Read Human Rights Watch’s assessment of the December 2023 elections and review their recommendations for a path forward.  The article states, “Tshisekedi’s administration should make civilian protection and accountability for rights abuses a priority and take concrete steps to protect people’s fundamental rights.”

Al Jazeera begins its coverage of Pope Francis’s visit to the African continent thus: “Pope Francis has demanded that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources for the ‘poison of their own greed’ after he landed in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a trip to two African nations.”

This 26 minute video details conflicts with rebels in eastern Congo.

“The quest for cobalt, which is essential for electric-car batteries, has fueled a cycle of exploitation, greed and gamesmanship.”

A revealing 2021 photo essay from the Guardian, with stories and pictures from South Kivu province. “As the value of gold reached new heights last year, those mining it continued to face crippling deprivation and dangerous conditions.” Learn more about the lives of men, women and children involved in informal, small-scale mining.

“Cell phones and electric cars rely on cobalt, causing a boom in demand. Locals are hunting for this buried treasure—but are getting almost none of the profit,” explains reporter Nicolas Niarchos. The article (also available in a one-hour audio recording) is based on extensive on-the-ground research and conversations with numerous people in the southern Congo.