Latest news with #Congo
Reuters
an hour ago
- Business
- Reuters
Congo considers extending cobalt export ban as it weighs quotas, sources say
JOHANNESBURG, June 20 (Reuters) - The Democratic Republic of Congo is considering extending a ban on exports of cobalt, as it explores how to implement quotas for shipments of the electric vehicle battery material, four sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Congo is likely to continue with the ban because the government wants more time to work out how to distribute export quotas among mining companies that produce the battery vehicle metal, said the sources, who cannot be named because the matters are confidential. The world's top cobalt supplier in February imposed a four-month ban on cobalt exports that expires on Sunday, as it sought to curb oversupply and breathe new life into prices for the metal that had hit a nine-year low. A proposal to implement quotas has backing from producers including Glencore (GLEN.L), opens new tab , the world's second-largest cobalt-producing company. However, Glencore's position differs with that of CMOC Group ( opens new tab , which has lobbied for the ban to be lifted. Eurasian Resources Group, another key Congo producer, also wants the ban lifted and is eager to hear more details from the government on how the quotas on cobalt exports would be implemented, a separate source told Reuters. The government is not fully united on extending the ban, according to Zack Hartwanger, head of commercial, Africa at Swiss-based commodity trader Open Mineral. "Some (in government) raised concerns about revenues, employment, and informal supply chains," Hartwanger said. "There's tension between industrial policy goals and economic realities." CMOC, the world's top cobalt-producing company, and Congo's Ministry of Mines did not respond to emailed questions from Reuters. The Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances' Markets, or ARECOMS, which is responsible for implementing the cobalt export curbs, did not respond to emailed questions. CMOC is ramping up cobalt output at its two mines in Congo, where the battery material is produced as a byproduct of copper, even as demand from electric vehicles manufacturers is down as the sector's growth slows. The market glut depressed prices to as low as $10 a pound or $22,000 a ton in February.
Zawya
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Trump plan near success as Congo, Rwanda initial peace deal
The negotiating teams from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have initialled the text of a prospective peace agreement between the two countries, signalling the success of the US-led mediation in ending their long-standing tensions. The teams approved the text in the presence of US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and will now await the ministerial signing of the peace agreement on June 27, 2025, in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US State Department announced on Wednesday. Initialling a document signals that discussions are complete and that both parties are satisfied with the provisions in the text. However, this does not constitute a commitment to implementation until the formal signing by senior diplomats designated by the respective countries. One key area on which the two sides have agreed is the conditional reintegration of non-state armed groups, returning to a solution that Congo has tried before but which has previously collapsed due to mistrust. Rwanda and the DRC have blamed each other over the past decade for fuelling rebellion targeting their respective administrations. President Felix Tshisekedi has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, which has now seized large swathes of territory in eastern Congo. But, Kigali denies the allegations and also blames Kinshasa for shielding the FDLR, the remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. From the outset, the peace deal is predicated on the premise that both sides will eject foreign fighters and cease backing rebels targeting each other. However, it is unclear whether the steps to end the conflict will differ from previous attempts, such as the initial integration of the M23 into the army, which ultimately failed. They accused the government of marginalisation. Washington dealThe Washington deal was drafted during three days of constructive dialogue on political, security and economic interests. The initialling towers earlier suspicions that some sides were leaking documents to the public, which saw Rwanda initially threaten not to sign. It also includes the establishment of a joint security coordination mechanism incorporating the Conops (concept of operations) of 31 October 2024, and the facilitation of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as ensuring humanitarian access. There is also a framework for regional economic integration. This information was also disclosed by Tina Salama, spokesperson for President Tshisekedi. Representatives from Qatar were also involved in the discussions, and their efforts have successfully led to the peace process between the M23 rebels and the DRC government. Qatar's presence at the discussions between Rwanda and the DRC was intended to ensure that the two countries' initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue and peace in the region were complementary and aligned. Tensions have been further exacerbated by the presence of former President Joseph Kabila in Goma, with the Kinshasa authorities seeking his arraignment for alleged treason. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN: Violence against children in conflict reached 'unprecedented levels' in 2024, with Gaza worst
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Violence against children caught in multiple and escalating conflicts reached 'unprecedented levels" last year, with the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti, according to a United Nations report released late Thursday. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed 'a staggering 25% surge in grave violations' against children under the age of 18 from 2023, when the number of such violations rose by 21%. In 2024, the U.N. chief said, 'Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and were affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements and by deepening humanitarian crises.' He cited warfare strategies that included attacks on children, the deployment of increasingly destructive and explosive weapons in populated areas, and 'the systematic exploitation of children for combat.' Guterres said the United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children — 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed earlier but verified last year. The violations include killing, maiming, recruiting and abducting children, sexual violence against them, attacking schools and hospitals and denying youngsters access to humanitarian aid. The U.N. kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children's rights for a second year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations by its military, including the killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and injury to 941 others in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported much higher figures, but the U.N. has strict criteria and said its process of verification is ongoing. Guterres said he is 'appalled by the intensity of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel,' and 'deeply alarmed' by the increase in violations, especially the high number of children killed by Israeli forces. He reiterated his calls on Israel to abide by international law requiring special protections for children, protection for schools and hospitals, and compliance with the requirement that attacks distinguish between combatants and civilians and avoid excessive harm to civilians. The U.N. also kept Hamas, whose surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the blacklist. Israel's U.N. Mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In Congo, the U.N. reported 4,043 verified grave violations against 3,418 children last year. In Somalia, it reported 2,568 violations against 1,992 children. In Nigeria, 2,436 grave violations were reported against 1,037 children. And in Haiti, the U.N. reported 2,269 verified grave violations against 1,373 children. In the ongoing war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations kept the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups on its blacklist for a third year. The secretary-general expressed deep concern at 'the sharp increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine' — 1,914 against 673 children. He expressed alarm at the violations by Russian forces and their affiliates, singling out their verified killing of 94 Ukrainian children, injury to 577 others, and 559 attacks on schools and 303 on hospitals. In Haiti, the U.N. put a gang, the Viv Ansanm coalition, on the blacklist for the first time. Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. They are now estimated to control 85% of the capital and have moved into surrounding areas. In May, the U.S. designated the powerful coalition representing more than a dozen gangs, whose name means 'Living Together,' as a foreign terrorist organization. Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep 'alarm' at the surge in violations, especially incidents of gang recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and denial of humanitarian aid. The report said sexual violence jumped by 35% in 2024, including a dramatic increase in the number of gang rapes, but stressed that the numbers are vastly underreported. 'Girls were abducted for the purpose of recruitment and use, and for sexual slavery,' the U.N. chief said. In Haiti, the U.N. reported sexual violence against 566 children, 523 of them girls, and attributed 411 to the Viv Ansanm gang. In Congo, the U.N. reported 358 acts of sexual violence against girls — 311 by armed groups and 47 by Congo's armed forces. And in Somalia, 267 children were victims of sexual violence, 120 of them carried out by Al-Shabab extremists. According to the report, violations affected 22,495 children in 2024, with armed groups responsible for almost 50% and government forces the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, school attacks and denial of humanitarian access. The report noted a sharp rise in the number of children subjected to multiple violations — from 2,684 in 2023 to 3,137 in 2024. 'The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night,' said Virginia Gamba, the U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict. 'We are at the point of no return,' she said, calling on the international community to protect children and the parties in conflict 'to immediately end the war on children.'
Malay Mail
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
UN: Violence against children in conflict zones hits 30-year high in 2024
NEW YORK, June 20 — From Gaza to the Democratic Republic of Congo, violence against children in conflict zones reached 'unprecedented levels' in 2024, a United Nations annual report said yesterday. 'In 2024, violence against children in armed conflict reached unprecedented levels, with a staggering 25 per cent surge in the number of grave violations in comparison with 2023,' according to the report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The report verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024 — including 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed previously but confirmed in 2024 — the highest number since the monitoring tool was established nearly 30 years ago. The new high beats 2023, another record year, which itself represented a 21 per cent increase over the preceding year. With more than 4,500 killed and 7,000 injured, children continue to bear 'the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks,' the report said. There was also a marked increase in the number of child victims of multiple violations to 22,495. 'The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night,' said Virginia Gamba, special representative of the UN secretary-general for children and armed conflict. 'This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return.' In its annual report, the UN compiles violations of the rights of children, those aged under 18, in some 20 conflict zones around the world. In its appendix, a 'list of shame' calls out those responsible for these violations — a powerful coalition of Haitian gangs was added this year — which include child killings and mutilations, recruitment to violence, kidnappings, denial of humanitarian aid and sexual violence. The Israeli armed forces, which were named last year along with Palestinian militant group Hamas, remain on the list. Conflict casualties The Palestinian territories occupy the top spot in the dismal rankings, with more than 8,500 serious violations, the vast majority attributed to Israeli forces, including more than 4,800 in the Gaza Strip. This figure includes confirmation of 1,259 Palestinian children killed in Gaza, and the UN notes it is currently verifying information on an additional 4,470 children killed in 2024 in the war-torn territory. Violence erupted there following Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The report also calls out Israel's military operations in Lebanon, where more than 500 children were killed or injured last year. Following the Palestinian territories, the countries where the UN recorded the most violence against children in 2024 are: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (more than 4,000 grave violations), Somalia (more than 2,500), Nigeria (nearly 2,500), and Haiti (more than 2,200). 'List of shame' inductees include Haitian gang coalition 'Viv Ansanm,' blamed for a 490 per cent increase in violations, including child recruitment, murders and gang rapes. Another addition to the list is Colombian drug cartel Clan del Golfo, which is accused of child recruitment. Colombia in general recorded a significant increase in cases of forced recruitment, with 450 children in 2024 compared to 262 the previous year. Remaining on the list are the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting in Sudan for more than two years. Also listed again is the Russian army for its actions in Ukraine, where the report records a 105 per cent increase in serious violations between 2023 and 2024. — AFP
CTV News
18 hours ago
- CTV News
UN says violence against children in conflict reached ‘unprecedented levels' in 2024, with Gaza worst
Maryam Abu Shaar, 29, sits with her children inside their tent at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Mawasi Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) UNITED NATIONS — Violence against children caught in multiple and escalating conflicts reached 'unprecedented levels' last year, with the highest number of violations in Gaza and the West Bank, Congo, Somalia, Nigeria and Haiti, according to a United Nations report released late Thursday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed 'a staggering 25 per cent surge in grave violations' against children under the age of 18 from 2023, when the number of such violations rose by 21 per cent. In 2024, the UN chief said, 'Children bore the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks, and were affected by the disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements and by deepening humanitarian crises.' He cited warfare strategies that included attacks on children, the deployment of increasingly destructive and explosive weapons in populated areas, and 'the systematic exploitation of children for combat.' Guterres said the United Nations verified 41,370 grave violations against children — 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed earlier but verified last year. The violations include killing, maiming, recruiting and abducting children, sexual violence against them, attacking schools and hospitals and denying youngsters access to humanitarian aid. The UN kept Israeli forces on its blacklist of countries that violate children's rights for a second year, citing 7,188 verified grave violations by its military, including the killing of 1,259 Palestinian children and injury to 941 others in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported much higher figures, but the U.N. has strict criteria and said its process of verification is ongoing. Guterres said he is 'appalled by the intensity of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel,' and 'deeply alarmed' by the increase in violations, especially the high number of children killed by Israeli forces. He reiterated his calls on Israel to abide by international law requiring special protections for children, protection for schools and hospitals, and compliance with the requirement that attacks distinguish between combatants and civilians and avoid excessive harm to civilians. The UN also kept Hamas, whose surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the blacklist. Israel's UN Mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In Congo, the UN reported 4,043 verified grave violations against 3,418 children last year. In Somalia, it reported 2,568 violations against 1,992 children. In Nigeria, 2,436 grave violations were reported against 1,037 children. And in Haiti, the UN reported 2,269 verified grave violations against 1,373 children. In the ongoing war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations kept the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups on its blacklist for a third year. The secretary-general expressed deep concern at 'the sharp increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine' — 1,914 against 673 children. He expressed alarm at the violations by Russian forces and their affiliates, singling out their verified killing of 94 Ukrainian children, injury to 577 others, and 559 attacks on schools and 303 on hospitals. In Haiti, the UN put a gang, the Viv Ansanm coalition, on the blacklist for the first time. Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. They are now estimated to control 85 per cent of the capital and have moved into surrounding areas. In May, the U.S. designated the powerful coalition representing more than a dozen gangs, whose name means 'Living Together,' as a foreign terrorist organization. Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep 'alarm' at the surge in violations, especially incidents of gang recruitment and use, sexual violence, abduction and denial of humanitarian aid. The report said sexual violence jumped by 35 per cent in 2024, including a dramatic increase in the number of gang rapes, but stressed that the numbers are vastly underreported. 'Girls were abducted for the purpose of recruitment and use, and for sexual slavery,' the UN chief said. In Haiti, the UN reported sexual violence against 566 children, 523 of them girls, and attributed 411 to the Viv Ansanm gang. In Congo, the UN reported 358 acts of sexual violence against girls — 311 by armed groups and 47 by Congo's armed forces. And in Somalia, 267 children were victims of sexual violence, 120 of them carried out by Al-Shabab extremists. According to the report, violations affected 22,495 children in 2024, with armed groups responsible for almost 50 per cent and government forces the main perpetrator of the killing and maiming of children, school attacks and denial of humanitarian access. The report noted a sharp rise in the number of children subjected to multiple violations — from 2,684 in 2023 to 3,137 in 2024. 'The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball — but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings — should keep all of us awake at night,' said Virginia Gamba, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict. 'We are at the point of no return,' she said, calling on the international community to protect children and the parties in conflict 'to immediately end the war on children.' Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press
