World
US, EU Sanction DR Congo Top Officials
By Dipo Olowookere
On June 1, 2017, the United States imposed targeted sanctions against the personal military chief of staff of President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said on Friday. Also, the US imposed sanctions on a resort the adviser owns outside the capital, Kinshasa.
The US action follows new targeted sanctions announced by the European Union on May 29 against eight senior officials and a militia leader who have long been implicated in serious abuses in Congo. The sanctions include travel bans, assets freezes, and a ban on making funds or economic resources available to, or engaging in transactions with, the listed individuals and entity.
“The new US and EU targeted sanctions against top Congolese officials and business interests send a powerful message that there’s a high cost for the government’s violent repression of activists, journalists, and the political opposition,” said Ida Sawyer, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The sanctions signal that the most serious rights abusers and those delaying elections will have to pay a price, no matter their rank or position.”
President Kabila was due to step down at the end of his constitutionally mandated two-term limit on December 19, 2016, but he has held on to power as the vote to elect his successor has been delayed repeatedly.
The new US sanctions show that the business interests of powerful individuals involved in abuses can also be targeted, Human Rights Watch said. In 2016, the US sanctioned seven senior government and security force officials. The EU’s new sanctions reach higher up in the Kabila government than did its earlier sanctions. They target the head of the intelligence agency, two government ministers, a former minister, and two governors, in addition to two security force officers and a militia leader. In December 2016, the EU had sanctioned seven senior security force officers.
The US sanctioned Gen. François Olenga for his role as the head of the “military house” of the president, “which oversees the Republican Guard, an entity that has, or whose members have, engaged in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions” in Congo. The Safari Beach resort on the outskirts of Kinshasa was also listed “for being owned or controlled by Olenga.”
In a statement from the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announcing the new sanctions, OFAC Director John E. Smith said, “This action against Olenga sends a strong message that continued acts of violence, aggression, and suppression by the Congolese military against its own citizens are unacceptable. The United States is prepared to apply additional sanctions against those who undermine the DRC’s democratic or electoral processes.”
The EU sanctioned eight officials for “planning, directing, or committing” serious human rights violations: Kalev Mutondo, the intelligence chief; Évariste Boshab, the former vice prime minister and interior and security minister; Ramazani Shadari, the current vice prime minister and interior and security minister; Gédéon Kyungu Mutanga, a militia leader; Muhindo Akili Mundos, an army commander; Eric Ruhorimbere, another army commander; Jean-Claude Kazembe Musonda, governor of Haut Katanga province; and Alex Kande Mupompa, governor of Kasai Central province. The ninth, the communications and media minister and government spokesperson, Lambert Mende, was listed as being “responsible for the repressive media policy” in Congo, “which breaches the right to freedom of expression and information and undermines a consensual and peaceful solution towards the holding of elections.”
In its declaration announcing the new sanctions, the EU expressed concern about the “deterioration of the situation” in Congo, including the continued restrictions on “democratic space and fundamental rights,” as well as the crisis in the Kasai region, which “has reached an exceptional level in security and humanitarian terms and as regards human rights.”
The EU urged Congolese authorities “to act in compliance with human rights and fundamental freedoms and to initiate, without delay, credible and transparent investigations, flanked by high-level international expertise.” On the political front, the EU called for an electoral timetable, “genuinely inclusive transitional institutions,” swift implementation of “measures to ease tension,” and “space for unimpeded expression and debate.”
The EU noted that it will follow political and human rights developments closely over the next few months and stands ready to “consider additional restrictive measures or, conversely, withdraw some of them.”
In June 2016, the United States imposed targeted sanctions against Kinshasa’s police commissioner, Gen. Célestin Kanyama, and in September against Gen. Gabriel Amisi Kumba, commander for the western region of the Congolese army, and former police inspector John Numbi. In December, the US expanded the sanctions to then-Interior Minister Boshab and Mutondo, the intelligence chief.
In December 2016, the EU imposed targeted sanctions against General Amisi; Gen. Delphin Kahimbi, director of military intelligence; Gen. Ilunga Kampete, commander of the Republican Guard presidential security detail; General Kanyama; Roger Kibelisa, interior director of the National Intelligence Agency; Col. Ferdinand Ilunga Luyolo, commander of the anti-riot body known as the National Intervention Legion of the Congolese National Police (LENI); and former police inspector Numbi.
The United Nations Security Council has imposed targeted sanctions against numerous individuals and armed groups responsible for serious human rights abuses, mostly in eastern Congo, but it has not sanctioned senior officials involved in government repression.
Targeted sanctions against alleged rights abusers appear to have wide support in Congo, Human Rights Watch said. In a joint statement on April 27, 165 Congolese human rights organizations called for increased pressure and new targeted sanctions against top Congolese officials. A new nationally representative poll by the New York University-based Congo Research Group and a Congolese polling agency, the Bureau d’Études, de Recherches et de Consulting International (BERCI), found that 72 percent of all survey respondents approved of the targeted sanctions imposed by the US and EU against senior government and security forces officials last year.
The US and EU announcements come at a time when the prospect of democratic elections by year’s end in Congo, as agreed to in a New Year’s Eve agreement, seems to be fading. Congo’s ruling coalition has defied key tenets of the agreement, which lays the groundwork for elections, as political repression and large-scale human rights abuses continue unabated, Human Rights Watch said.
“Stronger international action and high-level engagement are needed to help prevent the situation in Congo from spiraling out of control,” Sawyer said. “The UN Security Council should also impose new individual sanctions targeting those responsible for abuses, while the African Union and regional leaders should press Kabila’s government to end abuses and urgently organize credible elections.”
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
At the end of an extensive consultation with African foreign ministers, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has emphasized that Moscow would advance its economic engagement across Africa, admittedly outlining obstacles delaying the prompt implementation of several initiatives set forth in Strategic Action Plan (2023-2026) approved in St. Petersburg during the Russia-Africa Summit.
The second Ministerial Conference, by the Russian Foreign Ministry with support from Roscongress Foundation and the Arab Republic of Egypt, marked an important milestone towards raising bilateral investment and economic cooperation.
In Cairo, the capital city of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Lavrov read out the final resolution script, in a full-packed conference hall, and voiced strong confidence that Moscow would achieve its strategic economic goals with Africa, with support from the African Union (AU) and other Regional Economic blocs in the subsequent years. Despite the complexities posed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, combined with geopolitical conditions inside the African continent, Moscow however reiterated its position to take serious steps in finding pragmatic prospects for mutual cooperation and improve multifaceted relations with Africa, distinctively in the different sectors: in trade, economic and investment spheres, education and culture, humanitarian and other promising areas.
The main event was the plenary session co-chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptians Abroad Bashar Abdelathi. Welcome messages from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdelhak Sisi were read.
And broadly, the meeting participants compared notes on the most pressing issues on the international and Russian-African agendas, with a focus on the full implementation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026, approved at the second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg in 2023.
In addition, on the sidelines of the conference, Lavrov held talks with his African counterparts, and a number of bilateral documents were signed. A thematic event was held with the participation of Russian and African relevant agencies and organizations, aimed at unlocking the potential of trilateral Russia-Egypt-Africa cooperation in trade, economic, and educational spheres.
With changing times, Africa is rapidly becoming one of the key centers of a multipolar world order. It is experiencing a second awakening. Following their long-ago political independence, African countries are increasingly insisting on respect for their sovereignty and their right to independently manage their resources and destiny. Based on these conditions, it was concluded that Moscow begins an effective and comprehensive work on preparing a new three-year Cooperation and Joint Action Plan between Russia and Africa.
Moreover, these important areas of joint practical work are already detailed in the Joint Statement, which was unanimously approved and will serve as an important guideline for future work. According to reports, the Joint Statement reflects the progress of discussions on international and regional issues, as well as matters of global significance.
Following the conference, the Joint Statement adopted reflects shared approaches to addressing challenges and a mutual commitment to strengthening multifaceted cooperation with a view to ensuring high-quality preparation for the third Russia-Africa Summit in 2026.
On December 19-20, the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Cairo, Egypt. It was held for the first time on the African continent, attended by heads and representatives of the foreign policy ministries of 52 African states and the executive bodies of eight regional integration associations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Social media platform, TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with United States and global investors to operate its business in America.
Half of the joint venture will be owned by a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX, according to a memo sent by chief executive, Mr Shou Zi Chew.
The deal, which is set to close on January 22, 2026 would end years of efforts by the US government to force ByteDance to sell its US operations over national security concerns.
It is in line with a deal unveiled in September, when US President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a law that would ban the app unless it was sold.
In the memo, TikTok said the deal will enable “over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part of a vital global community”.
Under the agreement, ByteDance will retain 19.9 per cent of the business, while Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will hold 15 per cent each.
Another 30.1 per cent will be held by affiliates of existing ByteDance investors, according to the memo.
The White House previously said that Oracle, which was co-founded by President Trump’s supporter Larry Ellison, will license TikTok’s recommendation algorithm as part of the deal.
The deal comes after a series of delays.
Business Post reported in April 2024 that the administration of President Joe Biden passed a law to ban the app over national security concerns, unless it was sold.
The law was set to go into effect on January 20, 2025 but was pushed back multiple times by President Trump, while his administration worked out a deal to transfer ownership.
President Trump said in September that he had spoken on the phone to China’s President Xi Jinping, who he said had given the deal the go ahead.
The platform’s future remained unclear after the leaders met face to face in October.
The app’s fate was clouded by ongoing tensions between the two nations on trade and other matters.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Despite the complexities posed by Russia-Ukraine crisis, United States has been taking conscious steps to improve commercial relations with Russia. Unsurprisingly, Russia, on the other hand, is also moving to restore and normalise its diplomacy, negotiating for direct connections of air-routes and passionate permission to return its diplomats back to Washington and New York.
In the latest developments, Kirill Dmitriev, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has been appointed as Russian President’s Special Envoy to United States. This marked an important milestone towards raising bilateral investment and economic cooperation. Russian President Vladimir Putin tasked him to exclusively promote business dialogue between the two countries, and further to negotiate for the return of U.S. business enterprises. According to authentic reports, United States businesses lost $300+ bn during this Russia-Ukraine crisis, while Russia’s estimated 1,500 diplomats were asked to return to Moscow.
Strategically in late November 2025, the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham) has awarded Kirill Dmitriev, praised him for calculated efforts in promoting positive dialogue between the United States and Russia within the framework decreed by President Vladimir Putin. Chief Executive Officer of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev is the Special Representative of the Russian President for Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries. Since his appointment, his primary focus has been on United States.
“Received an American Chamber of Commerce award ‘For leadership in fostering the US-Russia dialogue,’” Dmitriev wrote on his X page, in late November, 2025. According to Dmitriev, more than 150 US companies are currently operating in Russia, with more than 70% of them being present on the Russian market for over 25 years.
In addition, Chamber President Sergey Katyrin and American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham) President Robert Agee have also been discussing alternatives pathways to raise bilateral business cooperation. Both have held series of meetings throughout this year, indicating the the importance of sustaining relations as previously. Expectedly, the Roscongress Foundation has been offered its platforms during St. Petersburg International Economic (SPIEF) for the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).
On December 9, Sergey Katyrin and Robert Agee noted that, despite existing problems and non-economic obstacles, the business communities of Russia and the United States proceed from the necessity of maintaining professional dialogue. Despite the worsening geopolitical conditions, Sergey Katyrin and Robert Agee noted the importance of preserving stable channels of trade and pragmatic prospects for economic cooperation. These will further serve as a stabilizing factor and an instrument for building mutual trust at the level of business circles, industry associations, and the expert community.
The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) will be working in the system of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) in the Russian Federation, which currently comprises 57,000 legal entities, 130 regional chambers and a combined network of representative offices covering more than 350 points of presence.
According to reports obtained by this article author from the AmCham, promising sectors for Russian-American economic cooperation include healthcare and the medical industry, civil aviation, communications/telecom, natural resource extraction, and energy/energy equipment. The United States and Russia have, more or less, agreed to continue coordinating their work to facilitate the formation of a more favorable environment for Russian and American businesses, reduce risks, and strengthen business ties. Following the American-Russian Dialogue, a joint statement and working documents were adopted.
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