entering a new phase of the Ebola outbreak that is now affecting three health zones, including an urban health zone," Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga said in a statement. "Since the announcement of the alert in Mbandaka, our epidemiologists are working in the field to identify people who have been in contact with suspected cases." He said authorities would intensify population tracing at all air, river and road routes out of the city. It is the ninth time Ebola has been recorded in Congo since the disease made its first known appearance near its northern Ebola river in the 1970s. Ebola is most feared for the internal and external bleeding it can cause in victims owing to damage done to blood vessels. Before Wednesday's announcement, there had been only two cases of the virus confirmed by lab tests. First vaccine batch The first batch of over 4,000 Ebola vaccines was sent by the WHO to Kinshasa on Wednesday. The Health Ministry said vaccinations would start by early next week, the first time the vaccine would come into use since it was developed two years ago. The vaccine, developed by Merck and Co Inc, is still not licensed but proved effective during limited trials in West Africa in the biggest-ever outbreak of Ebola, which killed 11,300 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from 2014 to 2016. Before the latest confirmed case, Peter Salama, the WHO's deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, said the current number of suspected, probable or confirmed cases stood at 42, with 23 deaths attributed to the outbreak. He said another 4,000-vaccine batch was expected soon. Health workers have recorded confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola in three health zones of Congo's Equateur province, and have identified 432 people who may have had contact with the disease, the WHO said. Supplies sent to Congo included more than 300 body bags for safe burials in affected communities. The vaccine will be reserved for people suspected of coming into contact with the disease, as well as health workers. The vaccine requires storage at a temperature between -60 and -80 degrees C, tricky in a country with unreliable electricity. "We are now tracing more than 4,000 contacts of patients and they have spread out all over the region of northwest Congo, so they have to be followed up and the only way to reach them is motorcycles," Salama said.

Congo warns of 'new phase' in Ebola outbreak after first urban case

The Democratic Republic of&nbspCongo&nbspand UN agencies began deploying emergency teams of specialists over the weekend to try to prevent the spread of an Ebola epidemic suspected to have infected more than 30 people, they said on Sunday.

The latest suspected case was reported on Friday in the northwestern province of Equateur, which health minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga visited on Saturday with officials from the WHO and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“We have to pool our efforts quickly and align ourselves with the government response plan to fight this new epidemic effectively,” Kalenga was quoted as saying in a joint statement following their visit to the state capital.

Congo&nbspfirst reported the outbreak, centred around the village of Ikoko Impenge, near the town of Bikoro, on Tuesday, with 32 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of the disease, including 18 deaths since April 4. Some deaths occurring as early as January have not yet been linked to the epidemic.

A person in the Democratic Republic of Congo who died of a hemorrhagic fever has tested positive for the Ebola virus,&nbspsignaling the start of a new outbreak, the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

The case was confirmed from tests on nine people who came down with a hemorrhagic fever in Bas-Uele province in the north of the country on or after April 22, a ministry statement said. Three people have died of fever.

Officials are racing to prevent the virus from spreading out of control, as happened in West Africa from 2014-2016, when Ebola killed more than 11,300 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The WHO was criticised for bungling its response to that epidemic and has moved quickly.

Congo&nbsphad suffered eight Ebola epidemics previously, but owing to remote geography and poor transport links they have tended to fizzle out rather than spread to become a national crisis.

But this epidemic’s proximity to the&nbspCongo&nbspRiver, a major transport route and lifeline both to&nbspCongo‘s capital Kinshasa and to neighbouring&nbspCongo&nbspRepublic’s capital Brazzaville, makes it more likely that the virus could break out into a wider area.

The disease&nbsp–&nbspmost feared for the internal and external bleeding it can cause in its victims owing to damage done to blood vessels&nbsp–&nbsphas already spread to three separate locations covering 60 km or more in Equateur province.

The WHO said on Friday it hopes to deploy an experimental Ebola vaccine to tackle an outbreak.

The WHO's Congo spokesman Eugene Kabambi told Reuters: "It is in a very remote zone, very forested, so we are a little lucky. We always take this very seriously."

The last outbreak of Ebola in Congo was in 2014 and killed 42 people.

Ebola killed more than 11,300 people and infected some 28,600 from 2013, as it swept through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and caused alarm around the world.

Congo first reported the outbreak, centred around the village of Ikoko Impenge, near the town of Bikoro, on Tuesday, with 32 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of the disease, including 18 deaths since April 4

The Democratic Republic of&nbspCongo&nbspand UN agencies began deploying emergency teams of specialists over the weekend to try to prevent the spread of an Ebola epidemic suspected to have infected more than 30 people, they said on Sunday. The latest suspected case was reported on Friday in the northwestern province of Equateur, which health minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga visited on Saturday with officials from the WHO and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “We have to pool our efforts quickly and align ourselves with the government response plan to fight this new epidemic effectively,” Kalenga was quoted as saying in a joint statement following their visit to the state capital. Congo&nbspfirst reported the outbreak, centred around the village of Ikoko Impenge, near the town of Bikoro, on Tuesday, with 32 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of the disease, including 18 deaths since April 4. Some deaths occurring as early as January have not yet been linked to the epidemic. A person in the Democratic Republic of Congo who died of a hemorrhagic fever has tested positive for the Ebola virus,&nbspsignaling the start of a new outbreak, the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. The case was confirmed from tests on nine people who came down with a hemorrhagic fever in Bas-Uele province in the north of the country on or after April 22, a ministry statement said. Three people have died of fever. Officials are racing to prevent the virus from spreading out of control, as happened in West Africa from 2014-2016, when Ebola killed more than 11,300 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The WHO was criticised for bungling its response to that epidemic and has moved quickly. Congo&nbsphad suffered eight Ebola epidemics previously, but owing to remote geography and poor transport links they have tended to fizzle out rather than spread to become a national crisis. But this epidemic’s proximity to the&nbspCongo&nbspRiver, a major transport route and lifeline both to&nbspCongo‘s capital Kinshasa and to neighbouring&nbspCongo&nbspRepublic’s capital Brazzaville, makes it more likely that the virus could break out into a wider area. The disease –&nbspmost feared for the internal and external bleeding it can cause in its victims owing to damage done to blood vessels –&nbsphas already spread to three separate locations covering 60 km or more in Equateur province. The WHO said on Friday it hopes to deploy an experimental Ebola vaccine to tackle an outbreak. The WHO's Congo spokesman Eugene Kabambi told Reuters: "It is in a very remote zone, very forested, so we are a little lucky. We always take this very seriously." The last outbreak of Ebola in Congo was in 2014 and killed 42 people. Ebola killed more than 11,300 people and infected some 28,600 from 2013, as it swept through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and caused alarm around the world.

Congo, UN deploy specialists to tackle Ebola epidemic

The Democratic Republic of Congo's main opposition party met on Friday for a two-day congress to choose a new leader who is also likely to be its candidate in upcoming presidential elections.

Frontrunner among the four candidates vying for the leadership of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) is Felix Tshisekedi, the son of the party's founder, former premier Etienne Tshisekedi, who died in Brussels in February last year.

Elections for DRC's head of state are due to take place on December 23 after two postponements that have stoked fears the sprawling, volatile state could spiral into war.

President Joseph Kabila has been in power since 2001 and should have stepped down at the end of 2016 after he reached his two-term constitutional limit.

He is staying on under a constitutional clause that empowers the president to remain in office so long as his or her successor has not been elected.

Escalating tension over Kabila's future has fed protests that have met with a crackdown that has claimed dozens of lives.

According to an opinion poll released Friday, 69 percent of the population do not trust the electoral commission to stage fair elections and 80 percent have a negative view of Kabila.

Sixty-six percent would vote for an opposition candidate, while Kabila would get only six percent if he sought to run again.

Among opposition candidates, the most popular was Moise Katumbi, a wealthy businessman and former governor of Katanga province, who was supported by 24 percent of those who gave an opinion.

He was followed by Tshisekedi with 13 percent.

Katumbi, who lives in exile, formally launched his presidential campaign on March 12, unveiling a political party called Together for Change.

The survey, conducted by phone among a thousand people in 26 provinces, was organised by BERCI -- the Bureau d’Etudes, de Recherches et de Consulting International -- and the Congo Research Group (CRG) at New York University.&nbsp

The UDPS was set up in 1982 at the height of the dictatorship of former president Joseph-Desire Mobutu. It has been in opposition ever since, and experienced numerous internal divisions.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's main opposition party met on Friday for a two-day congress to choose a new leader who is also likely to be its candidate in upcoming presidential elections

The Democratic Republic of Congo's main opposition party met on Friday for a two-day congress to choose a new leader who is also likely to be its candidate in upcoming presidential elections. Frontrunner among the four candidates vying for the leadership of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) is Felix Tshisekedi, the son of the party's founder, former premier Etienne Tshisekedi, who died in Brussels in February last year. Elections for DRC's head of state are due to take place on December 23 after two postponements that have stoked fears the sprawling, volatile state could spiral into war. President Joseph Kabila has been in power since 2001 and should have stepped down at the end of 2016 after he reached his two-term constitutional limit. He is staying on under a constitutional clause that empowers the president to remain in office so long as his or her successor has not been elected. Escalating tension over Kabila's future has fed protests that have met with a crackdown that has claimed dozens of lives. According to an opinion poll released Friday, 69 percent of the population do not trust the electoral commission to stage fair elections and 80 percent have a negative view of Kabila. Sixty-six percent would vote for an opposition candidate, while Kabila would get only six percent if he sought to run again. Among opposition candidates, the most popular was Moise Katumbi, a wealthy businessman and former governor of Katanga province, who was supported by 24 percent of those who gave an opinion. He was followed by Tshisekedi with 13 percent. Katumbi, who lives in exile, formally launched his presidential campaign on March 12, unveiling a political party called Together for Change. The survey, conducted by phone among a thousand people in 26 provinces, was organised by BERCI -- the Bureau d’Etudes, de Recherches et de Consulting International -- and the Congo Research Group (CRG) at New York University. The UDPS was set up in 1982 at the height of the dictatorship of former president Joseph-Desire Mobutu. It has been in opposition ever since, and experienced numerous internal divisions.

DR Congo opposition party set to choose its champion

The United Nations issued a warning to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) estimating more than two million children to be at risk of dying from starvation.

Millions of children may die of acute malnutrition in coming months if the necessary aid&nbsp;is not provided, the UN report said.

United Nation humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock&nbsp;during his Geneva briefing informed that he will be visiting the country to meet donors.

Reuters reported Laerke as saying, &quot;We have a great responsibility in the DRC...now is the time to stay the course&quot;.&nbsp;

The kids that are at the&nbsp;risk includes about 300,000 children from Kasai region only.

Congo&#39;s central Kasai region is facing major rebellion conflict between rebel militia and government forces which is now converting into ethnic violence.&nbsp;

The violence&nbsp;intensified after Joseph Kabila, the president refused to step down from his post even after his tenure was ended in December 2016.

Militia mostly made up of Luba people (an ethnic group of Congo) led by Kamwina Nsapu has selectively killed non-luba people.

Reports say that by June 2017, more than 3,300 people have been killed in violence since October 2016 and 20 villages were completely destroyed.

 
&nbsp;

According to the issued warning, millions of children may die of acute malnutrition in coming months if the necessary aid is not provided

The United Nations issued a warning to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) estimating more than two million children to be at risk of dying from starvation. Millions of children may die of acute malnutrition in coming months if the necessary aid is not provided, the UN report said. United Nation humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock during his Geneva briefing informed that he will be visiting the country to meet donors. Reuters reported Laerke as saying, "We have a great responsibility in the DRC...now is the time to stay the course". The kids that are at the risk includes about 300,000 children from Kasai region only. Congo's central Kasai region is facing major rebellion conflict between rebel militia and government forces which is now converting into ethnic violence. The violence intensified after Joseph Kabila, the president refused to step down from his post even after his tenure was ended in December 2016. Militia mostly made up of Luba people (an ethnic group of Congo) led by Kamwina Nsapu has selectively killed non-luba people. Reports say that by June 2017, more than 3,300 people have been killed in violence since October 2016 and 20 villages were completely destroyed.

2 million children at risk of dying from starvation in Congo: United Nations

It will be an understatement if I say that Congo has got bad roads. Congo simply does not have road infrastructure.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vWtpMC7lxWE" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Travel to centres outside main cities and you will find roads that look like the ruins of an ancient Mayan civilization. You can only marvel at the audacity of life as people still makes use of what I hate to call erstwhile roads.

Even peacekeeping forces have adjusted like good wives; the distance between two points is measured not in kilometres but in time. The official operational maps of militaries do mention distance but time is displayed more prominently.

Roads are also a signature of lawlessness in the state.

Whether armed forces, private militias or adventurous individuals -- all one needs to do is to block a road (track?) and demand money in lieu of passage. I was fortunate since I was part of the UN Peace Keeping contingent but people at large do not have many options.

The joke is that Congo has better air infrastructure than roads since resource pilferage through airplanes is more sophisticated and discreet.

Coming to myself, I covered the 70-km distance distance between Khwinja and Goma in over 5 hours. I wore a bulletproof jacket through the journey.

Apart from protecting me, it also kept my back straight. So I&rsquo;m doubly grateful to the heavy jacket for in its absence my spine would definitely have crumbled into pieces.

For the first time, I missed roads in India and felt grateful for what has been built in the home country.

I could be blamed for thinking small but to see the state of the world on another continent, it just made me remember what I had. Be it democracy or roads to travel on.

It will be an understatement if I say that Congo has got bad roads. Congo simply does not have road infrastructure

It will be an understatement if I say that Congo has got bad roads. Congo simply does not have road infrastructure. × Travel to centres outside main cities and you will find roads that look like the ruins of an ancient Mayan civilization. You can only marvel at the audacity of life as people still makes use of what I hate to call erstwhile roads. Even peacekeeping forces have adjusted like good wives; the distance between two points is measured not in kilometres but in time. The official operational maps of militaries do mention distance but time is displayed more prominently. Roads are also a signature of lawlessness in the state. Whether armed forces, private militias or adventurous individuals -- all one needs to do is to block a road (track?) and demand money in lieu of passage. I was fortunate since I was part of the UN Peace Keeping contingent but people at large do not have many options. The joke is that Congo has better air infrastructure than roads since resource pilferage through airplanes is more sophisticated and discreet. Coming to myself, I covered the 70-km distance distance between Khwinja and Goma in over 5 hours. I wore a bulletproof jacket through the journey. Apart from protecting me, it also kept my back straight. So I’m doubly grateful to the heavy jacket for in its absence my spine would definitely have crumbled into pieces. For the first time, I missed roads in India and felt grateful for what has been built in the home country. I could be blamed for thinking small but to see the state of the world on another continent, it just made me remember what I had. Be it democracy or roads to travel on.

Congo diary: 70 kms travelled in over 5 hours

No one talks about it openly but it stares point blank at everyone&rsquo;s face in Congo. It is a reality but has not been addressed head-on. There are primary and secondary reasons for this development but it is making UN look partisan in Congo.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The robust peace-keeping programme in Congo has started to take a toll on its own forces. As UN forces actively engage militants, the UN, in turn, ends up becoming enemies of those who are opposed to the present regime. They end up becoming a party. This development is reflected in an increased attack on UN forces by the militant groups.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Added to this is the fact that Congolese Army is non-functional. The Congolese Army neither prevents cross-border terrorists from entering the country nor has the capacity to plug a vast open border. It is an open secret that they are neither paid well nor on time. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

The joke is that they have a different avatar every evening. The UN is trying to professionalise them but this association makes UN a suspect in the eyes of those who prefer an unprofessional and an oppressive Army.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Local population feels the UN has become partisan because of their association with the Congolese Army. The Congolese Army is considered as part of the problem and not the solution. This association, largely misinterpreted by the locals, makes the UN&#39;s work tougher.

&nbsp;

On top of it, the delay in elections has created a rift in the civil society where a section has started to believe that UN supports the incumbent government. So again, there is anger in people. But an aggressive agitation is absent. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

But what it does is that it affects the functioning of various missions of UN in Congo. The impact is silent but present. Officers who are part of the deployment say that one has to be extra careful these days. One does not only have to be neutral, one is being forced to look neutral. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Officers keep this in mind all times during public out-reach programme. Indian Army&rsquo;s out-reach programme stems primarily from its experience of the Sadhbhava mission which it continues to run in parts of India which are disturbed.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Lastly, United Nations footprint is receding from many parts of Congo, giving enough advantage to local actors to create areas of influence. It is coming together of all these factors which makes the situation in Congo precarious. The only way to describe it as a sleeping volcano. One never knows, when it will burst.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

Militant groups are increasingly attacking UN forces as they see the organisation as a party, and not a neutral force, in the current conflict in Congo.

No one talks about it openly but it stares point blank at everyone’s face in Congo. It is a reality but has not been addressed head-on. There are primary and secondary reasons for this development but it is making UN look partisan in Congo. The robust peace-keeping programme in Congo has started to take a toll on its own forces. As UN forces actively engage militants, the UN, in turn, ends up becoming enemies of those who are opposed to the present regime. They end up becoming a party. This development is reflected in an increased attack on UN forces by the militant groups. Added to this is the fact that Congolese Army is non-functional. The Congolese Army neither prevents cross-border terrorists from entering the country nor has the capacity to plug a vast open border. It is an open secret that they are neither paid well nor on time. The joke is that they have a different avatar every evening. The UN is trying to professionalise them but this association makes UN a suspect in the eyes of those who prefer an unprofessional and an oppressive Army. Local population feels the UN has become partisan because of their association with the Congolese Army. The Congolese Army is considered as part of the problem and not the solution. This association, largely misinterpreted by the locals, makes the UN's work tougher. On top of it, the delay in elections has created a rift in the civil society where a section has started to believe that UN supports the incumbent government. So again, there is anger in people. But an aggressive agitation is absent. But what it does is that it affects the functioning of various missions of UN in Congo. The impact is silent but present. Officers who are part of the deployment say that one has to be extra careful these days. One does not only have to be neutral, one is being forced to look neutral. Officers keep this in mind all times during public out-reach programme. Indian Army’s out-reach programme stems primarily from its experience of the Sadhbhava mission which it continues to run in parts of India which are disturbed. Lastly, United Nations footprint is receding from many parts of Congo, giving enough advantage to local actors to create areas of influence. It is coming together of all these factors which makes the situation in Congo precarious. The only way to describe it as a sleeping volcano. One never knows, when it will burst. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Congo is like a sleeping volcano, puts UN peacekeeping in jeopardy

Unidentified assailants stabbed 12 patients in their hospital beds in the restive DR Congo city of Goma, with fears it was the work of Ugandan Islamist rebels, officials said on Tuesday.

Three of the victims were seriously hurt in the knife rampage overnight Sunday-Monday in two health centres in the Goma district of Mbosho, provincial health minister Martial Kambumbu said.&nbsp;

&quot;It is the first time we have seen patients being stabbed in health facilities in Goma,&quot; said Etienne Kambale, civil society rapporteur in North Kivu province, of which Goma is the capital.

&quot;It is surprising. We are wondering if it was the ADF who have turned up in Goma, because this is the way they killed people in Beni.&quot;

Government forces last month launched an offensive in Beni against the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), one of a number of armed groups that hold territory in the eastern DR Congo and are battling for control of the region&#39;s rich mineral resources.

Beni lies about 250 kilometres (150 miles) north of Goma.

Congolese authorities and the UN mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, accuse the ADF of killing more than 700 civilians as well as combatants in the Beni region since 2014.

The group is also blamed for the killing of 14 UN peacekeepers last month, the biggest single such loss in 25 years.

Unidentified assailants stabbed 12 patients in their hospital beds in the restive DR Congo city of Goma

Unidentified assailants stabbed 12 patients in their hospital beds in the restive DR Congo city of Goma, with fears it was the work of Ugandan Islamist rebels, officials said on Tuesday. Three of the victims were seriously hurt in the knife rampage overnight Sunday-Monday in two health centres in the Goma district of Mbosho, provincial health minister Martial Kambumbu said. "It is the first time we have seen patients being stabbed in health facilities in Goma," said Etienne Kambale, civil society rapporteur in North Kivu province, of which Goma is the capital. "It is surprising. We are wondering if it was the ADF who have turned up in Goma, because this is the way they killed people in Beni." Government forces last month launched an offensive in Beni against the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), one of a number of armed groups that hold territory in the eastern DR Congo and are battling for control of the region's rich mineral resources. Beni lies about 250 kilometres (150 miles) north of Goma. Congolese authorities and the UN mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, accuse the ADF of killing more than 700 civilians as well as combatants in the Beni region since 2014. The group is also blamed for the killing of 14 UN peacekeepers last month, the biggest single such loss in 25 years.

12 patients stabbed in their hospital beds in DR Congo

Budget cuts are universal but the cut in the budget of United Nations has led to altering of tactical strategy by security forces deployed under the United Nations charter in Congo.

The Indian military is in charge of 15 odd&nbsp;bases in Congo&nbsp;down from 21 because of the budget cut made by the UN. For this reason, a battalion had to be sent back last year which reduced the number of Indian troops around&nbsp;3000&nbsp;to&nbsp;3700.&nbsp;Every penny is paid by the UN, while countries make contribution&nbsp;to the UN Peace Keeping Mission depending upon availability of the troops.

When WION spoke to officers in Goma, it discovered that the concept of Rapid Deployable Battalion and Protection by Projection concepts were born out of necessity and not changed circumstances. As bases get closed, it becomes imperative for the near-by existing bases to provide assistance to the civil society.

When WION contacted Brigadier Vivek Tyagi, Commander of Central Sector of Indian Forces in Congo, he said,&quot; With cuts, force optimisation was a necessity and it needs to be understood. The new concept of operation involving more lean and agile forces adopted by the UK became a functional imperative where challenges for military commander increases several fold.&quot;

This led to junking of the earlier concept of protection by presence. To achieve the aim of stabilisation, it became imperative for the security force to demonstrate its firepower and mobility to send the message that despite&nbsp;its absence it can act quickly to teach lesson to the law breakers. Indian Army covers an area which roughly equals the size of Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in Congo. It statistically boils down to one person per 200 sq km.

This is happening at a time when elections are due in Congo by year end. Even Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, Egypt and Ukraine had to prune down their forces. Congo also reflects larger international reality of an insular America which&nbsp;feels burdened by world which it tries to lead in hesitatingly today. Sources say that more reduction is expected next year around as civilian administration also wants the presence of foreign forces to be reduced in Congo. 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Indian military is in charge of 15 odd bases in Congo which down from 21 because of the budget cut made by the UN

Budget cuts are universal but the cut in the budget of United Nations has led to altering of tactical strategy by security forces deployed under the United Nations charter in Congo. The Indian military is in charge of 15 odd bases in Congo down from 21 because of the budget cut made by the UN. For this reason, a battalion had to be sent back last year which reduced the number of Indian troops around 3000 to 3700. Every penny is paid by the UN, while countries make contribution to the UN Peace Keeping Mission depending upon availability of the troops. When WION spoke to officers in Goma, it discovered that the concept of Rapid Deployable Battalion and Protection by Projection concepts were born out of necessity and not changed circumstances. As bases get closed, it becomes imperative for the near-by existing bases to provide assistance to the civil society. When WION contacted Brigadier Vivek Tyagi, Commander of Central Sector of Indian Forces in Congo, he said," With cuts, force optimisation was a necessity and it needs to be understood. The new concept of operation involving more lean and agile forces adopted by the UK became a functional imperative where challenges for military commander increases several fold." This led to junking of the earlier concept of protection by presence. To achieve the aim of stabilisation, it became imperative for the security force to demonstrate its firepower and mobility to send the message that despite its absence it can act quickly to teach lesson to the law breakers. Indian Army covers an area which roughly equals the size of Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in Congo. It statistically boils down to one person per 200 sq km. This is happening at a time when elections are due in Congo by year end. Even Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, Egypt and Ukraine had to prune down their forces. Congo also reflects larger international reality of an insular America which feels burdened by world which it tries to lead in hesitatingly today. Sources say that more reduction is expected next year around as civilian administration also wants the presence of foreign forces to be reduced in Congo.

WION in Congo: UN budget cuts lead to altering of strategy by Indian forces

It is unimaginable that a place which witnessed genocide is being considered safe and beautiful. Whatever the reasons, Rwanda with all its history of violence has turned out to be a pretty manicured country.

It took us 5 hours to reach Congo border as cars travelling outside the city could not be driven more than 60 km per hour. It was irritating but surprising that cars have been fitted with GPS system which alerts the authorities when the rule is violated.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/STxIpFll7Mg" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

What also stuck my eye was the impressive roads built by the Rwandan government. This is the shape of a country which is not resource rich. It does not produce gold but exports it. The joke is that it all comes from Congo which produces it but cannot export it properly as it gets pilfered away. Another striking detail was the absence of waste and rubbish on the roadside. Mountains looked green and roadsides were clean. I could not spot a plastic on the Rwandan highway.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/untitled%20design-20180203025627.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Rwanda with all its history of violence has turned out to be a pretty manicured country. (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

I was told that plastic has been banned by the Rwandan government. It is not that success in some areas have changed the fundamental structure of society or killed equality in Rwanda. It&rsquo;s just that some good decisions have been made. But in Kigali, the hilltops continue to be occupied by the rich and poor in the valley. So, there are somethings which don&rsquo;t change.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/k2-20180203025937.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Rwanda (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Crossing into Congo was easy but the difference was stark. Suddenly beautiful houses dotting lake Kivu gave away to poor housing areas. The well-maintained infrastructure of the other side gave way to shanty towns. I saw hundreds of young men sitting ideally on the roadsides, a clear sign that jobs are few.

You move out of Goma and you realise that roads are a luxury. Few roads have been built in last three years but vast areas of Congo are unconnected.&nbsp; Taxis run on two-wheelers and their areas where it takes 2 days to cover 250 kilometres. Imagine what UN Peace Keeping Mission have to go through in when they are asked to intervene in an area 150 km away.

The condition of the road is also a good indicator. It tells you which part of the city you are travelling in. Congo continues to suffer from the curse of resource. Despite abundant resources, people have not benefitted.&nbsp; Loyalties are divided on tribal identities and roads are considered dangerous as they can unite people and make a nation out of multiple tribes and may even prevent economic plunder. It is for this reason, roads are non-existent in Congo. Congo and Rwanda are a study in contrast. Rwanda is not perfect. It has its inequality and ugliness but Rwanda also demonstrates resilience and political will to make a comeback. Congo, on the other hand, continues to battle the basics.&nbsp;

It is unimaginable that a place which witnessed genocide is being considered safe and beautiful. Whatever the reasons, Rwanda with all its history of violence has turned out to be a pretty manicured country

It is unimaginable that a place which witnessed genocide is being considered safe and beautiful. Whatever the reasons, Rwanda with all its history of violence has turned out to be a pretty manicured country. It took us 5 hours to reach Congo border as cars travelling outside the city could not be driven more than 60 km per hour. It was irritating but surprising that cars have been fitted with GPS system which alerts the authorities when the rule is violated. × What also stuck my eye was the impressive roads built by the Rwandan government. This is the shape of a country which is not resource rich. It does not produce gold but exports it. The joke is that it all comes from Congo which produces it but cannot export it properly as it gets pilfered away. Another striking detail was the absence of waste and rubbish on the roadside. Mountains looked green and roadsides were clean. I could not spot a plastic on the Rwandan highway. Rwanda with all its history of violence has turned out to be a pretty manicured country. (WION) × I was told that plastic has been banned by the Rwandan government. It is not that success in some areas have changed the fundamental structure of society or killed equality in Rwanda. It’s just that some good decisions have been made. But in Kigali, the hilltops continue to be occupied by the rich and poor in the valley. So, there are somethings which don’t change. Rwanda (WION) × Crossing into Congo was easy but the difference was stark. Suddenly beautiful houses dotting lake Kivu gave away to poor housing areas. The well-maintained infrastructure of the other side gave way to shanty towns. I saw hundreds of young men sitting ideally on the roadsides, a clear sign that jobs are few. You move out of Goma and you realise that roads are a luxury. Few roads have been built in last three years but vast areas of Congo are unconnected. Taxis run on two-wheelers and their areas where it takes 2 days to cover 250 kilometres. Imagine what UN Peace Keeping Mission have to go through in when they are asked to intervene in an area 150 km away. The condition of the road is also a good indicator. It tells you which part of the city you are travelling in. Congo continues to suffer from the curse of resource. Despite abundant resources, people have not benefitted. Loyalties are divided on tribal identities and roads are considered dangerous as they can unite people and make a nation out of multiple tribes and may even prevent economic plunder. It is for this reason, roads are non-existent in Congo. Congo and Rwanda are a study in contrast. Rwanda is not perfect. It has its inequality and ugliness but Rwanda also demonstrates resilience and political will to make a comeback. Congo, on the other hand, continues to battle the basics.

WION in Congo: Goma, where roads are considered dangerous

Alert Indian peacekeepers repulsed an attack by a group of around 30 armed men, suspected to be Mai Mai cadres (local armed group), on its Lubero post in Congo on October 6.&nbsp;Friday&rsquo;s&nbsp;attack was a rare frontal assault on UN forces deployed for protecting civilians in Congo.

&quot;At around 0200 GMT, a group of armed men, probably Mai-Mai, attacked the MONUSCO (UN mission in the DRC) position&quot; near central Lubero, General Bernard Commins, Deputy Chief of the UN troops in the restive country, announced.

Two of the attackers were killed and two were wounded, while two Indian peacekeepers were also suffered minor injuries in the attack.&nbsp;The injured cadre was given immediate first aid by the Indian doctor at the MONUSCO camp and later shifted to Indian Hospital in Goma.

The Mai-Mai became prominent as armed community militias during the Second Congo War (1998-2003), when they effectively allied with the government to battle invading troops notably from Rwanda as well as foreign rebels. Some Mai-Mai forces never gave up the weapons they got from the regime.&nbsp;Since the beginning of 2017, Mai-Mai militias have regularly attacked Congolese Army positions in North Kivu and in neighbouring South Kivu. The Lubero region lies about 300 km North of Goma, the main town of North Kivu province, where dozens of illegal armed groups control several villages. They have been at odds with the government for&nbsp;exploiting mineral resources and prey on local residents.

On September 16,&nbsp;22 children including six girls were extricated by Indian troops from Nyabiondo, a village in the Eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo on&nbsp;thus foiling attempts by Armed Groups from turning these children into &lsquo;Child Soldiers&rsquo;. This was the culmination of a 48 hour Long Range Mission launched by the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion based on information received from locals. These children were later handed over to UN Child Protection Agencies for rehabilitation.

On the same day, soldiers of another Indian Battalion prevented displacement of an entire village involving more than 200 families in the Miriki area. The exodus was being caused by fighting between rival groups leading to panic in the region. An immediate show of force by Indian soldiers drove off the fighting groups and brought the situation under control.

More than 2600 Indian peacekeepers are deployed in DR Congo under the UN Peacekeeping Mission called MONUSCO. It is the largest and most complex UN Peacekeeping Mission. The Indian Brigade is deployed in the most unstable province, North Kivu covering an area of 43700 square kilometers with 948 villages and 42 camps for the 1,80,000 internally displaced people. Indian troops conduct 2300 patrols per month to ensure the protection of civilians; the main mandate of MONUSCO.

Alert Indian peacekeepers repulsed an attack by a group of around 30 armed men, suspected to be Mai Mai cadres (local armed group), on its Lubero post in Congo on October 6

Alert Indian peacekeepers repulsed an attack by a group of around 30 armed men, suspected to be Mai Mai cadres (local armed group), on its Lubero post in Congo on October 6. Friday’s attack was a rare frontal assault on UN forces deployed for protecting civilians in Congo. "At around 0200 GMT, a group of armed men, probably Mai-Mai, attacked the MONUSCO (UN mission in the DRC) position" near central Lubero, General Bernard Commins, Deputy Chief of the UN troops in the restive country, announced. Two of the attackers were killed and two were wounded, while two Indian peacekeepers were also suffered minor injuries in the attack. The injured cadre was given immediate first aid by the Indian doctor at the MONUSCO camp and later shifted to Indian Hospital in Goma. The Mai-Mai became prominent as armed community militias during the Second Congo War (1998-2003), when they effectively allied with the government to battle invading troops notably from Rwanda as well as foreign rebels. Some Mai-Mai forces never gave up the weapons they got from the regime. Since the beginning of 2017, Mai-Mai militias have regularly attacked Congolese Army positions in North Kivu and in neighbouring South Kivu. The Lubero region lies about 300 km North of Goma, the main town of North Kivu province, where dozens of illegal armed groups control several villages. They have been at odds with the government for exploiting mineral resources and prey on local residents. On September 16, 22 children including six girls were extricated by Indian troops from Nyabiondo, a village in the Eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo on thus foiling attempts by Armed Groups from turning these children into ‘Child Soldiers’. This was the culmination of a 48 hour Long Range Mission launched by the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion based on information received from locals. These children were later handed over to UN Child Protection Agencies for rehabilitation. On the same day, soldiers of another Indian Battalion prevented displacement of an entire village involving more than 200 families in the Miriki area. The exodus was being caused by fighting between rival groups leading to panic in the region. An immediate show of force by Indian soldiers drove off the fighting groups and brought the situation under control. More than 2600 Indian peacekeepers are deployed in DR Congo under the UN Peacekeeping Mission called MONUSCO. It is the largest and most complex UN Peacekeeping Mission. The Indian Brigade is deployed in the most unstable province, North Kivu covering an area of 43700 square kilometers with 948 villages and 42 camps for the 1,80,000 internally displaced people. Indian troops conduct 2300 patrols per month to ensure the protection of civilians; the main mandate of MONUSCO.

Indian UN peacekeepers repulse armed attack in Congo

More than 31 million people were displaced in their own countries by conflict, violence and disasters in 2016, with China and the Democratic Republic of Congo among the worst affected, a new report by a monitoring center said Monday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo had a spike of 922,000 new displacements caused by conflict last year, more than Syria with 824,000 and Iraq with 659,000, said the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Disasters displaced three times more people than conflicts, with most of the 24 million people affected hit by sudden-onset weather hazards such as floods, storms, wildfires and severe winter conditions.

China tops the list of new displacements due to disasters, with 7.4 million people driven from their homes, followed by the Philippines (5.9 million), India (2.4 million) and Indonesia (1.2 million).

These displacements are expected to increase in the future as the impact of climate change becomes more acute, said the report.

Jan Egeland, the head of the NRC, said the shocking figures show the need to focus as much on people displaced inside their countries than on refugees who flee across borders.

&quot;Internally displaced people now outnumber refugees by two to one. It is urgent to put internal displacement back on the global agenda,&quot; said Egeland.

Afghanistan ranked fourth in terms of displacement caused by conflict, with 653,000, followed by Nigeria with 501,000 and Yemen with 478,000.

Of the 6.9 million people driven from their homes due to conflict, 2.6 million live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Internal displacement is overshadowed by the current global focus on refugees and migrants, said the monitoring centre.&nbsp;

More aid was spent last year on refugee resettlement than in the countries where the crises began, it added.

There was a total of 40.3 million people displaced by conflict and violence in their countries by the end of 2016 -- a figure that has nearly doubled since 2000 and has increased sharply over the last five years.

 
(AFP)

&nbsp;

China tops the list of new displacements due to disasters, with 7.4 million people driven from their homes

More than 31 million people were displaced in their own countries by conflict, violence and disasters in 2016, with China and the Democratic Republic of Congo among the worst affected, a new report by a monitoring center said Monday. The Democratic Republic of Congo had a spike of 922,000 new displacements caused by conflict last year, more than Syria with 824,000 and Iraq with 659,000, said the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Disasters displaced three times more people than conflicts, with most of the 24 million people affected hit by sudden-onset weather hazards such as floods, storms, wildfires and severe winter conditions. China tops the list of new displacements due to disasters, with 7.4 million people driven from their homes, followed by the Philippines (5.9 million), India (2.4 million) and Indonesia (1.2 million). These displacements are expected to increase in the future as the impact of climate change becomes more acute, said the report. Jan Egeland, the head of the NRC, said the shocking figures show the need to focus as much on people displaced inside their countries than on refugees who flee across borders. "Internally displaced people now outnumber refugees by two to one. It is urgent to put internal displacement back on the global agenda," said Egeland. Afghanistan ranked fourth in terms of displacement caused by conflict, with 653,000, followed by Nigeria with 501,000 and Yemen with 478,000. Of the 6.9 million people driven from their homes due to conflict, 2.6 million live in sub-Saharan Africa. Internal displacement is overshadowed by the current global focus on refugees and migrants, said the monitoring centre. More aid was spent last year on refugee resettlement than in the countries where the crises began, it added. There was a total of 40.3 million people displaced by conflict and violence in their countries by the end of 2016 -- a figure that has nearly doubled since 2000 and has increased sharply over the last five years. (AFP)

China, DR Congo most affected by displacements in 2016: Report

DR Congo&#39;s government and the opposition are &quot;on the verge&quot; of concluding an accord to end a political crisis over President Joseph Kabila&#39;s refusal to quit power, the influential Catholic Church has said.

Kabila&#39;s second and final five-year term ended on December 20, but he has shown no intention of leaving office soon, sparking violent protests that have left at least 40 people dead, according to the United Nations.

The informal talks between the foes, mediated by the Catholic Church since December 8, resumed on yesterday after a Christmas break.

The two sides &quot;are on the verge of concluding an accord,&quot; said Marcel Utembi, president of the Congo National Episcopal Conference (CENCO), who had pushed for a deal earlier.

&quot;The various delegates have reached agreement on the points where divergences lay,&quot; he said, adding that the pact &quot;is set to be signed tomorrow morning&quot;.

The working document for the deal, seen by AFP, envisages a &quot;political transition&quot; with fresh presidential elections to be held at the end of 2017.

The vote was supposed to be organised this year, and the government had previously said it was impossible for it to be held before April 2018.

The deal also guarantees that Kabila will not seek a third mandate -- as is banned under the constitution -- and lays the groundwork for a &quot;national transition council&quot; charged with carrying out the agreement.

In return, the opposition headed by 84-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi, accepts that Kabila would stay in power until he hands over to an elected successor, having previously demanded an immediate departure from public life.

Kabila, 45, has been in power since the 2001 assassination of his father Laurent at the height of the Second Congo War.

He was confirmed as leader of the mineral-rich nation in 2006 during the first free elections since independence from Belgium in 1960, and re-elected for a second term in 2011 in a vote marred by allegations of massive fraud.

Constitutionally banned from seeking a third term, he obtained a controversial court ruling in May stating that he could remain in power until a successor was chosen.

DR Congo has never seen a democratic transfer of power following polls since independence from Belgium in 1960.

(AFP)

President Kabila's apparent refusal to leave office after his term ended December 20 has sparked violent protests that left at least 40 dead

DR Congo's government and the opposition are "on the verge" of concluding an accord to end a political crisis over President Joseph Kabila's refusal to quit power, the influential Catholic Church has said. Kabila's second and final five-year term ended on December 20, but he has shown no intention of leaving office soon, sparking violent protests that have left at least 40 people dead, according to the United Nations. The informal talks between the foes, mediated by the Catholic Church since December 8, resumed on yesterday after a Christmas break. The two sides "are on the verge of concluding an accord," said Marcel Utembi, president of the Congo National Episcopal Conference (CENCO), who had pushed for a deal earlier. "The various delegates have reached agreement on the points where divergences lay," he said, adding that the pact "is set to be signed tomorrow morning". The working document for the deal, seen by AFP, envisages a "political transition" with fresh presidential elections to be held at the end of 2017. The vote was supposed to be organised this year, and the government had previously said it was impossible for it to be held before April 2018. The deal also guarantees that Kabila will not seek a third mandate -- as is banned under the constitution -- and lays the groundwork for a "national transition council" charged with carrying out the agreement. In return, the opposition headed by 84-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi, accepts that Kabila would stay in power until he hands over to an elected successor, having previously demanded an immediate departure from public life. Kabila, 45, has been in power since the 2001 assassination of his father Laurent at the height of the Second Congo War. He was confirmed as leader of the mineral-rich nation in 2006 during the first free elections since independence from Belgium in 1960, and re-elected for a second term in 2011 in a vote marred by allegations of massive fraud. Constitutionally banned from seeking a third term, he obtained a controversial court ruling in May stating that he could remain in power until a successor was chosen. DR Congo has never seen a democratic transfer of power following polls since independence from Belgium in 1960. (AFP)

DR Congo rivals 'on the verge' of signing crisis deal: Mediator

Strife-torn DR Congo&#39;s descent into a fresh bout of violence seems imminent after talks about&nbsp;President Joseph Kabila&#39;s refusal to relinquish power appeared near collapse.

Violent protests erupted in the country -- which has suffered two brutal wars in the last two decades -- when Kabila, whose second and final five-year term ended on December 20, refused to step down from his office.

An end to a potential conflict appeared possible when the country&#39;s influential Catholic Church brokered talks between the Kabila administration and the opposition.

One of the key tenets to the peace talks was the plan to hold fresh elections by the end of next year.

But the all-night talk on Saturday remained deadlocked and the chance for peace seems dissipating with every passing hour.

Although Marcel Utembi, president of the&nbsp;Congo&nbsp;National Episcopal Conference (CENCO), urged calm, saying that only &quot;final touches&quot; to the deal remain, opposition delegates were less hopeful.

CENCO had wanted the political squagmire to end before December.

Another CENCO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, chastised the Kabila administration for not tying up the loose ends of the deal.

The African nation has been embroiled in political violence and some 40 anti-Kabila demostrators have been killed since the protests started, the UN said.

DR Congo&nbsp;has never seen a democratic transfer of power following polls since independence from Belgium in 1960.

Two decades ago, the country collapsed into the deadliest conflict in modern African history. Its two wars in the late 1990s and early 2000s pulled in at least six African armies and left more than three million dead.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Violent protests erupted in the country after President Kabila refused to relinquish power at the end of his tenure

Strife-torn DR Congo's descent into a fresh bout of violence seems imminent after talks about President Joseph Kabila's refusal to relinquish power appeared near collapse. Violent protests erupted in the country -- which has suffered two brutal wars in the last two decades -- when Kabila, whose second and final five-year term ended on December 20, refused to step down from his office. An end to a potential conflict appeared possible when the country's influential Catholic Church brokered talks between the Kabila administration and the opposition. One of the key tenets to the peace talks was the plan to hold fresh elections by the end of next year. But the all-night talk on Saturday remained deadlocked and the chance for peace seems dissipating with every passing hour. Although Marcel Utembi, president of the Congo National Episcopal Conference (CENCO), urged calm, saying that only "final touches" to the deal remain, opposition delegates were less hopeful. CENCO had wanted the political squagmire to end before December. Another CENCO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, chastised the Kabila administration for not tying up the loose ends of the deal. The African nation has been embroiled in political violence and some 40 anti-Kabila demostrators have been killed since the protests started, the UN said. DR Congo has never seen a democratic transfer of power following polls since independence from Belgium in 1960. Two decades ago, the country collapsed into the deadliest conflict in modern African history. Its two wars in the late 1990s and early 2000s pulled in at least six African armies and left more than three million dead. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Tension grips Congo as Kabila, opposition talks remain deadlocked

President Joseph Kabila of the&nbsp;Democratic Republic of Congo would leave power in 2017 and elections would be held the same year under a political deal close to completion, opposition leaders said on Friday.

The deal would be a breakthrough for a country that has not seen a peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960 and would represent a turnaround after dozens of people were killed this week in protests over Kabila&#39;s tenure.

Kabila took power after his father, Laurent, was assassinated in 2001, and critics saw the violence as an attempt to crush dissent and enable the extension of his constitutional mandate, which ended on Tuesday after two terms in office.

As a result, any deal resulting from the weeks of talks between the ruling coalition and the opposition mediated by the Catholic church would come as a shock.

It could also reinforce democracy in sub-Saharan Africa, given Congo&#39;s centrality, size and economic importance as a mineral exporter and the continent&#39;s top copper producer.

&quot;It is difficult for me to tell you whether (the deal) will be in two hours or three hours. We are in the process of working. We can only leave here when everything is finished,&quot; opposition leader Joseph Olenghankoy told reporters.

Kabila says he supports the talks but has yet to comment on their substance.

A deal would also be an achievement for the Catholic church, which says the talks are an attempt to stop Congo sliding back into anarchy and war. Pope Francis has heaped pressure on all sides to find a peaceful solution.

&quot;At first glance, a miracle is possible and the bishops have won their bet,&quot; said Albert Moleka, former chief of staff to the leader of the main opposition bloc, Etienne Tshisekedi.

A government spokesman said the proposal was to have been presented to the full delegation on Friday afternoon.

One more year

Under the deal&#39;s terms, Kabila would stay in power for a year, but the constitution cannot be changed to let him run again. A prime minister would be named from the main opposition bloc and Tshisekedi would oversee the deal&#39;s implementation, opposition leaders Martin Fayulu and Jose Endundo told Reuters.

&quot;Kabila stays for one year,&quot; Fayulu said. &quot;He will not try to stand for a new term.&quot;

The head of the UN&nbsp;human rights agency said on Friday that Congolese security forces killed at least 40 people and arrested 460 in protests this week.

The violence raised fears Congo is heading toward armed conflict, a risk that has prompted several donor nations to condemn Kabila for failing to stand down. Millions were killed in wars between 1996 and 2003.

&quot;Most of ... (Kabila&#39;s coalition) would welcome this (deal) because they&#39;re under so much pressure,&quot; said Pascal Kambale, a Congolese human rights lawyer at the Open Society Foundations.

A presidential election set for last month has been postponed until at least April 2018 because of delays registering voters. This deal would mean the election must happen by the end of next year.

Kabila&#39;s allies say he will respect the constitution, but that promising to step down would make him a lame duck and spark a power struggle that could put his life in danger.

(Reuters)

The deal would be a breakthrough for a country that has not seen a peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960

President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo would leave power in 2017 and elections would be held the same year under a political deal close to completion, opposition leaders said on Friday. The deal would be a breakthrough for a country that has not seen a peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960 and would represent a turnaround after dozens of people were killed this week in protests over Kabila's tenure. Kabila took power after his father, Laurent, was assassinated in 2001, and critics saw the violence as an attempt to crush dissent and enable the extension of his constitutional mandate, which ended on Tuesday after two terms in office. As a result, any deal resulting from the weeks of talks between the ruling coalition and the opposition mediated by the Catholic church would come as a shock. It could also reinforce democracy in sub-Saharan Africa, given Congo's centrality, size and economic importance as a mineral exporter and the continent's top copper producer. "It is difficult for me to tell you whether (the deal) will be in two hours or three hours. We are in the process of working. We can only leave here when everything is finished," opposition leader Joseph Olenghankoy told reporters. Kabila says he supports the talks but has yet to comment on their substance. A deal would also be an achievement for the Catholic church, which says the talks are an attempt to stop Congo sliding back into anarchy and war. Pope Francis has heaped pressure on all sides to find a peaceful solution. "At first glance, a miracle is possible and the bishops have won their bet," said Albert Moleka, former chief of staff to the leader of the main opposition bloc, Etienne Tshisekedi. A government spokesman said the proposal was to have been presented to the full delegation on Friday afternoon. One more year Under the deal's terms, Kabila would stay in power for a year, but the constitution cannot be changed to let him run again. A prime minister would be named from the main opposition bloc and Tshisekedi would oversee the deal's implementation, opposition leaders Martin Fayulu and Jose Endundo told Reuters. "Kabila stays for one year," Fayulu said. "He will not try to stand for a new term." The head of the UN human rights agency said on Friday that Congolese security forces killed at least 40 people and arrested 460 in protests this week. The violence raised fears Congo is heading toward armed conflict, a risk that has prompted several donor nations to condemn Kabila for failing to stand down. Millions were killed in wars between 1996 and 2003. "Most of ... (Kabila's coalition) would welcome this (deal) because they're under so much pressure," said Pascal Kambale, a Congolese human rights lawyer at the Open Society Foundations. A presidential election set for last month has been postponed until at least April 2018 because of delays registering voters. This deal would mean the election must happen by the end of next year. Kabila's allies say he will respect the constitution, but that promising to step down would make him a lame duck and spark a power struggle that could put his life in danger. (Reuters)

Congo nears deal under which Kabila to leave power by end 2017

congo

Congo, News on Congo, stories on Congo, articles on Congo, Congo stories at Wion, Congo news, Congo latest news