TAN – The Afro News

Congolese music

By Patrick Musira in Harare : IT may be the food of life that makes the world go round and is easily one of that country’s most well known and popular exports across the length and breadth of the African continent and the four corners of the world, but the Democratic Republic Congo’s ambassador in Harare has called on his fellow nationals to “slow down the pace on the song and dance!” Read the full story

Danny Kassap

Danny Kassap was born and grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  His family included seven brothers and sisters.  He participated as a member of his country’s National Team in the 2001 Francophone Games held in Ottawa and sought refugee status in Canada on the basis of political persecution.  Read the full story

Gouverneure Générale du Canada Madame Michaëlle Jean

Par Billy Mangole The Afro News Kinshasa

C’est une première dans les relations diplomatiques canado-congolaises qu’un Gouverneur Général du Canada effectue une visite d’Etat en République Démocratique du Congo.

Read the full story

Senator Mobina Jaffer with Canadian Congolese Women on Parliament Hill

By Evelyne Mudahemuka The Afro News Montreal

On last june 11,2009, one hundred Canadians from the Congolese communities of Montreal, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and Gatineau arrived on Parliament Hill to raise awareness of the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They came to ask our government assume a leadership role in the peace-keeping effort, and to help end the conflict in the Congo. Since 1998, a staggering six million people, mostly civilians have been killed, more than any other conflict since WWII. The war in the DRC has been called a <war against women>. Tens of thousands of women have been victims of rape as a weapon of war on a scale the world has never seen before. Canada is a country that has a great deal of mining interests in Congo. We extract resources such as Calton, used to make cell phones and blackberries. These one hundred Canadians came to Parliament Hill in order to remind the Canadian government that our convenience and easy access to communication and information is only made possible as a result of the death and suffering taking place in the Congo. As a country that extracts resources, Canada has a social responsibility to give something back. We must help bring stability to the Congo.

Canada needs to reconsider the United Nation’s request to take on a strong peacekeeping role in the Congo. It is disheartening that Canada appears to be turning its back on this role world wide. Our country is no longer a leader amongst countries for its peacekeeping efforts, which has been a source of identity and pride for so many of us. During the event, Senator Mobina Jaffer organized, she said: “We all have a voice, and I am hopeful that you will add yours by contacting your Member of Parliament, members of the Cabinet, and the Prime Minister.

For the sake of every woman and child suffering in the Congo, we desperately need to press the Canadian government to make this issue a foreign assistance priority”.