News

Bujumbura, Burundi — March 8, 2025 — The National Observatory for the Fight Against Transnational Crime (ONLCT) expressed grave concern as International Women's Day 2025 approaches, highlighting the ongoing issue of human trafficking in Burundi. The organisation says despite the government’s efforts to create a legal framework for safe migration, criminal networks continue to exploit women and...

KAMPALA, Uganda — Telecommunications stakeholders from across Africa gathered in Kampala for a pivotal workshop on the One Africa Network (OAN) and the East African Community's (EAC) One Network Area (ONA) on March 7, 2025. The event, jointly hosted by Smart Africa and the EAC Secretariat, focused on advancing digital integration and reducing barriers to affordable communication...

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (March 6, 2025) — East African Community (EAC) Partner States were urged to prioritize using revenues from the region’s burgeoning petroleum sector for sustainable development and job creation during the 11th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (EAPCE’25) in Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s Vice President, Philip Mpango, emphasized that petroleum...

UNESCO reports that at least 68 journalists and media workers have been killed in the line of duty so far in 2024. More than 60% of the killings took place in countries in conflict, the highest percentage in more than ten years. Of the 42 journalist killings in countries in conflict, 18 took place...

On Feb. 9, M23 fighters gave Tumusifu, her six children, and all other residents of the Bulengo displacement camp just 72 hours to leave. For the second time in weeks, they were forced to pick up their belongings and flee. In January, they were among the hundreds of thousands who sought refuge from the...

Bujumbura, Burundi – February 20, 2025 – A new market access project for enterprises in Burundi, called UGUSHORA (to sell/export in Kirundi), has been launched to support economic development and job creation by promoting export-oriented investments and businesses. The project, funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Burundi, is implemented by the TRAIDE Foundation in partnership...

UNITED NATIONS (Feb. 21, 2025) — The United Nations Security Council on Friday condemned Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebel group and demanded the immediate withdrawal of both from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) cities of Goma and Bukavu, marking a significant escalation in efforts to resolve the crisis in eastern DRC. The...

These operational challenges have been exacerbated by ongoing misinformation and disinformation campaigns, which have misled the public about the role of UN peacekeepers, said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the DRC and head of the peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, during a press briefing at UN Headquarters via video link from the DRC. However, the mission...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Rwandan Minister James Kabarebe and senior militant Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston for their roles in supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The sanctions, announced Tuesday, aim to hold key figures accountable for their involvement in destabilizing the region.

Bujumbura, February 19, 2025 – The Government of Burundi has expressed deep concern over the escalating security crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has triggered a large influx of refugees into Burundian territory since the beginning of the year. According to government estimates, between 20,000 and 35,000 people have crossed...