International
Eastern Congo buffeted by fresh flareups with ADF, M23 rebels
Kinshasa, Aug 2 (IANS) People in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have lately been caught up in fresh fighting pitting government troops against two rebel groups, the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
In Cantine, a village in the eastern North Kivu Province, about 100 villagers were massacred in early June by ADF rebels; the DRC military vowed to fight back.
“The challenges are numerous for our soldiers, and we have only one message for this population: we are going to win this war,” Jacques Ychaligonza Nduru, Deputy Chief of Staff of the DRC armed forces, told Xinhua news agency from Cantine.
The ADF, founded in the 1990s by several opposition movements in Uganda, was defeated by the Ugandan army, but its members have remained active in the eastern DRC. The ADF declared its affiliation with the Islamic State in 2017.
Since late 2021, the Ugandan and Congolese militaries have launched joint operations against ADF rebels in the eastern DRC.
The Congolese army’s fight against the ADF started in 2016, when government troops went deep into the forest of the Beni territory, where the village of Cantine is located, to hunt down ADF rebels, who have also been targeted by a special brigade consisting of Tanzanian, Malawian, and South African peacekeepers. In 2017, at least 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers were killed in an ADF attack on their base in Beni.
Since June, ADF rebels have been approaching areas previously controlled by government forces, despite a joint operation by the DRC military and the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, which began in May.
“We are aware of people’s concern over this situation, which particularly disturbs us as an army responsible for protecting them and their property,” admitted Nduru, in charge of operations and intelligence, who recently traveled to Beni to reassure the population.
“Trust us. Trust your army,” he said, Xinhua news agency reported.
In addition to the hostilities with ADF rebels, people in the eastern DRC also have to face the advances of M23 fighters, who have taken over several towns since June in the Lubero territory of North Kivu, where the ADF is also active.
According to residents interviewed by Xinhua in Beni and surrounding areas, government soldiers are seen as being overwhelmed by the dual challenge of ADF and M23 rebels. The M23 resurfaced in late 2021 after its defeat in 2013.
“Our soldiers have been engaged in various operations across the country, particularly in North Kivu, for years without rest,” said one resident, who requested anonymity. “That is why we have concerns about the advance of the M23 rebellion. That’s why we support the community self-defense initiative alongside the army.”
In July, recruitment activities were seen in Beni for the creation of local self-defense forces to protect the community against the resurgence of ADF rebels, who are taking advantage of a security vacuum made possible by M23 advances.
“We fear that if the M23 rebels advance, most of the soldiers (deployed here to fight against the ADF) might be withdrawn and sent to operations against the M23,” said Mumbere Pascal, a Cantine resident.
Asked by Xinhua about a possible collusion between the M23 and the ADF, military authorities in the area said everything remains to be confirmed by the relevant services.
“The similarity and succession of events in the region are still strange to us,” said one military official involved in operations against the rebels. “At a time when we were facing the advance of the M23 rebels in the Lubero territory toward Kanyabayonga, the ADF, which had never attacked in Lubero, also started attacking civilians.”
“This raises many questions about the timing of these attacks,” he said.
On Tuesday, it was announced that under the mediation of Angolan President Joao Lourenco, the foreign ministers of the DRC, Angola, and Rwanda agreed on a ceasefire between the warring parties in the eastern DRC, which will come into effect on Aug. 4. The belligerents involved in the ceasefire were not specified.
The fresh ceasefire, welcomed by the United Nations, follows a humanitarian truce between the DRC military and the M23 that is scheduled to end on Aug. 3.
However, the ongoing humanitarian truce has not been fully honored, with fighting reported between government troops and M23 rebels in Bweremana, a village in the Masisi territory of North Kivu, where civilians were killed by several bombs.
Earlier, on July 11, the DRC military accused the M23 of violating the truce and denounced their “legendary belligerent attitude” of wanting to keep displaced populations in atrocious conditions by depriving them of humanitarian aid.
A political solution to the M23 crisis has been called for by the international community, including the UN Security Council.
The DRC government has insisted that negotiations on the matter must be conducted within the framework of the Luanda process, as seen in the ministerial meeting held on Tuesday.
“We remain firm on our position that any discussion will take place within the framework of the Luanda peace process,” initiated by the Angolan president, DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said in early July, in response to a question about dialogue between the DRC and Rwanda.
The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, an accusation that Kigali rejects.
The DRC has been plagued by violence for about three decades. In 2008, the International Rescue Committee, a non-governmental organization, reported 5.4 million deaths from 1997 to 2008 in the country.
The eastern DRC is now facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
In the first four months of this year, more than 900,000 people were reported as newly displaced, bringing the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the DRC to about 7.3 million, including over 5.6 million in the three eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
–IANS
as/
Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest son of Singapore’s founding father, the late Lee Kuan Yew, announced on Tuesday that he is now a political refugee in the United Kingdom after seeking asylum from the British government “as a last resort.”
“I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that someday it will be safe to return home,” Lee stated in a Facebook post, as reported by Channel News Asia (CNA).
Citing what he described as the Singapore government’s “attacks” against him, Lee, who is the younger brother of former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, revealed that he sought asylum protection in 2022.
Lee Hsien Yang and his late sister, Lee Wei Ling, who passed away earlier this month, have been in conflict with their brother Lee Hsien Loong over the fate of their father’s home following his death in 2015, resulting in a public dispute that has estranged the siblings.
In an interview with the UK-based newspaper The Guardian, Lee alleged that a “campaign of persecution” compelled him to seek asylum in Britain.
In response to his claims, the Singapore government stated that there is “no basis” for his allegations of “a campaign of persecution” or other assertions regarding political repression in the country.
“Singapore’s judiciary is impartial and makes decisions independently. This is why Singaporeans have a high level of trust in the judiciary,” a government spokesperson remarked.
The spokesperson added that there are no legal restrictions preventing Lee and his wife, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, from returning to Singapore. “They are and have always been free to return to Singapore,” the spokesperson said.
Lee and his wife have been outside of Singapore since 2022, having opted not to attend a scheduled police interview regarding potential offenses related to providing false evidence in judicial proceedings concerning their father’s will and the family home.
Lee and his late sister, who had been living at the property, alleged they felt threatened while trying to fulfill their father’s wish to demolish the house. They also accused their elder brother, former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, of abusing his governmental influence to advance his personal agenda.
Kazan, Russia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit.
During the meeting, President Putin remarked, “I recall our meeting in July, where we had productive discussions on various issues. We’ve also spoken over the phone several times. I am very grateful you accepted the invitation to come to Kazan. Today, we will attend the BRICS Summit’s opening ceremony, followed by dinner.”
PM Modi responded by expressing his appreciation, saying, “I sincerely thank you for your friendship, warm welcome, and hospitality. It’s a great pleasure to visit such a beautiful city as Kazan for the BRICS Summit. India shares deep historical ties with this city, and the opening of our new embassy here will further strengthen these connections.”
Vientiane (Laos), Aug 22 (IANS) Representatives from the Lao government and development partners have attended a conference here titled “Climate Change and Nutrition in Laos: Intersections and Interventions” to discuss the impact of climate change on nutrition in the Southeast Asia country and potential solutions.
Speaking at the conference, deputy director general of the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion under the Lao Ministry of Health Viengkhan Phixay, said, “We gather to address a critical and interwoven issue: the impact of climate change on nutrition and how we can work together to tackle these challenges,” Xinhua news agency reported.
The Lao government is actively engaged in this endeavor, with numerous policies and initiatives aimed at addressing both climate change and nutrition, Lao National Television reported on Thursday.
“By leveraging the Scaling Up Nutrition network in Laos, which is led by the government, and supported by civil society, donors, and the United Nations, we have a robust platform to tackle the negative impacts of climate change while improving nutrition and overall health for everyone in Laos,” Viengkham said at the conference held on Monday.
The conference featured a series of presentations that not only detailed evidence-based research but also introduced innovative tools for measuring and enhancing nutrition under the impact of climate change.
The conference stressed the critical need for integrated approaches to tackle the intertwined challenges of climate change and nutrition, and setting the stage for impactful future collaborations.
–IANS
int/psd
Baghdad, Aug 22 (IANS) A civilian was killed while seven others were injured on Thursday in a tribal shootout in Iraq’s holy Shiite province of Najaf, according to a local security source.
The shootout erupted in the early hours between armed men from the local tribe in the al-Zarga area in northern Najaf, some 160 km south of Baghdad, a local police officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The clash resulted in the killing of an Iraqi civilian and the injury of seven others, including three Iranian Shiite pilgrims, the source added.
A joint force from the Interior Ministry’s emergency response division and Najaf provincial police arrested 53 gunmen from both sides of the shootout and seized weapons and ammunition, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
It added that search operations are ongoing to locate additional gunmen and weapons, with more details to be released later.
The incident took place as numerous pilgrims traveled to the city of Karbala to observe Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D.
Typically, these pilgrims also visit Najaf as part of their journey to Karbala.
–IANS
int/jk/arm
Dhaka, Aug 22 (IANS) Bangladesh’s interim government has sought $1 billion from the World Bank as budgetary support.
The call came from the country’s Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan’s meeting with Abdoulaye Seck, the World Bank’s Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, in Dhaka on Wednesday.
He made the plea as the ministry owes more than 2 billion dollars to suppliers in import costs of power and energy, Xinhua news agency reported.
Khan mentioned that the interim government, which was formed with many pressing mandates, is due to settle a $2 billion debt left by the previous government in the power sector.
He said they have already suspended activities under the much-criticized Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply Act 2010 and abolished the government’s power to set energy prices without any public hearing.
On August 5, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted from her country and power, ending her rule since January 2009.
This event was seen as a massive escalation, with what initially started as student’s protests and resulted in a major crisis in Bangladesh.
Earlier on August 8, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government.
–IANS
int/jk/as
Defence Ministry: Year 2025 will be year of reforms- A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning
- Diljit Dosanjh faces legal action over concert songs
- UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured
- Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder
- Rupee weakened by 5 paise to 85.69 against the US dollar
- Huge ammunition and arm seized in Manipur
- Pushpa 2 earns RS 1085 CR in pre-release collection
- BJP opposes Nawab Malik’s candidacy
- Lee Hsien Yang seeks refuge in United Kingdom
-
Video2 years agoPM Modi Attacks Congress in Karnataka with “Kerala Story”
-
Politics2 years ago
Siddaramaiah & DK Shivakumar sworn in as Chief Minister & Deputy CM respectively
-
Cricket2 years ago
CSK players rejoice 5th IPL title with their families (Pics)
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Karan Deol weds his longtime Girlfriend Drisha Acharya (Pics)
-
Sports7 years agoHistory Of Official FIFA WORLD CUP Match balls
-
India2 years ago
Ashwini Vaishnaw: Railway Board recommends CBI probe in the Odisha railway disaster
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Urvashi Rautela dazzles on Cannes 2023 red carpet (Pics)
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Sunny Leone gets ready for Kennedy premiere in Cannes (Pics)
