Thousands of displaced people have continued to flee the DR Congo territory of Nyiragongo, near Goma, the capital of North Kivu, as fighting between the Congolese national army the FARDC, and the M23 rebels rages on in the region.
The M23, a former Tutsi rebellion group, has been in constant conflict with the DR Congo army after it resurfaced last year with the support of neighbouring Rwanda, and has been laying siege to the northern parts of the country.
A United Nations report on Tuesday night said many of the residents have left their homes and have “taken off in the direction of Rugari in the north, or to Kibati, south of Goma.”
Local media also reported that the latest incident was as a result of a renewed attack in the village of Buhumba where suspected M23 rebels struck and killed several people.
“The M23 militia entered the town from the border with Rwanda. The rebels want to occupy the strategic region, which is close to the city of Goma,” a member of a regional local civil society, Ghislain Bolingo, said.
“We can confirm without fear of being contradicted that it is Rwanda that is supporting the M23 for the moment because the M23 had been defeated, it would no longer have the strength to come and attack our valiant FARDC,” Bolingo added.
The spokesman for the governor of North Kivu, in a statement, also denounced the invasion of the rebels as “a dramatisation of the situation by the Rwandan armed forces.”
A resident who spoke on the situation. Alexis Sikuli said:
“We are displaced, we are fleeing the clashes that took place today. Following this situation we are afraid, that is why we are going to Kibati near Goma.”
Another resident, Aline Mundozi, who has also been displaced had a message for DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi:
“I would like to tell our President Félix Tshisekedi that we are tired of war, we ask that he looks to save us from this suffering.”
Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his meekness should not be mistaken for weakness.
Secretary-General of the UPND, Batuke Imenda, who gave the warning in a statement in Lusaka on Monday, urged political opponents to always engage in mature and issue-based discourse.
Zambia Monitor reports that Imenda’s warning, was directed at the leader of Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) party, Kelvin Bwalya Fube, whose recent remarks Imenda described as “provocative” and a “feeble attempt to mislead citizens.”
“Provocative words uttered by Kelvin Bwalya against our party and President Hichilema are a clear demonstration of naivety,” Imenda said in the statement.
He further advised Bwalya to abandon personal attacks and focus on substantial political issues.
The UPND Secretary suggested that Bwalya’s attacks stemmed from a desire for relevance amid declining political fortunes, hinting at a possible alignment with former President Edgar Lungu.
“It appears KBF is hoping that Edgar Lungu might support his embattled political career by unjustly attacking President Hichilema,” he said.
Imenda defended the President’s record, highlighting that under Hichilema’s leadership, Zambia’s democratic space had expanded compared to the previous PF administration, which he accused of stifling freedoms.
He noted that while criticism was welcome, it should not devolve into baseless attacks, warning that opposition figures should not misinterpret Hichilema’s restraint as weakness.
Imenda also criticized Bwalya for overlooking the gains in transparency and justice since the change in government, claiming that past regimes were marked by resource mismanagement and corruption.
The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.
The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.
This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.
The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.
Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.
The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.
According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.
The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.
In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.