'Transformative' California-Las Vegas high-speed rail project applauded by IE officials
Alexa Mae Asperin
Thu, December 14, 2023 

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. - The highly-anticipated Brightline West bullet train that will take travelers from Southern California to Las Vegas in under three hours is being hailed as a "game-changer for the Inland Empire."

City officials applauded the federal government awarding the private company a $3 billion grant in funding - a critical step officials said will help push the project to the start of construction, which could begin by early 2024.

During a press conference earlier this week, city officials noted the impact the Brightline West project would have on the region, with construction alone supporting more than 11,000 jobs each year and bringing in $5 billion in spending to San Bernardino County, with $300 million of that going to Rancho Cucamonga.

"We are thrilled to witness the realization of this transformative project that connects our dynamic regions," said Rancho Cucamonga Mayor L. Dennis Michael. "This strategic investment in cutting-edge infrastructure not only opens doors to jobs, economic growth, tourism, and commercial ventures but also enhances Southern California’s global connectivity."

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Officials said plans are also underway to redevelop the Cucamonga Station as "a state-of-the-art multimodal transportation center" aiming to serve as many as 11 million passengers per year by using the high-speed rail service.

"The arrival of Brightline West and the new Cucamonga Station underscore how the Inland Empire and western San Bernardino County have become a transportation hub and economic driver for Southern California and beyond," said Atif Elkadi, CEO of the Ontario International Airport Authority.

Brightline West aims to start construction in the upcoming year, with the goal of having trains between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga running by summer 2028, just in time for the Olympics.

Photo courtesy Brightline West

According to Brightline, the expected travel time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is approximately 2.5 hours. The zero-emission electric trains could carry 500 passengers at speeds of nearly 200 mph.

Approximately 50 million one-way trips are made annually between these two destinations with 85% of them by car or bus, the company said. At full operations, Brightline expects to attract approximately 12 million one-way trips each year.

Amenities for travelers include free onboard WiFi, ADA accessibility from station to train, a wide selection of food and drinks, checked luggage, and hotel check-in services.

Construction was originally set to begin in 2020, but was halted when the company postponed a planned $2.4 billion bond sale to finance initial tracks and stations for the $8 billion project. The company blamed the delay on market instability because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


Other places where high-speed trains have been proposed include the 500-mile system linking Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The Rancho Cucamonga station will connect to Metrolink’s regional rail network, which includes stations in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura counties.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


State’s game-changing high-speed rail offers glimpse into nationwide convenient travel: ‘I’m all for it’

Leo Collis
Fri, December 15, 2023 



Rail travel in the United States took a significant step forward in September with the arrival of a new Brightline service in Florida: a fast train between Miami and Orlando.

According to the Associated Press, it is the first privately owned inter-city passenger rail service to open in the country for a century, and project deliverer Fortress Investment Group is hoping the line will transport eight million people every year between the state’s major tourist cities.

The journey between the two locations takes three-and-a-half hours, with the train reaching speeds of up to 125 miles per hour on the 235-mile stretch.



Trying the new brightline route today. Pretty comfortable experience.

I'm glad the US is making some progress in public transportation. pic.twitter.com/8yPZz2KHBB

— Simon Yu (@SimonYuSEA) October 20, 2023

Brightline has previously outlined its commitment to sustainability. The company says its trains that run on the Miami to West Palm Beach line that opened in 2018 are the most environmentally friendly models in service, with the biodiesel electric trains said to cut equivalent pollution on the journey in personal vehicles by 75% per passenger per mile.

It is the first train company to receive the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management for its trains and stations, and it’s said the Miami-Palm Beach route can remove three million cars a year from roads in the area.

The opening of the new line has caught the imagination of Redditors, with a number of people sharing their thoughts on Brightline’s latest operation and the state of rail travel in the country.

“If more 110mph trains are going to be built around the country then I’m all for it,” one user said.

“[The government] should be building both [high-speed rail] and [non-high-speed-rail] so that trains can compete against both road and air travel,” added another. “Cars and planes are both terrible for the environment so we should be trying to get people off these and onto greener transport instead.”

Brightline’s trains don’t quite fit in the “high-speed rail” category, but the service between Orlando and Miami reduces travel time when compared to cars by around 30 minutes.

It’s safe to say the United States is lagging a bit when it comes to high-speed mass transportation by rail, with China among the world leaders in this field.

Meanwhile, Brightline CEO Mike Reininger heralded the possibilities that train travel provides, allowing passengers time to do other things they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do behind the wheel.

“The idea that my car is the only way for me to get where I need to go is being challenged by a new product,” he told the AP. “A new product that’s safer, that’s greener, that is a great value proposition (and) it’s fun.”

California Is Getting ‘World-Class’ High-Speed Trains

Jessica Puckett
Thu, December 14, 2023 



Courtesy Central California

America's rail system has long paled in comparison to the bullet trains of Japan and France's Train à Grande Vitesse. But now, historic new federal funding could finally bring high-speed train travel to the US.

In December, the Biden administration announced $8.2 billion in funds will be allotted to 10 passenger rail projects across the US. Two of the projects receiving the largest investments are new high-speed trains in the West that will be among the “first world-class high-speed rail projects in our country’s history,” the White House says.


With top speeds of 200 and 220 miles per hour, the two lines would be the fastest passenger trains in the country, far outpacing the current fastest train in America—the Amtrak Acela. That train, which runs between Boston and Washington DC, currently reaches top speeds of 150 miles per hour (Amtrak's next generation Acela trains, which begin rolling out in 2024, will reach slightly faster speeds of up to 160 miles per hour).

The new projects would bring passenger trains in the US one step closer to high-speed rail systems in Europe and Asia. “When I ran for president, I made a commitment to build a world-class, high-speed rail worthy of the United States of America,” President Biden said in remarks announcing the funding. “To put our nation back on track with the fastest, safest, and greenest railways in the world. And at long last, we’re building the first high-speed rail project in our nation’s history.”

Not only will the new trains slash travel times compared to driving and help reduce traffic on some of the nation's busiest roadways—they'll be cleaner too. The two train lines coming to California will be electric, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to flying or driving, the White House says.

“The tide has turned for high-speed rail in America,” Andy Kunz, president and CEO of US High-Speed Rail said in a statement. “Electrified bullet trains will transform the nation’s transportation system—reducing congestion, helping end our dependency on fossil fuels and advancing the fight against climate change. ”

Here’s what travelers should know about the two high-speed rail projects coming to the western US later this decade: Brightline West and California Inaugural High-Speed Rail Service.

Brightline West trains will travel between California and Nevada, reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.

Brightline’s new California to Nevada high-speed train will receive up to $3 billion in government funding to help build an intercity passenger rail system between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California (a city in San Bernardino County about 37 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles). Brightline says its station in Rancho Cucamonga will be located right next to the city’s Metrolink commuter rail station, allowing for connections into the heart of Los Angeles.

Reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, the new train will take just two hours—nearly half the time it takes to drive between the two cities. Most of the 218 miles of tracks will run in the median of Interstate 15.

Like Brightline's first trains in Florida, which run at maximum speeds of 125 miles per hour between Miami and Tampa, Brightline West will prioritize a comfortable passenger experience both on and off the train. The company is known for building modern rail stations complete with bars, passenger lounges, free Wi-Fi, grab-and-go food for purchase, and quick security checkpoints. On board, there will be free Wi-Fi and power outlets at each seat, as well as a snack and beverage service.

Because the trains will run on electricity, the new project will avert about 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and remove millions of cars from the road each year, according to the White House. The rail line is expected to serve 11 million passengers annually.

Brightline West is expected to break ground in 2024, and the project will take an estimated four years to complete construction, putting the train’s debut in 2028 (at the earliest).

The California Inaugural High-Speed Rail Service Project's will eventually link Los Angeles and San Francisco with electrified trains traveling up to 220 miles per hour.

Another passenger rail project, called the California Inaugural High-Speed Rail Service Project, will receive up to $3.07 billion in government funding to bring high-speed rail service to California’s Central Valley. Tracks will stretch 171 miles from Bakersfield to Merced, stopping in Madera, Fresno, and Kings/Tulare along the way. The goal of the rail corridor is to connect smaller towns in the middle of the state with bigger cities in Northern and Southern California.

Eventually, the larger train project will link Los Angeles and San Francisco (and the cities in between), offering a high-speed rail journey that would take under three hours.

The trains will reach speeds of up to 220 miles per hour, and they’ll be all-electric, powered by 100% renewable energy, according to the White House. “These bullet trains will make travel quicker and easier, bring housing closer, create new jobs and economic opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach, secure cleaner air for our children and help save our planet,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents California’s 11th Congressional District that includes San Francisco, said in a statement.

Construction on the high-speed line has been happening in fits and starts since 2015, but travelers will have to wait several more years before exploring the Golden State by bullet train: Test runs on the Central Valley portion of the rail line aren't expected to start until at least 2028.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler



Opinion
Joe Matthews’ ‘modest’ proposal: Give high-speed rail to homeless Californians

Joe Mathews
Sat, December 16, 2023

California is spending billions to house its increasing population of unhoused people. But it hasn’t come close to its ambitious goal of ending homelessness. And many Californians have lost hope that it ever will.

California is spending billions to construct a high-speed rail system. But it hasn’t come close to completing an actual line. And many Californians have lost hope that it ever will.

In the face of such failures, what is to be done? One option would be to surrender, concluding that mega-projects are too challenging here.

Or we could steel ourselves and embrace the wisdom of Dwight Eisenhower, who advised: “If a problem cannot be solved, enlarge it.”

In Ike’s spirit, I suggest we combine the big problems of homeless housing and high-speed rail into something larger.

Opinion

I hereby propose — very modestly — Homeless High-Speed Rail.

You read that right. Finding permanent lodging for unhoused people would become the new, urgent mission of our high-speed rail authority.

Under Homeless High-Speed Rail, the state’s unhoused people would no longer have to live in cars, shelters or encampments. Instead, everyone would have the option of a sleeping-car berth on a brand-new bullet train.

Sure, this fusion might create some challenges. But might it solve even more problems?

For example: Advocates have long criticized California for its mishmash of competing homelessness initiatives, and for insufficient funding for local solutions. My proposal solves all that by consolidating every single state and local homeless housing program under one single state agency: the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Now, some cynics might call that combination crazy — a mere merger of two giant dysfunctional money pits. And they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. The state has spent more than $20 billion on housing and homelessness since 2019 — but the number of unhoused Californians has grown by one-third. Meanwhile, the high-speed rail project has secured $25 billion — but is still $10 billion short of the $35 billion required to complete its first Central Valley segment from Merced to Bakersfield.

But, instead of spending massively on the land, labor, and permitting for homeless housing — Los Angeles pays $800,000 for some units — California could spend that money on rail cars that provide housing, leaving more funding to build rail. That’s a win-win!

An artist’s rendering depicts a high-speed rail train rolling through the southern San Joaquin Valley.

Combining homeless housing and high-speed rail also could answer objections that dog both programs.

For example, cities often can’t build homeless housing because of opposition from neighborhoods. But NIMBYs would lose their backyard objections when housing for the homeless zooms past at 200 mph.

Meanwhile, hosting homeless Californians answers persistent questions about whether there would be enough riders to support the project. In a Homeless High-Speed Rail project, unhoused individuals would provide a large and steady ridership base.

Strange as my proposal may seem, almost nothing about it is new.

Keeping homeless people constantly on the move sounds cruel, but this is already established policy across California, since communities constantly tear down homeless encampments, forcing unhoused people to keep relocating. And if you board local transit systems in the state, you’ll see that individuals without homes are California’s most dedicated train riders, because of the low-cost shelter they provide.

Of course, there will be some Californians who object to the whole concept, finding it perverse. These misguided moralists, a few of them columnists, will say that California is a rich place that can afford to house all its people and to build the high-speed rail systems that other countries enjoy.

In theory, these skeptical Californians will probably be right. But California doesn’t operate on theory. It operates on unmanageable budget processes, a volatile tax code, and a broken governing system. Since California refuses to fix these systems, it will never have enough housing for the homeless, or a high-speed spine for its transportation networks.

So, before you dismiss my modest proposal, ask yourself: In the face of massive failures, when doing big, essential things is nearly impossible, is any idea too awful to take off the table?

Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zócalo Public Square .


Joe Mathews
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Passenger trains could help combat climate change — if rail can actually get built
Rachel Frazin

THE HILL
Fri, December 15, 2023 



The Biden administration is investing billions in passenger rail, giving a boost to a potentially important tool for mitigating climate change.

However, significant hurdles could slow efforts to get more rail online.

Last week, President Biden announced $8.2 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for 10 passenger rail projects, including what the White House described as the “first world-class high-speed rail projects in our country’s history.”

The funded projects include a line connecting California to Las Vegas — which alone is expected to carry 11 million passengers each year and prevent 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere — as well as lines serving California’s Central Valley, North Carolina and a line connecting Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va.

Experts, the rail industry and environmentalists say that passenger trains could be an important tool for getting people out of cars and planes, thereby helping the planet.

“As long as it helps get people from Point A to Point B, we will see less car trips on the road,” said Rebekah Whilden, deputy director of Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign.

She added that a reduction in travel in personal vehicles is “ultimately what we need to see to see the emissions reductions that we need.”

Nick Little, director of railway education at Michigan State University’s Center For Railway Research and Education, said there is potential to grow more rail in the U.S., but only in “selective” locations.

He said that opportunities exist in the northeastern U.S., as well as to connect the Dallas-Fort Worth area to Houston and Austin in Texas and Chicago to cities including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Minneapolis.

However, the future of rail may not look like the ambitious high-speed rail maps that crop up on social media, illustrating fantasies of connecting the entire nation: Such ideas are a “pipe dream,” Little said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has its own map detailing a strategy for passenger trains.

It identifies parts of the Northeast and California as places for “frequent trains at 125-250+ mph in the nation’s densest and most populous regions” and parts of the Midwest as areas for regional service connecting large and midsize cities as well as “feeder” services to connect communities to the rail network.

Christopher Barkan, professor and director of the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said that he expects rail to grow in the years ahead, noting that there’s already significant work underway.

He said he mostly expects it to crop up in corridors between 100 and 400 miles in length.

“It’s a combination of population density and suitable distances where both conventional and high-speed passenger [rail] can be competitive,” Barkan said.

Andy Kunz, president of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, said “the prognosis is really good” for the future of high-speed rail.

“The really good thing is, the Brightline West one, which will connect Las Vegas and Los Angeles, that one will be up and running in four short years,” Kurz said.

“It’ll make the case much sooner to the American people how great of a transportation mode this actually is,” he added, saying that another California project is expected to take longer to build.

However, he said that building out high-speed rail in the Northeast is “going to be one of the harder ones to build because they’ll have to build a whole new set of tracks” in order to handle the high speeds.

Meanwhile, Little said that he particularly expects to see more frequent trains on existing routes going forward because it’s “an easy thing to do, relatively,” since the trains themselves are the only additional expense.

But for new rail, there are still hurdles to overcome.

Barkan said the nation’s environmental review process — sometimes known as permitting — is one hurdle.

“The initial thing that takes time is the environmental permitting,” he said. “That’s actually one of the things I think the United States needs to improve is to accelerate its environmental permitting process for projects such as this.”

Permitting is also a hot topic on Capitol Hill — where lawmakers have sought to make a deal to speed up energy and other infrastructure projects. As part of a deal to lift the debt ceiling, some changes such as shorter federal environmental reviews were approved earlier this year, but lawmakers do not appear to have moved closer on a broader agreement.

Kunz said that not having enough funding for rail projects is the “No. 1 reason” for delays.

“Not having the money readily available early, the project ends up slowing down or actually stopping and waiting for the money to come in,” he said.

This, in turn, drives up the bill for projects because of inflation and increased costs.

Barkan said the grants announced last week will be “a significant help,” but more is needed.

“We’re not done yet, but it’s a huge step forward.”

Whilden, with the Sierra Club, said the nation’s rail system might be able to get a boost not only from money allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but also through more general climate and pollution grants in the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Municipalities and states can apply for it, and basically the only kind of checkbox is that it has to lower … pollution emissions, and so rail could be seen as being able to be used for that sort of grant,” Whilden said.

Transnet Halts Plan to Allow Private Companies to Operate Key Rail Line

Ana Monteiro
Thu, December 14, 2023 


(Bloomberg) -- South Africa’s state-owned ports and rail company withdrew a request for quotes for an operating lease on a freight-rail artery that connects its biggest port with its industrial hub, because changes in the nation’s transport policy have affected the scope of the project.

Transnet SOC Ltd. first issued the call for private-sector partners on the so-called Container Corridor linking Durban with Johannesburg on Jan. 27, it said in a statement Thursday.

Reforms contained in the National Rail Policy and Economic Regulation of Transport Bill — which include separating rail operations from infrastructure — mean that Transnet needs to review the process for bringing in private companies, it said.

“Transnet is fully committed to increasing private-sector partnerships on key rail corridors, but believes it is necessary to complete the process of bringing the freight-rail ecosystem in line with national policy before taking any further steps to do so,” it said.

Transnet, which operates the nation’s ports, fuel pipelines and freight rail system, has amassed 130 billion rand ($7 billion) of debt after years of mismanagement, underinvestment and corruption that have impacted its services and weighed on the economy.

Coal shipments on South Africa’s freight-rail network have plunged to 30-year lows and iron-ore railings are at their lowest in a decade, prompting companies including Glencore Plc to consider cutting jobs. Port snarl-ups are resulting in delays to the loading and offloading of ships and some fashion retailers have resorted to flying in apparel.

The Durban to Johannesburg line is used primarily to transport containers.

--With assistance from Antony Sguazzin.

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


Incredible video captures test run for high-speed train blasting through station: ‘It’s kinda wild to see’

Jeremiah Budin
Fri, December 15, 2023

Recent footage of a high-speed train being tested in India wowed the members of the r/trains subreddit.

The footage was posted to the forum with the description, “9th vande bharat express blows past Mumbai station during high-speed test, India.” X user Ashwini Vaishnaw originally posted it to the platform formerly known as Twitter.

9th Vande Bharat reaches Mumbai for testing. #AmritKaal pic.twitter.com/Iyt6YVwoAA

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 2, 2023

The Vande Bharat Express is a medium-distance Indian Railways train service that runs between major cities and other destinations, according to the India Times. It launched in 2019 and now functions on 36 routes across the country, according to Conde Nast Traveler, which described it as “Much faster and lighter than other trains in India” due to its advanced self-propelled technology.

The trains can reach speeds of up to about 110 miles per hour (although they are not permitted to go quite that fast due to poor track conditions that have not yet caught up with the high-speed trains).

When countries invest in high-speed rail, that’s a big win for the environment, as it cuts down on the need for both driving and air travel, which cause far more pollution than trains.

According to one study, commercial air travel produces seven times more planet-overheating gases than train travel.

And while cars are not as bad as planes, they are still far worse for our planet than trains. According to Our World in Data,” Taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances would cut your emissions by around 80%.”

Unfortunately for those of us in the United States, efficient high-speed rail has become much more ubiquitous in Asia — particularly in China, which has built out a robust high-speed rail system over the past decade — than it has in the U.S., which remains car-centric almost everywhere.

That means that for many of us, watching footage of a high-speed train is as close as we’re going to get to experiencing one.

“It’s kinda wild to see people just casually strolling next to a vehicle moving that fast!” wrote one commenter.

“I really can’t wait to see the actual HSR blast through the Indian countryside,” wrote

another.

Russian Railways calls Finland's train seizure unlawful

The New Voice of Ukraine
Sat, December 16, 2023 

Finland has withdrawn the trains shared with Russia

Russian Railways accused Finland's state-owned railway company VR of illegally seizing four passenger trains co-owned through a joint venture that ran between the two countries prior to March 2022, Reuters reported on Dec. 15.

The Allegro trains were seized after more than 18 months of negotiations without any result, VR said, noting that Russian government had neglected its financial obligations to the Karelian Trains joint venture, and redeemed Karelian Trains' loans to Finnish banks when the venture faced bankruptcy in June 2023, gaining rights that allowed it to seize the trains.

"Repeated proposals by Russian Railways to resume the operation of Allegro trains under the existing framework agreements were not accepted by the Finnish side," Russian Railways said.

Read also:

Finland to reopen two border crossings with Russia

Finland to investigate neo-Nazi Yan Petrovsky's war crimes

"The unlawful actions of VR and the Finnish management of Karelian Trains led to the insolvency of the latter."

Allegro trains are tilting high-speed trains also known as Sm6. Each consist of seven carriages. The trains are expected to be put into service in domestic long-distance travel in Finland from 2025.

Lewis Hamilton on Sitting (Very) Still With Mountain Gorillas

Arati Menon
Fri, December 15, 2023 



Sara Singh

“Last August, I spent two weeks in Africa with six of my best mates. I was at this point in my life when I didn't want to go chill on another beach or sit at a hotel or even party; I wanted to be out learning things and experiencing cultures. Africa had been on my mind—and I'd been to South Africa before—so we made our way across Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda. In Serengeti National Park, in Tanzania, we missed the Great Migration but saw plenty of hippos and elephants. In Kenya, we visited the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary—a community-owned organization that takes in orphaned animals—where we got to feed baby giraffes. Another day, we traveled to Mount Kenya. About three quarters of the way up, we spotted one of its many beautiful volcanic lakes, and I jumped right in. It was absolutely freezing. One of the most rewarding parts of the trip was trekking through Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, where we hiked for two days through the jungle to spot gorillas. Along the way, we stumbled across these remote villages, meeting people who told us stories of their lives and kids who welcomed us with smiles and music. It was surreal to realize that my ancestors came from a place like this. But nothing prepared me for the moment when we finally saw the gorillas. We came across this flat piece of land, and suddenly there they were: a group of about 10 mountain gorillas within a meter of us. It was mind-blowing. Seeing them there, so relaxed in their natural habitat, was incredibly moving. I remember thinking, This is where they should be, in their homes—free.”

Lewis Hamilton is a Formula One Driver who holds the records for the most race wins in sport's history. The 2024 Formula One World Championship begins in Bahrain on March 2 and it is Hamilton's 12th season driving for Mercedes-AMG Petronas, which has selected the Ritz-Carlton as it's first official hotel partner.

This article appeared in the January/February 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler

DR Congo election 2023: What you need to know
Ousmane Badiane - BBC Afrique
Sat, December 16, 2023 

Denis Mukwege is one of the 22 presidential candidates

Nearly 40 million Congolese voters go to the polls for the next presidential election on 20 December with President Félix Tshisekedi seeking a second, and final, five-year term in office.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa. Spanning an area the size of Western Europe with an estimated population of more than 100 million people, the country is rich in natural resources.

Despite some calls for the election to be postponed, the head of the electoral commission is confident that everything will be ready in time.
Why does this election matter?

It holds 70% of the world's reserves of coltan, a highly prized mineral used to make mobile phones, plus 30% of the world's diamonds and large quantities of cobalt, copper and bauxite.

Although its vast mineral wealth and huge population represent huge economic assets, life in DR Congo is not improving for most people for a number of reasons, such as conflict, corruption and many decades of poor governance dating back to the colonial era.

Eastern DR Congo, where most of the mineral wealth lies, has been ravaged by conflict for three decades.

It is impossible to know how many lives have been lost - a 2008 study by the International Rescue Committee estimated that about 5.4 million people may have died, mostly from hunger and disease, making it the deadliest since World War Two. However, other studies have cast doubt on the accuracy of this figure.

After years of political instability and coups, DR Congo is organising elections for the first time since the peaceful transfer of power between former President Joseph Kabila and Mr Tshisekedi in 2019.
Who are the candidates?

Following the withdrawal of six candidates, including former Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo, there are now 20 presidential candidates, including Mr Tshisekedi.

His main challengers are:

Martin Fayulu, the man believed by many observers to have been the rightful winner of the 2018 presidential election, even though he came second according to official results.


Moïse Katumbi, a wealthy businessman and former governor of Katanga province, as well as the owner of the TP Mazembe football team


Dr Denis Mukwege, the winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with rape survivors.

Four of the candidates who have withdrawn have thrown their support behind Mr Katumbi and his "Together for the Republic" party, while two, Patrice Majondo Mwamba and Joëlle Bile, are now backing President Tshisekedi.

Still in the running are another former Prime Minister, Adolphe Muzito, MP Delly Sesanga, activist Floribert Anzuluni and Constant Mutamba.

President Félix Tshisekedi launched his campaign in Kinshasa's main football stadium

Ms Bile's withdrawal leaves just one female candidate - Marie-Josée Ifoku Mputa, who also ran in the 2018 election.

Running for election is not cheap.

All candidates had to pay 160m Congolese francs to participate ($60,000; £47,000) in non-refundable application fees.

However, this is less than the previous election, when the fee was $100,000.
The voting system

Whichever candidate gains the most votes in the first round becomes the next president, whether or not they have more than 50%. So there is no second round run-off.

Martin Fayulu's supporters believe he was robbed of victory in 2018

The winner is then in post for a five-year term, renewable once only.

Voting takes place 90 days before the expiry of the current president's term.

This year, the presidential election will be combined with the election of members of both national and provincial parliaments and local councillors.
What is at stake?

This year's elections take place against a backdrop of conflict in the east, an economic and social crisis and a lack of trust between the government and opposition.

Opposition parties suspect the government of orchestrating electoral fraud, accusing it of restricting freedoms and democratic space. The government rejects these accusations.

Eastern DR Congo is home to beautiful mountains and lakes, as well as huge mineral wealth. This is the view from the town of Bukavu

The many assurances given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni) have failed to alleviate the opposition's concerns.

The bishops of DR Congo's influential Catholic Church, and the leaders of the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) recently said they shared the opposition's worries.

There is also a cost-of-living crisis. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine are still hitting ordinary Congolese people in the pocket.

Inflation has reduced the purchasing power of ordinary citizens, who now have to pay more for their basic necessities, like food.

The value of the Congolese franc has fallen by 15-20% against the US dollar since the start of the year, according to official figures.

Two-thirds of DR Congo's population now live below the poverty line, earning $2.15 a day or less.

President Tshisekedi has launched a number of initiatives to try to tackle these issues including free primary school education and free healthcare for women giving birth at public medical facilities.

However, opinion remains divided over how effective these measures have been across the country.
Conflict in the east

The government has imposed a state of siege across the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri for almost a year but conflict continues to rage.

Rebel groups such as the M23, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Codeco continue to carry out attacks against both ordinary people and military targets.

Kenyan soldiers were sent to DR Congo last year to help tackle rebel groups but the government has ordered them to leave

As a result of the violence, DR Congo has among the highest number of internally displaced people in the world. Almost 6.9 million people are thought to have been forced to flee their homes since March 2022. The UN estimates that 28% of the population has been forcibly displaced in North Kivu and 39% in Ituri respectively.

Other hotspots have emerged as a result of inter-community conflicts, notably in the province of Tshopo, in the north-east, and in Maï-Ndombe, in the south-west of the country.

Insecurity is likely to disrupt voting in some parts of the country. In November, the electoral commission said it had lost around 30 agents to drowning and attacks by armed groups during the registration of voters.

The Congolese government recently demanded the departure of troops from East African countries by the end of the year, accusing them of failing to stop attacks from armed groups less than a year after their deployment.
Watching the vote

The electoral commission is supposed to be an autonomous, permanent and neutral body governed by public law, and endowed with legal power.

Composed of 15 members, its mission is to "guarantee free and democratic elections".

Moise Katumbi is known as the owner of the massive TP Mazembe football team

However, it has come under fire from critics who accuse its president, Denis Kadima, of being too close to the government. They fear the fact he comes from the same ethnic group as the president could affect the integrity of the result.

For his part, Mr Kadima has repeatedly stated that his institution is committed to transparent elections that respect democratic principles.

The European Union observer mission has pulled out of the election, after failing to reach an agreement with the Congolese government over the importation of communication devices they needed to use. They will be deploying eight experts but only in the capital, Kinshasa.

In the past, the African Union, religious denominations and civil society organisations have deployed observers to closely monitor voting.
When will we get the results?

According to the electoral calendar, the provisional results are expected on 31 December.

If the results are ready before that, they could be released sooner. But in previous elections, Ceni has not announced any partial results - it has waited until all the votes have been counted across this vast country before declaring the winner.

The next president will be sworn into office on 20 January.

Additional reporting by Emery Mukumeno in Kinshasa

More stories about DR Congo:

Why TikTokers are quitting vapes over DR Congo


Why DR Congo wants East African troops to leave


DR Congo court clears block to Katumbi's ambitions


The tycoon, the president and the diamond deals


A quick guide to DR Congo


What to expect in DR Congo's elections

Yinka Adegoke
Fri, December 15, 2023 


The Facts

The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to hold its presidential election next week on Dec. 20. Some 44 million registered voters and more than 900 parties are expected to take part in the general election. President Felix Tshisekedi, 60, will be up for reelection for another five years after a controversial victory in 2018 following his on then off pact with former president Joseph Kabila and then later former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba.
Know More

→ What’s at stake? Tshisekedi’s 2018 victory might have been controversial or tainted but it also marked the first peaceful transfer of power in the country’s history. This huge nation of some 100 million people and immense natural and mineral wealth has had very few years in its 63-year history without conflict or repression, often both. The vast majority of Congolese people are hoping this election will ultimately be peaceful.

→ Who are the leading contenders? The presidential campaign started out with up to 25 contenders, but opposition candidates have been forming alliances to take on the president.

The main opposition candidates are: Moise Katumbi, 58, the mining and transportation magnate, who was a former governor of DRC’s wealthiest province, has seen three former rival candidates drop out to back him so far. Then there’s Martin Fayulu, 66, the former Exxon Mobil executive, who was a close runner-up to Tshisekedi in 2018, and strongly proclaimed he had in fact won. First-timer Denis Mukwege, 68, was the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work as a gynecologist on victims of sexual assault in the war-torn eastern region of the country where his clinic is still based.


L-R Clockwise: President Tshisekedi, Denis Mukwege, Martin Fayulu, Moise Katumbi. Credit: Reuters

→ Aside from candidates, who else should we be paying attention to? All eyes will be on CENI (Independent National Electoral Commission) and its head Denis Kadima. Spokespeople have been keen to say this election will be free, fair, and inclusive for all Congolese. As of November the government had allocated around half a billion dollars to CENI from the national budget to “strengthen the independent organization’s operational and management capacities.”

→ So, is everyone ready to vote? No. There are some 7 million people in the eastern region of the country who have been displaced due to the ongoing deadly conflict and disruption in the area. Many, particularly in the North Kivu province which borders Rwanda, are unlikely to be able to fully participate despite CENI or the government’s best intentions.

“The prevailing security challenges, especially in the eastern provinces, present a major obstacle,” writes Johannesburg-based Institute for Security Studies.

→ What are the president’s people saying? DR Congo’s communications minister Patrick Muyaya told Semafor Africa that security “remains the biggest challenge” for whoever is the next president — which he naturally believes should be “the favorite”, President Tshisekedi, his boss. Muyaya said that in a second term the president would focus on “investing in recruitment, training through cooperation, and strengthening security services” to assuage the security concerns of everyday Congolese.


→ What does Gallup think? Gallup’s polling research shows that personal safety is a key issue for Congolese citizens. “A majority of Congolese feel unsafe walking alone in their area at night. With the exception of one year, this figure has never dropped below the majority level since 2009 (in years Gallup has been able to conduct surveys in the DRC).”

Martin Fayulu: The DR Congo election candidate who refuses to give up

Ousmane Badiane in Dakar & Damian Zane in London - BBC News
Fri, December 15, 2023 

Congolese Presidential candidate Martin Fayulu addresses his supporters during a campaign rally in Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo November 30, 2023.

In certain circles the name Martin Fayulu has become synonymous with tenacity - a refusal to give up.

One of the leading opposition candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo's 20 December presidential election, he maintains that he won the race five years ago.

Emblematic of the 67-year-old's die-hard attitude is his biography on X, which declares him the country's "president-elect".

Campaign posters have him tapping his wristwatch announcing: "Now's the time".

In the aftermath of the 2018 election, Mr Fayulu, a former oil company executive, was not alone in questioning the victory of Félix Tshisekedi - who is running for a second term.

The influential Catholic Church, which had a large monitoring team, said the results did not correspond with its own findings.

Mr Tshisekedi had split off from the opposition coalition that had put forward Mr Fayulu, and it was suspected, though always denied, that he had the backing of then-President Joseph Kabila.

But as Mr Tshisekedi's announced victory promised the first peaceful transfer of power in the country's history, many groups came to accept it.

Mr Fayulu, however, did not.

The leader of the Commitment for Citizenship and Development party (ECiDé) has doggedly stuck to the message that he won. Now he has returned to claim his prize, hoping to succeed in the crowded field of 19 challengers to the incumbent.

Turning his rhetorical fire on the president, he has been uncompromising in his criticism.

"Is there a single Congolese who can tell me that he lives better than in 2018? Mr Tshisekedi has done absolutely nothing," the candidate told the Reuters news agency in November.

Mr Fayulu uses the campaign symbol "21" - the number he was given in the official list of candidates

He first became a full-time politician in 2006 and served as an MP, though at the time he was mostly known as a businessman.

Mr Fayulu's involvement in politics started during the Sovereign National Conference in 1991 that brought together delegates from different regions, political parties, civil society organisations and traditional leaders to campaign for multi-party democracy.

The country's long-time autocratic ruler Mobutu Sese Seko allowed the conference to take place after coming under domestic and foreign pressure to end one-party rule. But he ignored the call for greater democracy, and was eventually forced out in 1997.

Mr Fayulu's transition from business to politics was complete in 2006 when he was elected an MP.

Before that, he had had a two-decade-long career, starting in 1984, with US oil giant Exxon Mobil, taking up positions in several African states.

His final posting was in Ethiopia where he was the company's director general.
More about the DR Congo election:

Félix Tshisekedi: The man who vowed to make Congo the 'Germany of Africa'


Moïse Katumbi: Millionaire mining magnate runs for DR Congo president


Denis Mukwege: The Nobel Prize winner vying for DR Congo presidency


What you need to know about the DR Congo election

In March 2009, Mr Fayulu helped launch ECiDé and was appointed its leader.

Despite his oil background he has claimed he speaks for the people.

"Congolese call me [the] people's soldier," Mr Fayulu told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme in 2018.

In 2016 and 2017 he had been involved in protests against the extension of Mr Kabila's time in power.

At one point, a bullet grazed Mr Fayulu's head after police fired at anti-Kabila protesters in the capital, Kinshasa. At least 17 people were killed in the clashes.

Mr Fayulu hopes to capitalise on dissatisfaction with the security and economic situation in the country

In this election he has claimed he is the patriotic candidate.

"You have to entrust the country to someone who is not a thief, to someone who is not corrupt, to someone with proven skills, to someone with leadership, someone who is a patriot," he told Reuters.

He has also talked about boosting security in the east of the country. The conflicts with a multiplicity of rebel groups there have forced some 6.9 million people to flee their homes.

Mr Fayulu has said he wants to have a well trained, well equipped army of 500,000 people.

And - perhaps most importantly if he wants to be sure of victory this time round - he has stressed the importance of vigilance on polling day, in order to prevent any attempt at electoral fraud.

But in a repeat of five years ago, Mr Fayulu is not the only strong opposition candidate challenging those in power. This split in the vote may ultimately cost him the job.

DR Congo election: Why one star refuses to release election songs

Africa team - BBC News
Fri, December 15, 2023 

Rapper Bob Elvis: "No amount of money could influence me to support causes in which I do not believe."

Election time in the Democratic Republic of Congo means a torrent of fresh music from some of the country's hottest artists.

In this nation of music-lovers, politicians have often formed symbiotic relationships with singers - but not everyone is happy to play the game.

In his newest release, Koffi Olomide, one of Africa's most celebrated musicians, sings the praises of incumbent president (and election hopeful) Felix Tshisekedi.

"Fatshi, Fatshi Béton!" Olomide sings, chanting the president's nickname over and over. "We have seen your love for the youth, the people and Congo."

On 5 December, industry veteran Werrason also endorsed Mr Tshisekedi. In his music video, clips of Werrason alternate with footage of the president: waving to adoring crowds, holding a hospitalised baby, addressing packed-out rallies.

"What he's done, we've seen and the people don't want to go back," Werrason sings.

On the other hand, rising star Infrapa urges his hundreds of thousands of Facebook followers to vote for wealthy businessman - and one of Mr Tshisekedi's biggest challengers - Moise Katumbi at Wednesday's polls.

Photos of Infrapa in T-shirts printed with the number three - Mr Katumbi's candidate number - fill the screen as the musician croons: "We are tired of suffering and hunger. Choose Moise Katumbi."

DR Congo - a nation wounded by decades of conflict, corruption and poor governance - has a long history of musicians endorsing politicians in their songs.

Numerous icons have admitted accepting money to mention influential people and corporations - a practice known locally as libanga.

Just last year, "prince of Congolese rumba" Fally Ipupa told Kenya's Trace FM he can make around €10,000 (£8,600; £11,000) per mention, while late legend Papa Wemba said he practised libanga amid a "sick", unprofitable Congolese industry.

Papa Wemba's bleak assessment of the music scene is echoed by his peer, Blaise Bula. He tells the BBC: "It is not easy to earn money because the Congolese music industry is not yet very developed, particularly on the issue of copyright."

Although many Congolese stars have a huge following across the continent and in the large diaspora, rampant piracy and a badly organised touring circuit mean that even popular artists can struggle to make a living.

Bula, a former member of the pioneering Wenge Musica band, released his own pro-Tshisekedi track, Fatshi No. 20, three weeks ago.

He insists he was not paid to make it, but adds: "Because the industry is not well developed, [musicians] must make a living from our profession and as a trader - from the sale of our services."

In Fatshi No. 20, Bula tells Tshisekedi: "One eye can see, but with a second eye, humans see even better. That is why we give you a second term in office so that you can bring life to your vision for DR Congo."

Former Wenge Musica member Blaise Bula has endorsed incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi

Bula tells the BBC he chose to promote Tshisekedi because of the president's achievements over the last five years, such as introducing universal free primary education and free healthcare for women giving birth in public hospitals.

"Much remains to be done," Bula acknowledges - and Tshisekedi's critics would agree.

Heavy fighting between the army and various militia groups has worsened in the east, despite the government imposing a state of siege across part of the region almost a year ago.

According to the UN, the conflict has forced around 6.9 million people from their homes since March 2022 - the highest number of internally displaced people in the world.

Insecurity is just one issue. Congolese have been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and then the war in Ukraine. Two-thirds of the population currently live below the poverty line, earning $2.15 (£1.68) or less per day.

Despite these problems, Mr Tshisekedi has more endorsements from musicians than the other presidential candidates. Some of his supporters even snipe at rival Mr Katumbi.

In his pro-Tshisekedi song, Bula says: "The son of the motherland is the one we will vote for. Beton [is Congolese] through his father and mother."

Likewise, Werrason sings that the president's "father and mother are Congolese".

It's the umpteenth time Mr Katumbi's nationality has come under attack - opponents claim he is not a Congolese national because although he was born to a Congolese mother, his father was Greek.

Despite jabs about his heritage, Mr Katumbi has been endorsed by musicians like Infrapa and Kennedy Tamaris, whose song has been viewed 81,000 times on YouTube.

Another major challenger, Martin Fayulu, appears to have few - if any - musical endorsements, while it seems Nobel Peace Prize winner-turned-candidate Denis Mukwege has only been promoted by singer and influencer Boketshu Wayambo.

That Mr Tshisekedi has the most election songs could indicate that he spent the most on commissioning music.

Or, Congolese sociologist Léon Tsambu tells the BBC, artists may be keen to sing about the president for free as they perceive him as being wealthier than other candidates - wealth the artists may benefit from if he is pleased with the song.

So do music fans mind artists glorifying politicians in their tracks? Are musicians ever accused of "selling out"?

Not in most cases, Mr Tsambu tells the BBC.

"This game has been played for a long time by hook or by crook under [previous presidents] Mobutu and Joseph Kabila, especially at election time," says Mr Tsambu, who specialises in popular music at the University of Kinshasa, adding that political libanga hit its peak during Mr Kabila's 2001-2019 premiership.
More about the DR Congo election:

Moïse Katumbi: Millionaire mining magnate runs for DR Congo president


Félix Tshisekedi: The man who vowed to make Congo the 'Germany of Africa'


Martin Fayulu: The Congolese candidate who refuses to give up


Denis Mukwege: The Nobel Prize winner vying for DR Congo presidency


What you need to know about the DR Congo election

However, outside the country, sections of the Congolese diaspora rail against musicians they view as being too close to the politicians they blame for destroying the country.

They've done so for over a decade - for example, Werrason was physically attacked when touring in Paris in 2011 because he was seen as being pro-Kabila. Ten years later, protesters outside a Fally Ipupa concert sparked a huge fire at the Gare de Lyon train station.

In light of this diaspora opposition, police in London set up an "appropriate local policing plan" for Ipupa's performance at London's 12,500-capacity Wembley Arena earlier this month. There were no reports of disorder or protest, the force told the BBC.

Some protesters aim to prevent all Congolese musicians from performing in Europe, but not all popular artists engage in libanga.

"No amount of money could influence me to support causes in which I do not believe," rapper Bob Elvis tells the BBC.

President Felix Tshisekedi is running for a second term - with the support of numerous Congolese musicians

"Several politicians contacted my team to meet me, but I never gave them my time."

Instead of promoting a presidential candidate in the run-up to Wednesday's election, Elvis released the fiercely critical Yo Jamais Na Vota, which roughly translates to "you, I will not vote for you". In the song, Elvis urges his fans not to vote for politicians who "embezzle taxpayer money".

The rapper, who is currently recording an album in Belgium because "conditions" for doing so in DR Congo are poor, says he is frequently targeted for his anti-establishment music. He says he was kidnapped five years ago and struggles to get airplay on radio or TV.

Elvis says he gets around this by releasing music on social media and selling his CDs "like drugs, from door to door - customers call my team and my team takes care of home delivery".

These restrictions, coupled with DR Congo's unprofitable industry, make earning money challenging for Elvis.

However he says he will never be tempted to practise libanga, adding: "Money is not everything. My life is no more important than the life of the millions of Congolese who are dying of famine in the East."

"The main thing for me is to keep my freedom, to be on the side of the truth.

"Even if I cannot change things, I would like to be the one who influences the person who will change the system."


DR Congo's democracy backsliding ahead of vote, rights groups say

Emmet Livingstone
Sat, December 16, 2023 

An opposition supporter at a rally in Goma last month with a poster of Cherubin Okende, who was gunned down in July (ALEXIS HUGUET)

DR Congo's democracy has been backsliding ahead of elections this month, according to rights defenders, as prominent journalists languish in prison and the murder of an opposition politician remains unsolved.

President Felix Tshisekedi came to power in 2019 after a campaign criticising the rights record of his predecessor Joseph Kabila, among other issues.

But a slew of recent events have sparked concerns about the president's own record.

A former minister turned opposition member was found dead in the central African nation's capital Kinshasa in July.

A few months later, one the best-known Congolese journalists was imprisoned after the authorities accused him of spreading fake news about the murder.

"These are signs of the narrowing of the democratic space," said a rights researcher, who requested anonymity.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is scheduled to hold elections on December 20. Tshisekedi, 60, will be running for a second term.

Human Rights Watch warned Saturday that it had documented clashes and other violence between supporters of rival parties that could undermine the vote.

"Political parties and candidates should publicize their anti-violence stance and help ensure that people have the opportunity to vote for the candidates of their choice," said HRW researcher Thomas Fessy.

Tshisekedi released hundreds of political prisoners when he first took office, but initial optimism began to fade after intimidation of critics started again in 2020.

Opposition members regularly say they are harassed, and point to arrests they claim are politically motivated.

Despite its mineral riches, DRC is one of the poorest nations of the world, and has a history of autocratic rule.

Floribert Anzuluni, a presidential candidate and former rights activist, told AFP that repression often spikes around elections.

"It's the case today, there's a hardening of the democratic space," he said.

- Murder in Kinshasa -

In a high-profile case in May, Congolese military intelligence arrested Salomon Idi Kalonda, a close advisor to opposition presidential contender Moise Katumbi.

Kalonda was accused of colluding with M23 rebels in the country's east, as well as the group's alleged backers, Rwanda. His trial is ongoing.

A month later, the body of Cherubin Okende, a former transport minister and Katumbi ally, was found riddled with bullets in Kinshasa.

The government has condemned the killing and opened an investigation.

But several analysts say the investigation has stalled.

"The justice system seems not to be doing its job," Anzuluni said.

In September, the prominent Congolese journalist Stanis Bujakera, who works for Reuters and Jeune Afrique magazine, was arrested on suspicion of spreading false information about Okende's killing.

His arrest followed a Jeune Afrique article -- which was not bylined -- that suggested that Congolese military intelligence had assassinated Okende.

The article was based on a memo that the Congolese authorities have said is fake.

Bujakera remains in prison with the trial ongoing.

Eric Nsenga, who works on human rights for ECC, a federation of Congolese protestant churches, said Bujakera's arrest "sends an image of intimidation".

- 'Fatigue' -

Bujakera's case attracted an outpouring of international criticism. But rights defenders say arrests of lesser-known figures have gone unnoticed.

Human Rights Watch said last week that opposition member Lens Omelonga had been freed after seven months in detention. He had shared a social-media post criticising the foundation of the president's wife Denise Tshisekedi.

Fred Bauma, the executive director of Kinshasa-based think-tank Ebuteli, said repression had long gone under the radar -- especially in the east, where he highlighted cases of protesters detained arbitrarily.

In 2021, Tshisekedi placed two eastern provinces under martial law in a bid to curb militia violence.

But the policy has mostly failed, and has been criticised for facilitating a crackdown on dissent.

The president promised to roll it back after an elite army unit, in late August, massacred over 50 members of a religious sect who were planning a protest in the eastern city of Goma.

The government condemned the massacre, and a military court handed down prison sentences to several officers involved.

But several rights defenders told AFP they were frustrated with the accumulation of such cases, and apparent government impunity.

"They've been able to trick a lot of the international community," said one, accusing the government of saying the right things on the diplomatic stage but rarely following up.

One UN official agreed that there was little international will to confront abuses, saying "There's fatigue when it comes to the DRC".

A government spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

eml/pvh/js/rox


'Foreigner' claims dog DR Congo presidential candidates

Emilie BERAUD
Fri, December 15, 2023 

Some opposition candidates in DR Congo's presidential election face claims online of being 'foreigners', a potentially powerful weapon in a country scarred by conflict with its neighbours and where dual nationality is banned (Alexis HUGUET)

"Fake Congolese" or "candidate of the aggressor country" -- some of the accusations being bandied around on social media in a bid to ruin reputations in the run-up to DR Congo's presidential vote.

Some opposition candidates face claims online of being "foreigners", a potentially powerful weapon in a country scarred by conflict with its neighbours and where dual nationality is banned.

Messages claim that "such and such a candidate is Zambian, such and such a candidate is Greek, such and such a candidate has married a woman of Rwandan origin," lamented Marien Nzikou-Massala, a journalist for the fact-checking website Congo Check.

"During the election period in Kinshasa, disinformation is stronger than information", he added.

It comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with a spike in violence in the east with a resurgence of the M23, an armed rebellion allegedly supported by neighbouring Rwanda.

Since the election campaign for the December 20 ballot got under way, online attacks have been aimed primarily at the most credible challengers to President Felix Tshisekedi, who is seeking a second term.

Hundreds of internet users have accused wealthy businessman Moise Katumbi and Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege -- both contenders for the top job -- of being foreigners "who have acquired Congolese nationality" and having Rwanda, Zambia, Burundi or Uganda as their "nation of origin".

- 'Candidate of the West' -

Citing video evidence, Facebook posts have claimed that Katumbi recently met Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

But the footage was filmed in 2018 at a forum organised by an African foundation.

Katumbi also stands accused, depending on what online messages you read, of being Italian, Greek or Zambian.

Such accusations are based in particular on his father's singular migratory history: a Sephardic Jew born in Rhodes, when the Greek island was under Italian rule, before fleeing and settling in southeastern DRC near the Zambian border.

Others claim that Mukwege -- often presented as the "candidate of the West" -- is "100-percent Burundian" and stole his Congolese nationality.

The 2018 Nobel prize laureate studied in Burundi and Europe.

Amplified on social networks, these kinds of unsubstantiated accusations are also made in the press or by other candidates during campaign rallies.

"In the eastern provinces, there is public hostility towards Rwanda and Burundi for their repeated involvement in the wars," said Ithiel Batumike, a researcher at Kinshasa-based political research centre Ebuteli.

"In North Kivu, for example, if you say that a candidate is in collusion with Rwanda, that can affect his popularity rating and cause him to lose a section of his electorate," he said.

- Campaigning 'rarely focuses' on politics -

Tensions have intensified recently, with the head of the UN mission in the vast central African country voicing concern on Monday about the escalating risk of "direct military confrontation" between DRC and Rwanda.

"The nationalities we stick on our opponents are those of the countries that are attacking us," said political scientist Jean-Luc Kong Mbambu.

"We know that this has always been a strategy used by politicians to weaken their rivals."

He added: "The Congolese electoral debate rarely focuses on the candidates' projects. It often focuses on their origins."

There is a reason for that -- sole Congolese nationality is enshrined in the constitution.

"It cannot be held concurrently with any other," Kong Mbambu said.

The rule dates to the 2003 "inter-Congolese dialogue", which "led to the reunification of the country after nearly a decade of war", according to researcher Batumike.

"It was decided not to enshrine dual nationality for fear of infiltration of the Congolese army by foreign countries," he said.

Holding dual nationality in DRC is therefore against the law.

Presidential candidate Noel Tshiani tried to invalidate Katumbi's candidacy, arguing he had Italian nationality, but the Constitutional Court rejected the request.

- 'Congolity' -

Tshiani has championed a "father and mother" concept, initiating a controversial bill on "Congolity" aimed at accepting into high office only Congolese born of two Congolese parents.

That requirement would rule out Katumbi in particular.

Rumours about the nationality and origins of candidates in the run-up to the election "are dangerous for national unity and undermine the cohesion of the country", warns Batumike.

"Most of the candidates who have been accused come from the east. There is an east-west divide," agreed Christian Cirhigiri, who has been scouring social networks on behalf of the Search for Common Ground NGO.

He fears an "identity divide" among the Congolese.

"These messages are dangerous: it's a separatist spirit that will take root in people and turn into xenophobia," warned political scientist, Kong Mbambu.

cb/cma/pvh/kjm

Crude ground robots emerge on the battlefields of Ukraine, experts say

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo
Fri, December 15, 2023 a



MILAN — As armed aerial drones and artillery threaten troop movements on the front lines in Ukraine, experts are beginning to see crude ground robots whizz over the battlefield to resupply soldiers.

The systems observed so far in shaky footage distributed on social media appear to be designed for logistics, obviating the need for soldiers to venture from their foxholes. A Kremlin-affiliated Telegram channel recently published a clip purporting to show a Russian unmanned ground vehicle, or UGV, delivering supplies to front-line troops while avoiding strikes by Ukrainian mini-drones and transporting a wounded soldier, though the evacuation is never clearly shown.

“Because of so many drones operating in the air, both surveillance and first-person-view ones, moving around has become very difficult for both sides,” Sam Bendett, research analyst at the U.S.-based Center for Naval Analyses think tank, told Defense News. “So regular tasks like logistics, supply and evacuation are in danger of getting discovered and attacked by drones.”

In response, Ukrainian and Russian forces are fielding “simple, DIY platforms” for such tasks, Bendett added.

Federico Borsari, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis think tank, said it appears Russia’s 87th Rifle Regiment recorded the video. That regiment currently operates in the industrial area south of Avdiivka, Ukraine.

“This UGV appears as a simple, almost artisanal system rather than an industrially produced one. The Telegram channel also shows pictures of suspensions, rubber tracks and engine components bought off the shelf and delivered directly to units in Ukraine,” he added.

Both experts agree that based on the looks of the platform, it may have been assembled by soldiers or volunteers on the front lines. Bendett noted that other similar DIY projects, both tracked and wheeled, are currently undergoing tests by Russian troops as logistics platforms.

While it’s unclear whether the makeshift robots could transport a wounded soldier, the analysts said that the one seen in the video could in theory do the job.

“The vehicle’s basic design seems to be approximately 1.5 meters in length and 1.20 meters in width, with two extensible plates on the front and rear of the middle section to carry a single soldier,” Borsari said.

Russia’s recent experiments with ground robots could signal a trend, he added. “The vast array of UGV prototypes that Russian companies are working on is a clear signal that Moscow considers this segment as an important one for its future military capabilities.”

Drones have taken over the war in Ukraine, sometimes fighting each other and running supplies like soldiers

Chris Panella
Sat, December 16, 2023

Both Russia and Ukraine are employing drones in new and destructive ways.

One video captures a Ukrainian drone attacking a Russian ground drone carrying ammo to a unit.

Another video shows Ukraine testing a small ground vehicle to assist in mine-clearing operations.

The drone war in Ukraine is heating up as both sides find innovative ways to use them to protect their troops and target their enemy's across the largely deadlocked battle lines.

It's a sign of just how effective drones have been for Ukraine and Russia and speaks to continued investment in making them more useful and fearsome on the battlefield.

This week, video shared by the Ukrainian Ground Forces showed a rather peculiar interaction between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) near Avdiivka.

Під Авдіївкою український FPV- дрон знищив наземний безпілотник Російської Федерації, який доставляв боєприпаси.

Про це повідомляють Сухопутних військ Збройних сил України.https://t.co/mp611QDjHQ pic.twitter.com/Sv8M7JLki6

— Громадське радіо (@HromadskeRadio) December 9, 2023

In the footage, a Russian UGV is seen driving on a snowy road. Ukraine said the drone was delivering ammunition to a nearby Russian unit, a tactic that spares troops in a vehicle from going on a dangerous resupply mission. Russian forces have been fighting in Avdiivka for months now, and are attempting a renewed offensive against Ukrainian defenses there.

But before the UGV can get ammo to Russian troops, a Ukrainian exploding drone flies out of nowhere, soaring down and slamming directly into it. The UGV promptly explodes.

Although there have been many other instances of drone-on-drone combat, this one highlights just how reliant Russian and Ukraine have become on unmanned vehicles, in this case using them as both a logistical tool and a piloted weapon.

Another recent video speaks to that development as well. On Friday, footage of a Ukrainian UGV participating in de-mining operations was shared online.

Interesting video of a Ukrainian small UGV platform for demining ops - it stretches out the UZP-77 hose-like, mine-clearing line charge assembly that explodes and detonates mines along its path. Obviously, this was not a live fire test - Ukrainians wanted to see if UZP can be… pic.twitter.com/0WIWuk2GJs

— Samuel Bendett (@sambendett) December 15, 2023

In the video, the drone drives forward in a field, pulling along a mine-clearing line charge that resembles a hose. The Russian-made device detonates the mines nearby and along its path, saving individual sappers from the dangerous and difficult job of clearing an initial mine-free path.

The footage shows that a UGV could potentially be used to pull these line charges and maneuver them into place, giving the drone another potential job for Ukraine.

Both cases — the drone combat in Avdiivka and the mine-clearance operation — are not necessarily all that new but instead indicate continued innovation and sophistication in the use of unmanned vehicles.

They also link with recent advanced and violent use of drones on the battlefield, where nothing and no one is safe from these weapons. Graphic videos shared online have documented some attacks over the past few months were drones flew inside open hatches of tanks or followed Russian soldiers back to bunkers.

As one Ukrainian soldier said in a recent video, "This is the future of warfare: shooting drones at each other rather than bullets or shells."

Orphaned mountain lion cubs rescued with help of mom’s GPS collar, California zoo says

Paloma Chavez
Thu, December 14, 2023 

Three orphaned mountain lions were rescued with the help of their mom’s GPS collar, a California zoo said.

The 6-week-old cubs’ mother had died, and they wouldn’t have survived longer than a week “on their own,” according to a Dec. 13 news release from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

After getting data from the mom’s collar, a search team looked in the area, officials said.

One of the team members found a cub hiding in a hole, another was “wedged tightly between two rocks,” and the third was found in a shrub, wildlife officials said.

After looking through footage of the “remote trail,” no other cubs were found, officials said.

The cubs were treated for dehydration, but because of their age they cannot be reentered into the wild, zoo officials said.

The cubs will stay at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park where they’ll be offered a “second chance and lifelong care,” the zoo said.

“Mountain lions are a keystone species right here in our own backyard,” Lisa Peterson, executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, said in the release. “It’s been a privilege to nurse these youngsters back to full health, and we now have the honor of caring for them long term. While our research teams and our conservation partners continue their mountain lion work in the field, the Safari Park will be a refuge for these three cubs offering them native landscapes and new opportunities to thrive, while sharing the importance of coexistence among wildlife with our guests.”

Officials didn’t say how the mom died.

Mountain lions in the area face population risk and “low annual survival rates” due to their “proximity to people,” the zoo said on Facebook.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the University of California, Davis, Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were involved in the rescue.

San Diego is about 120 miles southeast of Los Angeles.