Before M23 entered Kavumu, a significant number of soldiers from the DRC’s coalition forces were seen fleeing the town, heading towards Bukavu, which is approximately 25 kilometres from Kavumu.
A resident in the town was heard saying, “They have fled. M23 has now reached Kavumu. M23 is chasing them. The soldiers are running fast.”
Kavumu is a strategic location in South Kivu, as it hosts an airport that was used by the DRC’s coalition forces to launch attacks on M23 positions.
This airport was also previously utilised by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in South Kivu before its withdrawal in early 2024.
M23’s political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, confirmed the capture of Kavumu and its airport, stating that the move was aimed at neutralising threats from the area.
“As we have repeatedly emphasized, we have eliminated the threat at its source. Kavumu Airport posed a danger to the civilian population in the liberated areas and to our positions. Now, Kavumu and its surroundings, including the airport, are under the control of the AFC/M23,” said Kanyuka.
This capture comes after M23 fighters seized the Kabamba and Katana trading centres in Kabare territory during the night of 13 to 14 February 2025.
The DRC government’s coalition forces now fear that M23 may soon advance on Bukavu, the de facto capital of South Kivu.
Some soldiers have begun fleeing to other provinces, such as Tanganyika. Meanwhile, the DRC military continues its efforts to regroup and redeploy its forces for a counteroffensive.
This year’s summit is being held under the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” with discussions focused on reparatory justice and racial healing.
The high-level gathering will deliberate on key political and socio-economic issues, aiming to advance the welfare and quality of life for African citizens.
As the AU Champion on Domestic Health Financing, President Kagame will on Friday afternoon chair a High-Level Meeting on Domestic Health Financing.
The session, convened in collaboration with the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, and AUDA-NEPAD, will explore innovative strategies to address financing gaps in Africa’s health systems. The discussions will particularly focus on the role of the private sector and philanthropic organizations in strengthening domestic health investments.
A crucial agenda item at this year’s summit is the election of the next Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). The election will determine the leader responsible for driving the AU’s strategic vision and implementation of continental policies over the next four years.
Three candidates are seeking to succeed outgoing AUC chair Moussa Faki Mahamat. The candidates include former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato.
Additionally, the summit will see the handover of the AU Presidency from President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania to President João Lourenço of Angola, marking a transition in the continental body’s leadership.
Beyond leadership changes, the Assembly will discuss and make key decisions on pressing challenges facing Africa, including conflict resolution, economic development, and regional integration. With Africa’s geopolitical landscape evolving, leaders are expected to propose solutions that will enhance unity, stability, and prosperity across the continent.
Trainees include those from Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). The course was conducted in partnership with Carabinieri, the Italian Police.
The five-week course covered safety procedures and equipment, hazard awareness and safety, safe riding techniques, emergency braking techniques, motorcycle riding and patrol techniques as well as patrol tactics and motorcycle accident handling.
Ujeneze appreciated the excellent cooperation between Rwanda National Police and Carabinieri through which various courses have been conducted both in Rwanda and Italy.
“Rwanda National Police prioritizes capacity building to accomplish its mission and build a professional and capable force. To achieve this, it requires us to conduct career, professional and specialized courses like this,” Ujeneze said.
She added that Rwanda’s economic growth and its openness to foreign investors, VIPs and dignitaries expanded the RNP tasks from the maintenance of road safety to escort duties, which are vital in modern policing.
“Motorcycles play a key role in ensuring road safety and intervening against security threats due to speed, the ability to maneuver during traffic jam situations; which provide an upper hand to the police in emergency situations,” she said.
She observed that with the increase in road safety demands, and acquisition of new motorcycles, resulted in skills gaps and created need to increase the number of officers, who are able to competently operate motorcycles.
“The knowledge and skills you acquired will only serve the purpose if they are effectively used. I, therefore, urge you to practice what you have learned and maintain discipline on and off duty,” she emphasized.
Training facilitators also included five RNP understudy trainers. The commandant of PTS, Commissioner of Police (CP) Robert Niyonshuti, said that RNP will now start conducting similar courses on its own.
Several sources have confirmed that the deceased passed away in an incident that caught the attention of Ugandans who took to their different social media platforms to send their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
The Uganda Police Force while confirming his death took to their X to issue a statement. Ugandans thanked the deceased for his contribution to the society while he alive.
“The Uganda Police Force is mourning the death of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Okoth Ogola, who served from 1981 to 1985. He passed away today, February 14, 2025, at Nakasero Hospital,” police said.
The current IGP Abas Byakagaba has extended condolences to the family and ensured that the late IGP is honored in a manner fitting his legacy.
The police will provide updates on funeral arrangements. Okoth Ogola’s leadership and contributions to the Uganda Police Force will be remembered and cherished. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Judge Amir Ali of the U.S. District Court in Washington issued the ruling on Thursday in response to a lawsuit brought by two health organizations that receive U.S. funding for global programs.
The order applies to existing contracts before Trump’s January 20 executive order, which halted nearly all foreign aid spending as part of a broader effort to reassess U.S. funding priorities.
In his decision, Judge Ali criticized the administration’s blanket suspension of congressionally appropriated aid, stating that officials failed to justify why an across-the-board freeze was necessary for reviewing individual programs.
The ruling temporarily unblocks funding that had been stalled, restoring critical assistance to humanitarian and development projects worldwide.
The freeze had triggered widespread disruptions, forcing USAID and State Department contractors to halt humanitarian aid, lay off staff, and suspend services in vulnerable regions.
The administration had argued the suspension was needed to conduct a thorough review of aid programs and eliminate wasteful spending. However, the court found no evidence that such a broad suspension was a rational or necessary step in that review.
Separately, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled on Thursday that a previous order preventing the Trump administration from pulling thousands of USAID staffers from their posts worldwide would remain in place for at least another week.
Nichols’ ruling follows reports that the funding freeze and USAID staff reductions left employees stranded, particularly in high-risk areas like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where political unrest recently escalated.
Judge Nichols, a Trump appointee, closely questioned administration lawyers about their plans to ensure the safety of displaced USAID employees. When pressed, a Justice Department attorney was unable to provide a clear strategy, prompting Nichols to request further documentation.
The administration’s actions have faced significant opposition from federal employee unions, Democratic lawmakers, and humanitarian organizations, all of whom argue that Trump lacks the unilateral authority to freeze foreign aid or dismantle USAID operations without congressional approval.
The Department of Government Efficiency, a new agency led by Elon Musk and tasked with reducing federal spending, has been central to the recent cost-cutting efforts, though critics claim its real aim is to undermine USAID’s mission.
Judge Ali’s ruling represents a legal setback for the administration, which had insisted that Trump’s executive authority over foreign affairs allowed him to halt aid disbursements.
Ali found that the freeze was likely causing irreparable harm to aid organizations, citing reports of mass layoffs, shuttered refugee protection programs, and disrupted global supply chains.
Despite the ruling, the court did not fully block Trump’s executive order. While aid funding will resume, the administration is still permitted to conduct its internal review of foreign aid programs. The White House must now submit a status report by Tuesday outlining compliance with the court’s order.
The legal battle over USAID and foreign assistance is expected to continue as aid groups and federal employee unions push for further protections against what they view as an overreach by the administration.
Speaking at the 46th Ordinary Session of the African Union’s Executive Council in Addis Ababa, Gatete emphasized that the current global governance structures have hindered Africa’s economic progress.
He urged for a reformed financial system where Africa has a stronger voice in shaping policies that impact its development.
Gatete also criticized Africa’s credit ratings, which are largely determined by external agencies that often apply unfair assessments.
With only Botswana and Mauritius holding investment-grade ratings, he advocated for the establishment of an African-led credit rating agency to provide more accurate and fair evaluations of the continent’s economies.
Highlighting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a transformative opportunity, Gatete stressed the need for investment in infrastructure and manufacturing to reduce Africa’s reliance on external markets.
He also called for the development of regional value chains to ensure that African resources are processed locally, creating jobs and driving industrialization.
“I have decided for purposes of fairness, that I will charge a reciprocal tariff – meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them no more, no less. In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff. Very simple,” Trump said at the White House.
According to the memorandum, “it is the policy of the United States to reduce our large and persistent annual trade deficit in goods and to address other unfair and unbalanced aspects of our trade with foreign trading partners.”
Under the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan,” the administration will work “strenuously” to counter non-reciprocal trading arrangements with trading partners by determining the equivalent of a reciprocal tariff with respect to each foreign trading partner. “This approach will be of comprehensive scope, examining non-reciprocal trade relationships with all United States trading partners,” it said.
Under World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, “reciprocity” meant overall balance, in terms of concessions given and concessions received, between each country on the one hand and all its trading partners on the other hand, but Trump has redefined the meaning of “reciprocity” to apply on a line item basis, country by country, rather than overall balance, Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Xinhua.
“With reciprocity, as defined by Trump, U.S. tariffs would probably on average 10 to 15 percentage points higher. In my opinion, tariffs actually hurt the U.S. economy, so while they would raise revenue … they would reduce GDP growth,” Hufbauer said.
Observers believe that this logic undermines the traditional principle of overall balance under the WTO framework, potentially leading to trade frictions and negotiation deadlocks, and prompting other countries to take countermeasures in response to U.S. tariff increases.
The closing of the ITC 10th intake and MOI intake eight, on Thursday, February 13, was presided over by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in Charge of Administration and Personnel, DCG Jeanne Chantal Ujeneze.
The three-month courses were also attended by those from private security companies in Rwanda.
The two instructional programmes train officers on how to design courses, job analysis for training, general instructional methods, psychology of learning, effective communication, and general instructional techniques.
They also develop officers’ understanding and skills in human relations, development of instructional aids, research methodology and micro teaching practices, among others.
DIGP Ujeneze congratulated the trainees for their commitment and successful completion of the courses.
“The role of trainers is not only limited to imparting knowledge and skills to trainees; trainers are custodians of force doctrine and play key roles in shaping professionalism among the force,” DIGP Ujeneze said.
She urged them to be “proud of it and strive to be good trainers.” The RNP, she said, will continue to deepen cross-border cooperation in matters of policing and security.
The Deputy Police Chief pointed out that building a professional Police force can be achieved if there are enough competent trainers and that the two courses are designed to answer these institutional needs.
According to the statement, Foreign Minister Ali Yousif Ahmed sent a letter to the foreign ministers of AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) member states ahead of their scheduled meeting in Addis Ababa on Friday, in which he urged the council to reconsider its stance on Sudan and allow the country to reclaim its position within the AU.
Sudan’s membership was suspended on October 27, 2021, following a state of emergency declared by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council and commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, which led to the dissolution of the ruling council.
The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the country’s military police, quickly detained the suspect.
While national broadcaster NOS reported that the individual is a 30-year-old man found in possession of a knife, Police have not officially confirmed these details, citing an ongoing investigation.
As a precaution, access to the main chamber and surrounding areas was restricted. The lockdown caused a brief interruption to parliamentary proceedings, but the debate resumed shortly after the suspect was taken into custody.
