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Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

The mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo has been battling rebel groups in North Kivu province for decades. A renewed insurgency by M23 rebels threatens the country's stability.

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DW-Sendung Afrimaxx | Fashion Design | Patrick Mohindo

DW-Sendung Afrimaxx | Fashion Design | Patrick Mohindo

How to dream big in war torn Goma

Despite war tearing his dream apart, Patrick dreams big in fashion.

DW-Sendung Afrimaxx | What Our Heritage Teaches Us

DW-Sendung Afrimaxx | What Our Heritage Teaches Us

Afrimaxx – What Our Heritage Teaches Us

How these creative minds draw on tradition and transform it into something entirely new.

Under the Baobab hosts Mimi Mefo Newuh and George Okachi and guest James Reynolds, deputy director for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross

Under the Baobab hosts Mimi Mefo Newuh and George Okachi and guest James Reynolds, deputy director for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross

Fighting to end suffering in Africa's conflict zones

Can the ICRC's neutrality and efforts become a path to ending fighting in conflict zones found the DRC and Sudan?

DW | Under the Baobab | Kampf gegen das Leid in Afrikas Konfliktgebieten

DW | Under the Baobab | Kampf gegen das Leid in Afrikas Konfliktgebieten

Fighting to end suffering in Africa's conflict zones

Humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross already deliver aid, medical assistance and some protection to civilians caught in war zones found in Sudan and the DRC. But can their efforts and neutrality be a path to ending fighting?

Patrice Lumumba speaking with supporters. October 1960

Patrice Lumumba speaking with supporters. October 1960

Belgian diplomat faces trial over 1961 Congo leader killing

The case marks a historic step in Belgium's reckoning with its colonial past.

A group of people sit together outdoors on the ground, surrounded by large piles of colorful fabric scraps. They appear to be sorting or working with the pieces of cloth. The group is gathered in a circle on a paved surface near a garden area with plants and a low wall in the background in DRC.

A group of people sit together outdoors on the ground, surrounded by large piles of colorful fabric scraps. They appear to be sorting or working with the pieces of cloth. The group is gathered in a circle on a paved surface near a garden area with plants and a low wall in the background in DRC.

From waste to wonder: Women in the DRC upcycle textile trash

In Bukavu city, one woman and her team turn discarded fabric into fashion and art, cutting pollution and creating jobs.

A younger person with multicolored braided hair takes a selfie in a lush, green outdoor setting somewhere in Kenya. The person is holding a smartphone at arm’s length while standing on a sunlit path surrounded by trees and foliage. The word “eco” appears in bright green text in the upper right corner.

A younger person with multicolored braided hair takes a selfie in a lush, green outdoor setting somewhere in Kenya. The person is holding a smartphone at arm’s length while standing on a sunlit path surrounded by trees and foliage. The word “eco” appears in bright green text in the upper right corner.

Community-led conservation: How small steps bring big change

Three young women in Kenya are using social media to inspire climate action with huge success.

Rwandan soldiers from Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF)

Rwandan soldiers from Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF)

US sanctions Rwanda military over east Congo fighting

The US has accused the Rwanda military of violating a peace agreement signed last year in December.

Demokratische Republik Kongo Kibumba 2022 | M23-Sprecher Ngoma und EACRF-Kommandeur Kaputa beim Rückzugszeremoniell

Demokratische Republik Kongo Kibumba 2022 | M23-Sprecher Ngoma und EACRF-Kommandeur Kaputa beim Rückzugszeremoniell

How a drone strike on M23 triggered new DRC clashes

With millions already displaced, there are fears the humanitarian situation could get even worse.

Rwanda 2026 | Francois Bahati

Rwanda 2026 | Francois Bahati

Congo civil servants traveling to Rwanda for salaries

Democratic Republic of Congo's workers have been forced to cross into Rwanda to withdraw their salaries.

M23 rebels escort government soldiers and police who surrendered to an undisclosed location in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan. 30, 2025.

M23 rebels escort government soldiers and police who surrendered to an undisclosed location in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan. 30, 2025.

Ceasefire in eastern DR Congo raises hopes for peace

A scheduled ceasefire brings optimism to the eastern DRC, and US resource interests may push peace forward.

A vendor sells juice at the Birere market, one year after M23 rebels took control of Goma

A vendor sells juice at the Birere market, one year after M23 rebels took control of Goma

Goma under rebel control: Life in the shadow of violence

One year after M23 rebels captured Goma in the DRC, people are looking for ways to cope with the trauma.

View from above of a quarry, with people working in it and green hills visible in background

View from above of a quarry, with people working in it and green hills visible in background

DRC: Many killed in coltan mine disaster in east — rebels

At least 200 were killed when mines collapsed at a coltan mining site in eastern Congo, rebel authorities say.

Congolese traders and customers walk at Kahembe Market, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 21, 2026

Congolese traders and customers walk at Kahembe Market, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 21, 2026

One year under M23 rule in Goma

A year after the M23 rebels captured Goma, in Congo's North Kivu, fighting may have stopped but life is far from normal.

Patrice Lumumba, hands manacled, sits in the bed of an army truck under guard of Congolese soldiers after his arrival at Leopoldville (Kinshasa) airport, Dec. 2, 1960,

Patrice Lumumba, hands manacled, sits in the bed of an army truck under guard of Congolese soldiers after his arrival at Leopoldville (Kinshasa) airport, Dec. 2, 1960,

Lumumba killing case back in Belgian courts, 65 years later

Belgian ex-diplomat Etienne Davignon is defending himself over his alleged role in the 1961 killing of Patrice Lumumba.

Displaced Burundian nationals line up with their belongings on the Congolese side as they attempt to cross into Burundi following the closure of the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi at the Kavimvira border post on December 14, 2025

Displaced Burundian nationals line up with their belongings on the Congolese side as they attempt to cross into Burundi following the closure of the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi at the Kavimvira border post on December 14, 2025

DR Congo blames Rwanda-backed rebels for 1,500 deaths

Kinshasa says Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have killed 1,500 civilians despite a US-brokered ceasefire.

DW AfricaLink

DW AfricaLink

Burundi's growing influence in the Congo conflict

Burundi's troop deployments to Congo and escalating tensions with Rwanda is reshaping regional dynamics.

Bertin Mbuya a climate activist from Kinshasa in the DRC plants fast growing bamboo to stop soil erosion.

Bertin Mbuya a climate activist from Kinshasa in the DRC plants fast growing bamboo to stop soil erosion.

How bamboo can save homes in Kinshasa

The man planting bamboo to stop the creation of urban gullies that displace thousands and can claim lives.

Rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23), armed and in combat gear, sit on the loading area og a pick-up truck

Rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23), armed and in combat gear, sit on the loading area og a pick-up truck

M23 rebels continue push into DRC despite Trump peace deal

Fighting has intensified in the Democratic Republic of Congo despite a US-led peace deal with M23's backer Rwanda.

Cosplayer Rutendo Rwizi, who calls herself the garbage lady, performs with her selfmade guitar at the Green City Festival in Zimbabwe's capital Harare.

Cosplayer Rutendo Rwizi, who calls herself the garbage lady, performs with her selfmade guitar at the Green City Festival in Zimbabwe's capital Harare.

Novel ways to power environmental change in Africa

Young African creatives fight greenwashing with humor and satire, grannies jump start a solar revolution.

An M23 fighter looks on as Wazalendo militants are transported following their surrender to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group on December 15, 2025 in Uvira, Democratic Republic of Congo

An M23 fighter looks on as Wazalendo militants are transported following their surrender to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group on December 15, 2025 in Uvira, Democratic Republic of Congo

DR Congo: US pressure forces M23 to retreat from Uvira

M23's withdrawal from Uvira under US pressure could reshape dynamics in eastern Congo. Is Rwanda's influence weakening?

US President Trump is seen shaking hands with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, with Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi standing to one side

US President Trump is seen shaking hands with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, with Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi standing to one side

Art of the peace deal: Unpacking Donald Trump's intentions

Several of Trump's peace deals are largely fruitless endeavors. So what motivates him to keep pursuing them?

Two rows of people outdoors facing at the camera. In between them is a long table with different colored bowls.

Two rows of people outdoors facing at the camera. In between them is a long table with different colored bowls.

Rwanda-backed forces continue offensive in DRC

An offensive by Rwandan-backed rebels has forced 200,000 people to flee, pushing the region closer to a wider conflict.

A large group of displaced people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) carrying their belongings walk down a street in the town of Bugarama in neighboring Rwanda, on Dec. 5, 2025.

A large group of displaced people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) carrying their belongings walk down a street in the town of Bugarama in neighboring Rwanda, on Dec. 5, 2025.

DRC: M23 rebels advance in key eastern port Uvira

M23 fighters launched the latest advance amid the signing of a supposed peace accord in Washington.

A nurse treating a child on a stretcher bed in hospital

A nurse treating a child on a stretcher bed in hospital

DRC fighting worst cholera outbreak in 25 years — UNICEF

Cholera has killed nearly 2,000 people in Democratic Republic of Congo since January, the UN children's agency says.

US President Donald Trump hosts Rwandan President Paul Kagame (C) and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi (R) at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on December 04, 2025 in Washington, DC

US President Donald Trump hosts Rwandan President Paul Kagame (C) and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi (R) at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on December 04, 2025 in Washington, DC

Skepticism grows over DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal

Washington hails a Rwanda-DR Congo peace deal, but clashes, mistrust, and US mineral ambitions cloud hopes for peace.

US President Donald Trump (C) gestures as he hosts the signing ceremony of a peace deal with the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame (L) and the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (R) in Washington, DC, on December 4, 2025.

US President Donald Trump (C) gestures as he hosts the signing ceremony of a peace deal with the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame (L) and the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (R) in Washington, DC, on December 4, 2025.

DR Congo, Rwanda vow to uphold Trump-backed peace deal

Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame signed a deal aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo.

US President Donald Trump holds a letter addressed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame congratulating him on the peace agreement with Democratic Republic of the Congo during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner (R) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (2nd-L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. US Vice President JD Vance (center L) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (center R) are seen in the background

US President Donald Trump holds a letter addressed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame congratulating him on the peace agreement with Democratic Republic of the Congo during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner (R) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe (2nd-L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 27, 2025. US Vice President JD Vance (center L) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (center R) are seen in the background

What does DR Congo gain with the peace deal?

Eastern DR Congo has faced decades of conflict. Now, a US-brokered peace deal with Rwanda awaits ratification.

A Congolese refugee dressed in beekeeping gear, who is working on a beekeeping project in Angola, looks at a frame with honeycombs and bees that have been pulled out of a beehive.

A Congolese refugee dressed in beekeeping gear, who is working on a beekeeping project in Angola, looks at a frame with honeycombs and bees that have been pulled out of a beehive.

Angola: Agriculture and beekeeping give refugees hope

As aid for DR Congo refugees in Angola has been halved, the UN turns to self-reliance projects for sustainable food.

From left to right: Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner pictured during the signing of a memorandum in Washington in July

From left to right: Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner pictured during the signing of a memorandum in Washington in July

DRC: Parties trade blame ahead of possible peace deal

Congo blames Rwanda. Rwanda blames Congo. With peace talks due next week, who's in the right in this cat-and-mouse game?

A combo picture of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame (left) and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi (right)

A combo picture of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame (left) and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi (right)

DR Congo, Rwanda leaders to sign peace deal in US

Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame is to sign a Trump-brokered peace deal.

Qatar's chief negotiator Mohammed al-Khulaifi (C) observes as Sumbu Sita Mambu (L), a high representative of the head of state in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and and Rwanda-backed armed group M23 executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa, Doha, Qatar

Qatar's chief negotiator Mohammed al-Khulaifi (C) observes as Sumbu Sita Mambu (L), a high representative of the head of state in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and and Rwanda-backed armed group M23 executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa, Doha, Qatar

DR Congo and M23 agree to new framework for peace deal

DR Congo and the M23 rebels have signed another framework agreement outlining future steps toward a peace deal.

Aerial view of a forest

Aerial view of a forest

Carbon schemes in Congo: Who's really paying the price?

Carbon credit projects were meant to fight deforestation but are they?

A forest burns as smoke rises into a red sky

A forest burns as smoke rises into a red sky

Brazil's lucrative forest protection plans

From the Amazon to the Congo, rain forests are vital ecosystems long plundered to make way for mining or agriculture.

Boys and girls in school uniform stand in rows in the DRC

Boys and girls in school uniform stand in rows in the DRC

DRC moves to overturn Catholic ban on pregnant schoolgirls

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Catholic church clash over whether to ban pregant girls from schools.

Kamerun Jaunde 2025 | Stimmzettel für Präsident Paul Biya bei Präsidentschaftswahl im Wahllokal

Kamerun Jaunde 2025 | Stimmzettel für Präsident Paul Biya bei Präsidentschaftswahl im Wahllokal

AfricaLink News: October 21

Catholic Church calls for calm in Cameroon ahead of election result +++ Uganda's 2026 election campaigns kick off

View of a man standing in the middle of an erosion channel under a clouded sky. A green landscape dotted with buildings is seen in the background; a derelict building is seen top R

View of a man standing in the middle of an erosion channel under a clouded sky. A green landscape dotted with buildings is seen in the background; a derelict building is seen top R

Living on the edge: DR Congo's Mont Ngafula's erosion

With every rainfall, Mont Ngafula residents in Kinshasa, DRC, risk losing their homes to erosion and ravines.

DW AfricaLink

DW AfricaLink

Why Rwanda said no to Congo's peace overture

DW's Cai Nebe speaks to Congolese lawyer Jean Baptiste Gasominari.

People and vehicles on road near Kibumba in DRC with Congolese soldiers visible in foreground

People and vehicles on road near Kibumba in DRC with Congolese soldiers visible in foreground

DR Congo, M23 agree on mechanism to monitor ceasefire

Qatar, the US and the African Union will act as observers.

Sitting on the ground, a boy crushes stones in a quarry in Ouagadougou. The boy's head is out of frame.

Sitting on the ground, a boy crushes stones in a quarry in Ouagadougou. The boy's head is out of frame.

African governments slow to end modern-day slavery

Across Africa today, millions of adults and children are living in slavery.

Four M23 rebels are pictured sitting on the back of a truck with automatic weapons in their hands

Four M23 rebels are pictured sitting on the back of a truck with automatic weapons in their hands

Congo: Are M23 rebels really advancing toward Kinshasa?

The M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo have threatened to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa.

A picture of a VW car on the assembly line of a factory

A picture of a VW car on the assembly line of a factory

Are Volkswagen's EVs made with African conflict minerals?

DW found that some of Africa's most notorious smelters are part of the German carmaker's supply chain.

Former DRC President Joseph Kabila poses for a photograph after meeting with a delegation of women in Goma, North Kivu, on May 31, 2025

Former DRC President Joseph Kabila poses for a photograph after meeting with a delegation of women in Goma, North Kivu, on May 31, 2025

DRC ex-President Kabila's death sentence could spark unrest

A military court's death sentence, on charges Kabila supported M23 rebels, has sparked concern in the volatile DRC.

Former Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila

Former Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila

Congo: Death sentence for former leader Joseph Kabila

Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila was found guilty of treason and complicity with the M23 militia.

Nigeria 2024 | Traditionelle Aso Oke Textilherstellung

Nigeria 2024 | Traditionelle Aso Oke Textilherstellung

Protect and re-invent — Afrimaxx

This episode of Afrimaxx pays tribute to those who protect Africa - from poaching or simply everyday madness.

Various pieces of colourful furniture

Various pieces of colourful furniture

Adonia Mankou Yanate: Rewriting the rules of African design

Designer Adonia Mankou Yanate is redefining African luxury style: and not just for wealthy foreigners!

A man stands in the middle of a gully in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by Matthias Vanmaercke

A man stands in the middle of a gully in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by Matthias Vanmaercke

Massive trenches are swallowing homes across the DRC

As "gullies" tear through the DRC, researchers attribute the growing crisis to climate change and poor urban planning.

A man forms soil by hand into cubes.

A man forms soil by hand into cubes.

Critical minerals could supercharge Africa's future

DW looks at African countries competing in the critical minerals sector — and how extraction has transformed the region.

A hand holds a grey and green cobalt rock

A hand holds a grey and green cobalt rock

Critical minerals contribute to instability in Africa

Whether displacing residents for extraction or upping the stakes in conflicts, mining has fed instability across Africa.

A ferry leaves Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024

A ferry leaves Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024

DR Congo: Boat accidents leave over 190 dead, scores missing

Two separate incidents this week in DR Congo have killed at least 193 people, while dozens are missing.