Friends of the Congo

Friends of the Congo Join the movement at freecongo.org Help us bring an end to the conflict. Contribute to fulfilling the enormous human and natural potential of the Congo.

Friends of the Congo (FOTC) is a Pan African solidarity organization raising global consciousness about the challenges of the Congo while providing support to frontline organizations throughout the country. Join the global movement:

Visit www.freecongo.org to take action

08/29/2026

President Félix Tshisekedi has officially launched a national dialogue for peace, cohesion, and the refoundation of the Congolese state. But one major question remains: Can Congo end the occupation while excluding the AFC/M23 from its national political dialogue?

In this special episode of Congo Unfiltered, Gaëtan-Dauphin Nzowo moderates a debate between two competing perspectives.

Gédéon Baleke, a Congolese trained diplomat, business consultant, and youth advocate, defends a position broadly supportive of President Tshisekedi’s approach.

Ben Munkana, a geology graduate, graduate student at the Colorado School of Mines, and former member Congolese opposition leader Moise Katumbi, challenges that approach and argues for a different strategy.

The debate goes beyond whether one supports or opposes President Tshisekedi. It examines the difficult strategic questions facing the DRC:

• If the AFC/M23 is excluded from the national dialogue, what is the strategy for ending the occupation?
• What happens if the Doha process fails?
• Should an armed movement ever receive political concessions after taking territory by force?
• Can the AFC/M23 question be separated from Rwanda’s role in the conflict?
• What leverage does Kinshasa actually have?
• And after decades of peace agreements, what mechanism can finally ensure implementation?

The central question is simple:

How does Congo actually get its territory back?

Two perspectives. One objective: restoring Congolese sovereignty.

Congo Unfiltered — Beyond the headlines.

08/27/2026

Nearly two years later, this video is worth revisiting.

At the time, Gaëtan-Dauphin Nzowo raised a fundamental question about the Lobito Corridor: Will it contribute to Congo’s industrialization and development, or simply make the extraction and export of its minerals more efficient?

This week, President Félix Tshisekedi has announced a 30-year concession for the Dilolo–Sakania railway, running through Congo’s copper and cobalt heartland.

Under the announced terms, the Congolese state will receive a 7.5% royalty on annual gross revenue and hold at least a 10% stake in the project company.

But here is an important comparison: Angola publicly disclosed that its own 30-year Lobito railway concession is expected to generate roughly $2 billion in concession rents, in addition to a $100 million signing premium.

So what is the projected value of the DRC’s agreement over 30 years?

What will the 7.5% generate? What returns are expected from the state’s equity? What fiscal incentives were granted? And ultimately, how much value will remain in Congo?

If Angola can publicly disclose what its people should expect from its concession, why shouldn’t the Congolese people be told what theirs is expected to generate?

Nearly two years later, our question remains:

Will Lobito become a corridor for Congo’s industrialization—or simply a more efficient corridor for extraction?

Transparency is not optional when negotiating the future of Congo’s strategic infrastructure and natural wealth.

08/25/2026

The U.S. is reportedly moving to revoke B-1/B-2 visas from people who entered as temporary visitors and later sought asylum.

Preventing visa fraud is legitimate. But seeking asylum after entering the country is not, by itself, evidence of fraud.

As immigration enforcement tightens, we should also remember: migration does not happen in a vacuum. Wars, persecution, instability, and displacement continue to force people from their homes.

Immigration policy cannot be separated from the conditions that make people flee in the first place.

08/24/2026

Frontline healthcare responders like Dr. Ishara face some of the greatest risks in combating the Ebola virus.

Journalist Akilimali ChomaChoma brings us compelling stories of the challenges and successes that courageous frontline healthcare responders experience in the midst of the Ebola outbreak.

Subscribe to our Substack at congofriends.substack.com for more cutting edge reporting from the frontlines by Akilimali and other Congolese journalist.

08/20/2026

The Basandja Coalition maintains that:

The first hospital is the community
The first vaccine against fear is trust
The first line of defense is solidarity
The first act of healing is care.

Basandja is working with dozens of organizations like Africa Initiative Program (AIP) across Ituri and the other provinces stricken by the Ebola virus to combat the outbreak of the virus.

Your financial support has been crucial in getting funds directly to frontline organizers and responders to deliver hand washing stations, masks, gloves, PPE kits, raise awareness, and educate local communities about best practices for preventing the spread of the Ebola virus.

Your donations are saving lives. See link in bio to donate to the Ebola Relief!

08/15/2026

In this episode of Congo Unfiltered, Gaëtan Nzowo is joined by Maurice Carney, Executive Director of Friends of the Congo, for a wide-ranging conversation about the major challenges confronting the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This is our first episode since the August 2 GENOCOST commemoration—and the central question is simple:

What kind of State is the Democratic Republic of the Congo becoming?

We examine:

1) DRC v. Rwanda at the International Court of Justice — What can the ICJ actually accomplish, and how does State responsibility differ from individual criminal accountability?

2) AFC/M23 peace negotiations — As the DRC releases 15 detainees as part of confidence-building measures, are we moving toward sustainable peace or repeating a decades-long cycle of agreements, concessions and renewed conflict?

3) Constitutional reform and political power — What does the growing debate over constitutional change mean for Congolese democracy and the future of the country's institutions?

4) Ebola and public health — What do recurring health emergencies reveal about governance, conflict and the capacity of the Congolese State to protect its people?

From international justice to peace negotiations, democracy and public health, these crises may appear separate—but they ultimately converge around questions of sovereignty, accountability, institutions and Congolese agency.

Memory without action becomes ritual. The purpose of memory must be transformation.

Congo Unfiltered — Beyond the Headlines

08/11/2026

In Walikale, war destroys schools while minerals keep flowing.

According to Congolese journalist Stanis Bujakera, 1,500+ children risk missing school. Meanwhile, Bisie produced a record 18,576 tonnes of tin in 2025 and is targeting 20,000 tonnes in 2026.

Same territory. Two realities.

🎥 Video credit: BBC Africa Eye — Blood in the Earth: Life and Death in Congo’s Coltan Mines

🎥 Video credit: BBC Africa Eye — Blood in the Earth: Life and Death in Congo’s Coltan Mines

07/20/2026

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, la famille ! 🔥

Si vous êtes dans le coin, ne manquez pas ce rendez-vous exceptionnel ! 🎬✨

Yole!Africa est fier d’annoncer que son fondateur, Petna Ndaliko Katondolo , sera le conférencier principal (Keynote Speaker) lors des rencontres de l'International Documentary Association (IDA).🎙️

🌍 Au programme : Un voyage unique à travers une pratique cinématographique de souveraineté narrative, profondément enracinée dans l’écologie ancestrale et le Soul-full Soil Cinema. Là où le cinéma devient un espace d’écoute, de relation et de régénération.

Rejoignez-nous pour une conversation inspirante sur le pouvoir du cinéma, de la terre et des savoirs ancestraux pour imaginer des futurs plus vivants. 🌱✊🏾

Venez nombreux, on a hâte de vous y retrouver ! 🙌🏾
-----------------------------------------------------
🇺🇸 Los Angeles, everyone! 🔥

If you’re in the area, don’t miss this exceptional event! 🎬✨

Yole!Africa is proud to announce that its founder, Petna Ndaliko Katondolo , will be the keynote speaker at the International Documentary Association (IDA) conference. 🎙️

🌍 On the agenda: A unique journey through a filmmaking practice centered on narrative sovereignty, deeply rooted in ancestral ecology and Soul-full Soil Cinema where cinema becomes a space for listening, connection, and regeneration.

Join us for an inspiring conversation about the power of cinema, the earth, and ancestral knowledge to imagine more vibrant futures. 🌱✊🏾

We hope to see many of you there we can’t wait to meet you! 🙌🏾

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