In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, severe flooding has killed at least 33 people in the capital Kinshasa and destroyed homes and roads. This comes as the east of the country is suffering worsening security and humanitarian crises as M23 fighters have advanced in North and South Kivu provinces. Some 7,000 people have been killed and millions have been forced to flee their homes in recent months.
A Trump administration official said last week the U.S. and the DRC are nearing a deal that would allow U.S. companies to exploit Congo’s reserves of valuable minerals, including cobalt and lithium, in exchange for providing security.