Latest news with #Bukavu
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Heineken loses operational control of facilities in Congo's war-hit east
(Reuters) -Heineken has lost operational control and withdrawn its staff from its facilities in conflict-affected areas of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dutch brewer said on Friday. The beverages giant said in March that its operations in three eastern cities would remain suspended until it was safe to reopen, after some of its breweries were hit and its depots raided during fighting between the army and rebels. But on Friday, the beer maker said the situation had deteriorated further, and that armed personnel had taken control of its facilities in Bukavu and Goma - eastern Congo's two biggest cities, now under rebel control - and nearby areas. "The conditions required to operate responsibly and safely are no longer present and as of 12th June 2025, we have lost operational control," it said in a statement. Heineken's Congo unit, Bralima, still operates in other parts of the country not affected by the conflict, the company said, adding that it would continue assessing the evolving situation. The group owns four breweries in Congo, producing Heineken beer as well as other popular brands like Primus and Amstel. The Bukavu facilities employed around 1,000 people both directly and indirectly, it had said previously. "Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees," its Friday statement said. "We have withdrawn all remaining staff from these sites and we have continued to support them financially." Nearly 14% of Heineken's total revenues come from its businesses in the Middle East and Africa, where Congo, with its population of over 100 million, is a large market. Its operations in the cities of Goma, Bukavu and Uvira had together previously accounted for roughly a third of Heineken's business in Congo. Fighting in eastern Congo escalated this year as the M23 rebel group staged a rapid advance that raised fears of a wider conflict. Congo says Rwanda is supporting M23 by sending troops and arms. Rwanda has long denied helping M23. The two countries and the United States said on Wednesday that their technical teams initialed a draft peace agreement that is expected to be signed next week.
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Heineken loses operational control of facilities in Congo's war-hit east
June 20 (Reuters) - Heineken ( opens new tab has lost operational control and withdrawn its staff from its facilities in conflict-affected areas of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dutch brewer said on Friday. The beverages giant said in March that its operations in three eastern cities would remain suspended until it was safe to reopen, after some of its breweries were hit and its depots raided during fighting between the army and rebels. But on Friday, the beer maker said the situation had deteriorated further, and that armed personnel had taken control of its facilities in Bukavu and Goma - eastern Congo's two biggest cities, now under rebel control - and nearby areas. "The conditions required to operate responsibly and safely are no longer present and as of 12th June 2025, we have lost operational control," it said in a statement. Heineken's Congo unit, Bralima, still operates in other parts of the country not affected by the conflict, the company said, adding that it would continue assessing the evolving situation. The group owns four breweries in Congo, producing Heineken beer as well as other popular brands like Primus and Amstel. The Bukavu facilities employed around 1,000 people both directly and indirectly, it had said previously. "Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees," its Friday statement said. "We have withdrawn all remaining staff from these sites and we have continued to support them financially." Nearly 14% of Heineken's total revenues come from its businesses in the Middle East and Africa, where Congo, with its population of over 100 million, is a large market. Its operations in the cities of Goma, Bukavu and Uvira had together previously accounted for roughly a third of Heineken's business in Congo. Fighting in eastern Congo escalated this year as the M23 rebel group staged a rapid advance that raised fears of a wider conflict. Congo says Rwanda is supporting M23 by sending troops and arms. Rwanda has long denied helping M23. The two countries and the United States said on Wednesday that their technical teams initialed a draft peace agreement that is expected to be signed next week.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda will sign peace deal on June 27
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda will sign a peace agreement in Washington on June 27 that aims to ending fighting in eastern Congo, the two countries and the US state department said. Congo has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels in its mineral-rich eastern region across the border with Rwanda. UN experts say the rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from Rwanda, which has denied backing M23. Advertisement The decades-long conflict escalated in January, when the M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic Congolese city of Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February. The draft agreement includes 'provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities; disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups', the joint statement said on Wednesday. The agreement also includes a commitment to respecting territorial integrity and the conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Congo and Rwanda are not formally at war and in the past had held peace talks that have largely stalled, including those hosted by Qatar. Advertisement Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, a coalition of rebel groups, told The Associated Press in April that international sanctions and Congo's proposed minerals deal with the United States in search of peace would not stop the fighting. M23 is one of about 100 armed factions vying for control in eastern Congo. But unlike the others, they are mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who failed to integrate into the Congolese army. The group says it is defending ethnic Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination, although critics say their Rwanda-backed campaign is a pretext for economic and political influence over eastern Congo. Rwanda's long-time president Paul Kagame accuses Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi of overlooking the concerns of the ethnic Tutsis and ignoring previous peace agreements. Advertisement
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
DR Congo and Rwanda sign draft peace agreement
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a provisional agreement aimed at stopping the conflict in eastern DRC, according to a joint statement from the two countries and the United States Department of State. The development late on Wednesday in Washington, DC, came after 'three days of constructive dialogue regarding political, security, and economic interests', the statement said. The draft agreement contains provisions on issues including disarmament, the integration of non-state armed groups and the return of refugees and internally displaced people. Eastern DRC has been riven by conflict for decades, with armed groups competing for access to natural resources. Fighting in the region escalated in January when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group captured Goma, the mineral-rich area's largest city. A few weeks later, the group seized the strategic town of Bukavu. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels. Thousands of people have been killed in the region and hundreds of thousands of others displaced since the conflict intensified earlier this year. Several of the parties to the conflict have been accused of carrying out human rights abuses. In a report published in May, Amnesty International accused M23 of torturing and killing civilians. 'These acts violate international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,' Amnesty said at the time. On Monday, Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said that the rebels, DRC troops and allied armed groups had all carried out human rights abuses. Turk called on all sides 'to commit immediately to a ceasefire and resume negotiations, and to respect international humanitarian and human rights law'. The US hopes to bring an end to the fighting and to unlock billions of dollars of Western investment in the eastern DRC, which has large mineral reserves including cobalt, copper, gold and lithium. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the twin aims of peace and investment as a 'win-win'. As part of the diplomatic efforts, Massad Boulos, the US envoy to Africa, travelled to the DRC and Rwanda in April. During his visit, he urged Kigali to end its support for the M23 rebels. Although the African countries have agreed to at least six truces since 2021, none has lasted. Angola stepped down in March from its role as mediator, with the US and Qatar currently leading efforts to secure peace in the eastern DRC. The draft agreement is due to be formally signed on June 27 by ministers from the DRC and Rwanda in the presence of Rubio.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Congo and Rwanda sign preliminary peace agreement in Washington
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Representatives from Congo and Rwanda have signed the text of a peace agreement between the two countries in Washington, according to a joint press release from the two nations and the U.S. State Department on Wednesday. Congo has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels in the east of the country. U.N. experts says the rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from the neighboring nation. The decades-long conflict escalated in January, when the M23 rebels advanced and seized the strategic Congolese city of Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February. 'The Agreement includes provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities; disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups,' said the statement posted to the State Department's website. The agreement signed included a commitment to respecting territorial integrity and the conditional integration of non-state armed groups. Both sides also committed to a ministerial-level meeting next week and invited the leaders of both countries to attend. This is not the first time peace talks have been held. Talks hosted by Qatar in April fell apart. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, a coalition of rebel groups, told The Associated Press in April that international sanctions and Congo's proposed minerals deal with the United States in search of peace would not stop the fighting. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda. The conflict has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and has displaced more than 7 million people.
