Media is too big
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RWANDA-BELGIUM SPAT ESCALATES: TIT-FOR-TAT EXPULSIONS
Rwanda and Belgium have just expelled each other’s diplomats tit for tat, as tensions between the two escalate over what Kigali claims are Brussels’ efforts to destabilise it. The European nation has reportedly been gathering international support to pressure the east African state into ending its involvement in the minerals war in eastern Congo. Our video digs deeper.
Sources
https://www.dw.com/en/belgium-rwanda-expel-diplomats-over-dr-congo-conflict/a-71944830
https://bankable.africa/en/mining/1401-686-coltan-rwandan-rebel-group-facilitates-smuggling-from-dr-congo-new-un-report-claims
Rwanda and Belgium have just expelled each other’s diplomats tit for tat, as tensions between the two escalate over what Kigali claims are Brussels’ efforts to destabilise it. The European nation has reportedly been gathering international support to pressure the east African state into ending its involvement in the minerals war in eastern Congo. Our video digs deeper.
Sources
https://www.dw.com/en/belgium-rwanda-expel-diplomats-over-dr-congo-conflict/a-71944830
https://bankable.africa/en/mining/1401-686-coltan-rwandan-rebel-group-facilitates-smuggling-from-dr-congo-new-un-report-claims
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Continued……https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/what-happening-rebels-congo-rwanda-b2686907.html
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250317-%F0%9F%94%B4-rwanda-cuts-diplomatic-ties-with-belgium-expels-all-diplomats
https://docs.un.org/en/s/2024/432
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/13/people-need-a-break-drc-conflict-reignites-dark-memories-of-congo-wars
https://www.rescue.org/article/conflict-drc-what-you-need-know-about-crisis
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/06/africa/dr-congo-goma-violence-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-02-04/east-congo-city-of-goma-rushes-to-bury-bodies-after-rebel-offensive
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250317-%F0%9F%94%B4-rwanda-cuts-diplomatic-ties-with-belgium-expels-all-diplomats
https://docs.un.org/en/s/2024/432
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/13/people-need-a-break-drc-conflict-reignites-dark-memories-of-congo-wars
https://www.rescue.org/article/conflict-drc-what-you-need-know-about-crisis
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/06/africa/dr-congo-goma-violence-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-02-04/east-congo-city-of-goma-rushes-to-bury-bodies-after-rebel-offensive
The Independent
What is happening in east Congo? And who are the M23 rebels?
A long-running conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises
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On Monday, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels announced their withdrawal from peace talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, just a day before the two sides were set to meet in Angola.
M23’s abrupt exit from the negotiations follows the EU’s imposition of sanctions on the group’s leadership and Rwandan military officials. These punitive measures, critics argue, don’t signal a genuine shift in policy - rather, they are a simple slap on the wrist, and won’t force Kigali to back down.
True to form, M23 has responded by playing the victim. On X, its spokesperson accused ‘certain international bodies’ of intentionally undermining peace initiatives in DRC and thereby, allegedly, rendering meaningful dialogue impossible. Did M23 ever intend to negotiate in good faith? It is a Rwandan tool and, like Kigali itself, thrives on conflict and looted resources.
M23’s abrupt exit from the negotiations follows the EU’s imposition of sanctions on the group’s leadership and Rwandan military officials. These punitive measures, critics argue, don’t signal a genuine shift in policy - rather, they are a simple slap on the wrist, and won’t force Kigali to back down.
True to form, M23 has responded by playing the victim. On X, its spokesperson accused ‘certain international bodies’ of intentionally undermining peace initiatives in DRC and thereby, allegedly, rendering meaningful dialogue impossible. Did M23 ever intend to negotiate in good faith? It is a Rwandan tool and, like Kigali itself, thrives on conflict and looted resources.
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Continued……Kinshasa seems to have called M23’s bluff, as a delegation from Congo is currently in Luanda for the scheduled talks. A spokesperson for Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi told Reuters that Kinshasa “affirms participation at the invitation of the mediators.”
But make no mistake - this is not a war against a mere rebel group. The DRC is under attack from a powerful proxy that serves as the Rwandan state’s smokescreen while it loots Congolese resources. DRC’s 30-year resource war has involved some 120 militia groups, many foreign-backed, vying for control of the country’s $24 trillion mineral wealth.
Since January 2025, M23 has seized Goma and Bukavu, the two largest cities in eastern DRC, killing over 7,000 (according to Congo’s PM) and displacing over 700,000 (according to the UN). The UN has accused Rwanda of supplying arms and deploying troops to support the M23.
But make no mistake - this is not a war against a mere rebel group. The DRC is under attack from a powerful proxy that serves as the Rwandan state’s smokescreen while it loots Congolese resources. DRC’s 30-year resource war has involved some 120 militia groups, many foreign-backed, vying for control of the country’s $24 trillion mineral wealth.
Since January 2025, M23 has seized Goma and Bukavu, the two largest cities in eastern DRC, killing over 7,000 (according to Congo’s PM) and displacing over 700,000 (according to the UN). The UN has accused Rwanda of supplying arms and deploying troops to support the M23.
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APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA AND ISRAEL: NATURAL ALLIES
Much of the world shunned apartheid South Africa in the 1970s. However, one country, Israel, found a natural ally in Pretoria’s racially discriminatory government, according to UK journalist Jody McIntyre in this clip.
McIntyre cites the controversial 1976 state visit of South African Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes ‘BJ’ Vorster (1915-83) to Israel, where he received a red-carpet welcome. Vorster visited the Kfir jet fighter factory, heightening speculation that an arms deal was part of his itinerary to Israel. Jerusalem would benefit from access to vital resources, such as coal, chrome, platinum, titanium, and—significantly for the world’s newest nuclear power at the time—enriched uranium from South Africa.
Much of the world shunned apartheid South Africa in the 1970s. However, one country, Israel, found a natural ally in Pretoria’s racially discriminatory government, according to UK journalist Jody McIntyre in this clip.
McIntyre cites the controversial 1976 state visit of South African Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes ‘BJ’ Vorster (1915-83) to Israel, where he received a red-carpet welcome. Vorster visited the Kfir jet fighter factory, heightening speculation that an arms deal was part of his itinerary to Israel. Jerusalem would benefit from access to vital resources, such as coal, chrome, platinum, titanium, and—significantly for the world’s newest nuclear power at the time—enriched uranium from South Africa.
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Continued……. McIntyre quoted Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) saying Israel’s apartheid state was worse than South Africa’s. In 2002, at a time when many public figures would dare not say it out loud, Tutu called for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine by drawing parallels between the suffering of Black people in South Africa and the tragic experience of Jews during the Holocaust.
Whereas apartheid officially came to an end in 1994, Israel’s occupation of and policy of racial superiority in Palestine is now approaching its 77th anniversary.
In the latest escalation that began on 7 October 2023, Tel Aviv’s military onslaught may have k*lled as many as 186,000, according to the Lancet medical journal.
As of press time, Israel had blocked delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, cut off the electricity supply, and had violated a 19 January ceasefire multiple times when it k*lled at least 400 Palestinians and wounded 562 on 18 March. The Israeli regime launched a massive assault, which attack took place across Gaza, including in Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, Gaza City in the north, and central areas like Deir el-Balah.
Video credit: @jodymcintyre_ on IG and X / @jody.mcintyre on TikTok
Quote on Vorster: ‘The Unspoken Alliance’: Israel’s Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa by Sasha Polakow-Suransky (@sasha_p_s on X)
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/18/archives/vorster-visit-to-israel-arouses-criticism.html
https://time.com/archive/6817482/israel-into-africa-via-the-back-door
https://jacobin.com/2024/12/israel-south-africa-apartheid-weapons
https://imeu.org/article/is-israel-an-apartheid-state/1000
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/apr/29/comment
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/over-61-700-palestinians-killed-in-israel-s-genocidal-war-local-authorities-say/3469641
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w0l3q4zd0o
https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001100
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/18/israel-launches-gaza-assault-killing-hundreds-and-shattering-ceasefire
Whereas apartheid officially came to an end in 1994, Israel’s occupation of and policy of racial superiority in Palestine is now approaching its 77th anniversary.
In the latest escalation that began on 7 October 2023, Tel Aviv’s military onslaught may have k*lled as many as 186,000, according to the Lancet medical journal.
As of press time, Israel had blocked delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, cut off the electricity supply, and had violated a 19 January ceasefire multiple times when it k*lled at least 400 Palestinians and wounded 562 on 18 March. The Israeli regime launched a massive assault, which attack took place across Gaza, including in Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, Gaza City in the north, and central areas like Deir el-Balah.
Video credit: @jodymcintyre_ on IG and X / @jody.mcintyre on TikTok
Quote on Vorster: ‘The Unspoken Alliance’: Israel’s Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa by Sasha Polakow-Suransky (@sasha_p_s on X)
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/18/archives/vorster-visit-to-israel-arouses-criticism.html
https://time.com/archive/6817482/israel-into-africa-via-the-back-door
https://jacobin.com/2024/12/israel-south-africa-apartheid-weapons
https://imeu.org/article/is-israel-an-apartheid-state/1000
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/apr/29/comment
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/over-61-700-palestinians-killed-in-israel-s-genocidal-war-local-authorities-say/3469641
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w0l3q4zd0o
https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001100
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/18/israel-launches-gaza-assault-killing-hundreds-and-shattering-ceasefire
NY Times
Vorster Visit to Israel Arouses Criticism (Published 1976)
Recent visit by S African Prime Min Vorster has produced sweeping new econ-cooperation pact (S)
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VOICE OF AMERICA’S CIA ROOTS
Donald Trump has turned off the money tap to the US State Department-funded Voice of America (VOA). VOA’s parent organisation, the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), was among the organisations targeted by his 14 March executive order, under which the work of targeted entities “shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”
The decision has seen 1,300 VOA employees placed on administrative leave, while 500 contractors have been axed permanently. A statement from the White House press office said the move is to ensure that “taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda.”
We are neither fans of Trump nor agree with his politics. However, we agree with him that VOA is indeed a radical propaganda outlet that has been spreading falsehoods across the world for decades.
Donald Trump has turned off the money tap to the US State Department-funded Voice of America (VOA). VOA’s parent organisation, the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), was among the organisations targeted by his 14 March executive order, under which the work of targeted entities “shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”
The decision has seen 1,300 VOA employees placed on administrative leave, while 500 contractors have been axed permanently. A statement from the White House press office said the move is to ensure that “taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda.”
We are neither fans of Trump nor agree with his politics. However, we agree with him that VOA is indeed a radical propaganda outlet that has been spreading falsehoods across the world for decades.
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Continued…. In 2024, we joined the list of victims of VOA smear campaigns when, without any evidence, it accused us of the exact same thing Trump is accusing it of: spreading state-funded propaganda.
A few days later, again without providing any evidence, then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken parroted VOA’s baseless accusations. This led to social-media giants such as Meta, Google, and TikTok banning us.
We wait to see if they will now take a similar step against the VOA, given that the current White House says that it is a state-funded propaganda outlet. (And while they’re at it, they can reverse our bans - as these were based on VOA’s false claims!)
In this September 2024 video, produced in reaction to VOA’s unfounded allegations against African Stream, we discuss why the outlet is nothing more than a propaganda machine.
Sources
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/the-voice-of-radical-america/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-signs-order-to-cut-staff-at-voice-of-america-media/
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-signs-order-gut-voice-america-other-federal-agencies-rcna196564
https://www.usagm.gov/2025/03/15/u-s-agency-for-global-media-complies-with-presidential-executive-order-to-reduce-the-federal-bureaucracy/
A few days later, again without providing any evidence, then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken parroted VOA’s baseless accusations. This led to social-media giants such as Meta, Google, and TikTok banning us.
We wait to see if they will now take a similar step against the VOA, given that the current White House says that it is a state-funded propaganda outlet. (And while they’re at it, they can reverse our bans - as these were based on VOA’s false claims!)
In this September 2024 video, produced in reaction to VOA’s unfounded allegations against African Stream, we discuss why the outlet is nothing more than a propaganda machine.
Sources
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/the-voice-of-radical-america/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-signs-order-to-cut-staff-at-voice-of-america-media/
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-signs-order-gut-voice-america-other-federal-agencies-rcna196564
https://www.usagm.gov/2025/03/15/u-s-agency-for-global-media-complies-with-presidential-executive-order-to-reduce-the-federal-bureaucracy/
The White House
The Voice of Radical America
President Donald J. Trump’s executive order on Friday will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda. Dan Robinson,
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Media is too big
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U.S. FUNDS BOKO HARAM, PUNISHES NIGERIA FOR T*RRORISM
At the 12 March US House of Representatives hearing on religious persecutions in Nigeria, Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith called on Congress and the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Nigeria for extremist group Boko Haram persecuting Christians.
Oddly enough, the insurgents have long sought to overthrow the Nigerian government that is now under threat of US sanctions. Boko Haram aims to govern the country under their radical version of Sharia law and has been active since 2009, particularly in northern Nigeria. By 2021, the group’s t*rrorism had displaced 2.4 million people in the Lake Chad region. In January alone, a Boko Haram attack in the northeastern state of Borno, the epicentre of the t*rror attacks, reportedly k*lled 40 civilians, just a drop in the state’s 38,000-person death toll between 2011 and 2023.
At the 12 March US House of Representatives hearing on religious persecutions in Nigeria, Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith called on Congress and the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Nigeria for extremist group Boko Haram persecuting Christians.
Oddly enough, the insurgents have long sought to overthrow the Nigerian government that is now under threat of US sanctions. Boko Haram aims to govern the country under their radical version of Sharia law and has been active since 2009, particularly in northern Nigeria. By 2021, the group’s t*rrorism had displaced 2.4 million people in the Lake Chad region. In January alone, a Boko Haram attack in the northeastern state of Borno, the epicentre of the t*rror attacks, reportedly k*lled 40 civilians, just a drop in the state’s 38,000-person death toll between 2011 and 2023.
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Continued……Although Smith’s request may sound noble, the irony is that US Congressman Scott Perry claimed on 13 February that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) had been funding t*rrorist organisations, including Boko Haram, Al Qaeda and ISIS.
Nigerians have long sounded the alarm on foreign powers’ role in strengthening Boko Haram’s capacity. On 18 February, Nigeria’s former foreign minister, Bolaji Akinyemi, also lodged similar claims to Perry’s. He said that investigations revealed that locals report foreigners delivering weapons and supplies to the militants.
Boko Haram does indeed pose a threat to Nigeria’s security. However, in light of these accusations and given the United States’ long history of manufacturing crises by arming t*rrorists to destabilise states before swooping in with their ‘Captain America’ cape, can US sanctions really be the answer? What do you think?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Video credit: House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans on YouTube (@HouseForeignGOP on X)
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a4L11Wj_6A
https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/africa-subcommittee-chairman-smith-delivers-opening-remarks-at-hearing-on-religious-persecutions-in-nigeria/
https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413555
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo4y52el2_A
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/01/nigeria-boko-haram-must-end-vicious-killing-spree/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8233023
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1197570/deaths-caused-by-boko-haram-in-nigeria
Nigerians have long sounded the alarm on foreign powers’ role in strengthening Boko Haram’s capacity. On 18 February, Nigeria’s former foreign minister, Bolaji Akinyemi, also lodged similar claims to Perry’s. He said that investigations revealed that locals report foreigners delivering weapons and supplies to the militants.
Boko Haram does indeed pose a threat to Nigeria’s security. However, in light of these accusations and given the United States’ long history of manufacturing crises by arming t*rrorists to destabilise states before swooping in with their ‘Captain America’ cape, can US sanctions really be the answer? What do you think?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Video credit: House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans on YouTube (@HouseForeignGOP on X)
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a4L11Wj_6A
https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/africa-subcommittee-chairman-smith-delivers-opening-remarks-at-hearing-on-religious-persecutions-in-nigeria/
https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413555
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo4y52el2_A
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/01/nigeria-boko-haram-must-end-vicious-killing-spree/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8233023
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1197570/deaths-caused-by-boko-haram-in-nigeria
YouTube
Rep. Smith: Protect Christians from the systematic slaughter
Subcommittee Chairman Smith: I tried for 3 years to get the Obama Administration to designate Boko Haram as the Foreign Terrorist Organization.
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NAKBA 2.0? U.S. AND ISRAEL SEEK TO EXPEL PALESTINIANS TO EAST AFRICA
The Trump administration is reportedly exploring the possibility of expelling Palestinians from Gaza to East African countries, such as Sudan, Somalia and Somaliland. This idea is part of a broader real-estate proposal to turn Gaza into what US President Donald Trump described as the ‘Riviera of the Middle East.’
Israel also supports the idea and has mentioned it would create an emigration department within its Defence Ministry to facilitate such an initiative. Trump announced the proposal to annex Gaza and turn it into a real estate project during a joint press conference on 4 February with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite normalising relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, Sudan rejected the proposal, with its military leader reaffirming this stance at an emergency Arab summit on 4 March. Somalia, a pro-Palestinian nation, also denied any discussions regarding the issue.
The Trump administration is reportedly exploring the possibility of expelling Palestinians from Gaza to East African countries, such as Sudan, Somalia and Somaliland. This idea is part of a broader real-estate proposal to turn Gaza into what US President Donald Trump described as the ‘Riviera of the Middle East.’
Israel also supports the idea and has mentioned it would create an emigration department within its Defence Ministry to facilitate such an initiative. Trump announced the proposal to annex Gaza and turn it into a real estate project during a joint press conference on 4 February with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite normalising relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, Sudan rejected the proposal, with its military leader reaffirming this stance at an emergency Arab summit on 4 March. Somalia, a pro-Palestinian nation, also denied any discussions regarding the issue.
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Continued……Somalia and Somaliland’s officials spoke off the record, saying the United States hadn’t approached them on the matter.
However, Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia that seeks international recognition and maintains strong ties with the United Arab Emirates, an Israeli and US ally, is reportedly in quiet discussions with the US on potential cooperation but denies being involved in talks about hosting Palestinians.
This news follows a ceasefire that went into effect on 19 January in Gaza. Israel has violated it numerous times since then and re-imposed a blockade. In July 2024, the Lancet medical journal reported that Israel’s onslaught may have k*lled more than 186,000 Palestinians.
Sources
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-israel-africa-resettling-palestinians-uprooted-gaza-119785032
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/8/gaza-toll-could-exceed-186000-lancet-study-says
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israel-continues-to-violate-gaza-ceasefire-as-humanitarian-crisis-deepens
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-cut-off-aid-groups-say-theyre-scrambling
However, Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia that seeks international recognition and maintains strong ties with the United Arab Emirates, an Israeli and US ally, is reportedly in quiet discussions with the US on potential cooperation but denies being involved in talks about hosting Palestinians.
This news follows a ceasefire that went into effect on 19 January in Gaza. Israel has violated it numerous times since then and re-imposed a blockade. In July 2024, the Lancet medical journal reported that Israel’s onslaught may have k*lled more than 186,000 Palestinians.
Sources
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-israel-africa-resettling-palestinians-uprooted-gaza-119785032
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/8/gaza-toll-could-exceed-186000-lancet-study-says
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israel-continues-to-violate-gaza-ceasefire-as-humanitarian-crisis-deepens
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-cut-off-aid-groups-say-theyre-scrambling
ABC News
US and Israel look to Africa for resettling Palestinians uprooted from Gaza
The U.S. and Israel have reached out to officials of three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations to resettle Palestinians from the Gaza Strip
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On 18 March, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame called for a ceasefire alongside Qatar after their first meeting since a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed militia displaced more than 700,000 people since January in the eastern DRC.
The talks occurred in Doha the day after the M23 militia withdrew from Angola-brokered peace talks on 18 March. M23 cited EU sanctions imposed on its leaders on 17 March as the reason. M23’s main sponsor—Rwanda—continues to escape meaningful consequences, as recent EU sanctions on the East African country are symbolic slaps on the wrist as DRC minerals are smuggled through the country.
The talks occurred in Doha the day after the M23 militia withdrew from Angola-brokered peace talks on 18 March. M23 cited EU sanctions imposed on its leaders on 17 March as the reason. M23’s main sponsor—Rwanda—continues to escape meaningful consequences, as recent EU sanctions on the East African country are symbolic slaps on the wrist as DRC minerals are smuggled through the country.
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Continued……A diplomat speaking anonymously to the Associated Press said the Doha talks ‘aimed at building trust.’
They came a few weeks after a lobbying group, Africa-USA Business Council, sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pull together a meeting between Tshisekedi and US President Donald Trump to discuss offering the US exclusive mineral access in exchange for security.
Tshisekedi has consistently rejected calls to negotiate with M23, asserting that the group is Rwanda’s proxy for exploiting Congolese minerals. In response, Rwanda claims its military actions are defensive, aimed at countering threats from Congo’s army and allegedly hostile militias, an excuse Western powers continue to tolerate despite overwhelming evidence.
In January, M23 intensified its offensive in eastern Congo, capturing Goma and Bukavu, the DRC’s two largest eastern cities. However, a call for a ceasefire may not deter M23, which has expanded control over large swathes of mineral-rich territories in eastern Congo. As it is, reports say the group generates $800,000 per month in production taxes on coltan in the town of Rubaya.
With the M23 cancelling on Angola talks and the Doha meeting promising a yet undefined path to a ceasefire, long-suffering Congolese continue to bear the brunt of a 30-year Western-backed war over the country’s estimated $24 trillion in mineral wealth.
Sources
https://reporting.unhcr.org/operational/situations/democratic-republic-congo-situation
https://www.barrons.com/articles/east-dr-congo-mines-mint-rwanda-backed-m23-s-fortune-1a70d1ae
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjryjlndddpo
https://www.ecofinagency.com/mining/1203-46493-drc-us-minerals-pact-remains-under-wraps
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/congolese-rwandan-presidents-meet-qatar-discuss-east-congo-conflict-2025-03-18/
https://apnews.com/article/congo-rwanda-m23-rebels-meet-qatar-95615a676447781bf104d053a3741658
https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/qatar-emir-brokers-ceasefire-between-rwanda-dr-congo-4970696
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/18/congolese-rwandan-leaders-meet-in-qatar-call-for-ceasefire-in-eastern-drc
https://www.caritas.org/2010/02/six-million-dead-in-congos-war
https://www.rwandainzimbabwe.gov.rw/actualites/info-details/without-rwandas-air-defense-we-would-now-be-in-a-devastating-regional-war
They came a few weeks after a lobbying group, Africa-USA Business Council, sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pull together a meeting between Tshisekedi and US President Donald Trump to discuss offering the US exclusive mineral access in exchange for security.
Tshisekedi has consistently rejected calls to negotiate with M23, asserting that the group is Rwanda’s proxy for exploiting Congolese minerals. In response, Rwanda claims its military actions are defensive, aimed at countering threats from Congo’s army and allegedly hostile militias, an excuse Western powers continue to tolerate despite overwhelming evidence.
In January, M23 intensified its offensive in eastern Congo, capturing Goma and Bukavu, the DRC’s two largest eastern cities. However, a call for a ceasefire may not deter M23, which has expanded control over large swathes of mineral-rich territories in eastern Congo. As it is, reports say the group generates $800,000 per month in production taxes on coltan in the town of Rubaya.
With the M23 cancelling on Angola talks and the Doha meeting promising a yet undefined path to a ceasefire, long-suffering Congolese continue to bear the brunt of a 30-year Western-backed war over the country’s estimated $24 trillion in mineral wealth.
Sources
https://reporting.unhcr.org/operational/situations/democratic-republic-congo-situation
https://www.barrons.com/articles/east-dr-congo-mines-mint-rwanda-backed-m23-s-fortune-1a70d1ae
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjryjlndddpo
https://www.ecofinagency.com/mining/1203-46493-drc-us-minerals-pact-remains-under-wraps
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/congolese-rwandan-presidents-meet-qatar-discuss-east-congo-conflict-2025-03-18/
https://apnews.com/article/congo-rwanda-m23-rebels-meet-qatar-95615a676447781bf104d053a3741658
https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/qatar-emir-brokers-ceasefire-between-rwanda-dr-congo-4970696
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/18/congolese-rwandan-leaders-meet-in-qatar-call-for-ceasefire-in-eastern-drc
https://www.caritas.org/2010/02/six-million-dead-in-congos-war
https://www.rwandainzimbabwe.gov.rw/actualites/info-details/without-rwandas-air-defense-we-would-now-be-in-a-devastating-regional-war
UNHCR
DR Congo emergency | UNHCR
Discover UNHCR’s emergency response in the DRC and nearby countries, with key data on displacement and urgent financial needs.
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Media is too big
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CHARLES’ PLAYLIST SPARKS ROYAL ‘TRACK RECORD’ BACKLASH
So Charles III is into African music, it seems. The British monarch shared a playlist that features Afrobeats star Davido’s hit Kante and Miriam Makeba’s The Click Song, as well as Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Could You Be Loved. The gesture reminded a lot of people of another list of ‘greatest hits’ - the colonial crimes of the British Empire against Africans, including the plunder of our culture. While Nigerians might approve the inclusion of Davido in His Majesty’s compilation, they strongly disapprove of the UK’s holding on to their precious Benin Bronzes. Africans would rather the British royal family issued a reparations and apologies list rather than give us a token musical nod.
Hear Us Roar: https://news.1rj.ru/str/AfricanStream
So Charles III is into African music, it seems. The British monarch shared a playlist that features Afrobeats star Davido’s hit Kante and Miriam Makeba’s The Click Song, as well as Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Could You Be Loved. The gesture reminded a lot of people of another list of ‘greatest hits’ - the colonial crimes of the British Empire against Africans, including the plunder of our culture. While Nigerians might approve the inclusion of Davido in His Majesty’s compilation, they strongly disapprove of the UK’s holding on to their precious Benin Bronzes. Africans would rather the British royal family issued a reparations and apologies list rather than give us a token musical nod.
Hear Us Roar: https://news.1rj.ru/str/AfricanStream
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BBC’S PRO-ISRAEL BIAS PERSISTS AMIDST FRESH ONSLAUGHT
Words represent ideas, and in the long-running @BBC tradition, the news outlet is once again attributing death-toll figures in Gaza to a ‘H*mas-run health ministry.’ Framing it as such politicises the ministry’s work, potentially influencing public perception in Israel’s favour while dehumanising Palestinians. It also fails to mention that Israel controls what is allowed inside of Gaza, so health outcomes rely on Israel’s decisions.
In November 2024, more than 100 anonymous BBC staff members accused the 102-year-old media organisation of giving Israel favourable coverage lacking ‘accurate evidence-based journalism.’
Words represent ideas, and in the long-running @BBC tradition, the news outlet is once again attributing death-toll figures in Gaza to a ‘H*mas-run health ministry.’ Framing it as such politicises the ministry’s work, potentially influencing public perception in Israel’s favour while dehumanising Palestinians. It also fails to mention that Israel controls what is allowed inside of Gaza, so health outcomes rely on Israel’s decisions.
In November 2024, more than 100 anonymous BBC staff members accused the 102-year-old media organisation of giving Israel favourable coverage lacking ‘accurate evidence-based journalism.’
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Continued….. Many times already, Israel has broken the short-lived ceasefire in Gaza that went into effect on 19 January. A military onslaught on 18 March k*lled more than 400 Palestinians in Gaza. This attack adds to the possibly more than 186,000 killed since the 7 October 2023 escalation, according to medical journal Lancet.
H*mas blames the US for the deaths, claiming it ‘exposes the falsity of its [US] claims about caring for de-escalation’ since Israel notified Washington in advance and the US has primarily funded Israel’s military onslaught since 2023.
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/czje23jd779t?post=asset%3A0309027b-7948-4149-a77d-30553498b0f9
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/2/over-100-staff-accuse-bbc-of-bias-in-its-coverage-of-israels-war-in-gaza
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/27/un-says-gaza-health-ministry-death-tolls-in-previous-wars
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palestinian-Authority
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/03/17/israel-hamas-gaza-military-airstrikes/82505920007
https://www.globalr2p.org/countries/israel-and-the-occupied-palestinian-territory
H*mas blames the US for the deaths, claiming it ‘exposes the falsity of its [US] claims about caring for de-escalation’ since Israel notified Washington in advance and the US has primarily funded Israel’s military onslaught since 2023.
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/czje23jd779t?post=asset%3A0309027b-7948-4149-a77d-30553498b0f9
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/2/over-100-staff-accuse-bbc-of-bias-in-its-coverage-of-israels-war-in-gaza
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/27/un-says-gaza-health-ministry-death-tolls-in-previous-wars
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palestinian-Authority
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/03/17/israel-hamas-gaza-military-airstrikes/82505920007
https://www.globalr2p.org/countries/israel-and-the-occupied-palestinian-territory
BBC News
Israel continuing strikes across Gaza, as Hamas ministry says more than 400 killed
It comes after the Hamas ministry says more than 400 people have been killed in strikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
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