DR Congo arrests former health minister over Ebola funds

DR Congo arrests former health minister over Ebola funds

Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo say Dr. Oly Ilunga, former head of the Ministry of Health and its Ebola response, was taken into custody on Saturday as police sought to stop him from leaving the country through neighboring Brazzaville. The former minister’s detention follows initial hearings on alleged financial…

UN chief ends DR Congo trip with assurances on security front

UN chief ends DR Congo trip with assurances on security front

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres completed a three-day visit to Democratic Republic of Congo with expressions of confidence in the newly formed government and optimism that President Felix Tshisekedi and the country will meet their significant challenges. The Congolese will see “a government that wants to transform the country,…

Ebola drugs narrowed to 2 in DR Congo trial

Ebola drugs narrowed to 2 in DR Congo trial

The World Health Organization says that two of the four Ebola treatment drugs tested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are performing better than the others, and will be the only drugs used on future patients as the country moves forward in its yearlong outbreak. The decision to…

High-level Ebola meeting set for Monday in Geneva

With the Ebola crisis continuing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and amid global calls for a “reset” on the international response, top officials will gather in Geneva on Monday for a high-level meeting organized jointly by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of…

Fayulu still calls for a recount as DR Congo moves on without him

Democratic Republic of Congo is moving beyond the contentious December 30 election that put President Felix Tshisekedi in power – but not everywhere, and opposition candidate Martin Fayulu and his supporters still refuse to accept results that many believe denied him as the rightful winner. Fayulu, the Engagement for Citizenship…

Gécamines chief pushes back at NGO claims of corruption

The Congolese mining entity Gécamines issued a scathing rebuke to international NGOs on Wednesday, with a report that seeks to debunk the years of allegations about corruption and missing millions. The 60-page report begins with an introduction from Albert Yuma-Mulimbi, a close ally of outgoing President Joseph Kabila and the…

MONUSCO: Six dead in Congolese protests against Kabila government

Six people were killed Sunday in Kinshasa, as security forces shut down protest marches against President Joseph Kabila’s government organized by lay leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Roman Catholic churches. Florence Marchal, a spokeswoman for the United Nations mission there, told MONUSCO-affiliated Radio Okapi that there also were…