Gutting USAID is already having a devastating impact around the world. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, teams that would normally be racing to identify a fatal sickness are gone.

Over the last 10 days, Kinshasa has won some battles; the US imposed sanctions on a Rwandan State minister James Kabarebe and M23 political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka.

The latest conflict in eastern Congo has exposed endemic weaknesses in the country’s military, long known for corruption, extortion and abuse.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, the world's top producer of cobalt, said on Monday it has temporarily halted the metal's exports amid a production glut.

As Rwanda-backed rebels strolled through the streets of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's second-largest city, President Felix Tshisekedi's office claimed it was actually still controlled by his army and "valiant" allied forces.

The first cases occurred after children ate bats. Now hundreds of people in two villages are sick and more than 50 are dead.

Chris Longbottom, CEO of MOPO, said: “The DRC is a key growth market for MOPO, so launching operations in its largest city, Kinshasa, is a major milestone.

Analysis - The current conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) resemble the situation during the Second Congo War between 1998 and 2003. This resulted in millions of deaths, with neighbouring countries - especially Rwanda,

The Ugandan army confirmed Sunday it has sent troops to another town in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo to fight local armed groups, amid fears a raging conflict could spiral into a wider war.

DRC hopes opening its vast mine fields to the Western world will pave way to long lasting peace while stemming support to militias.

As vast swaths of Congolese territory are seized by a Rwandan-backed armed group, Congo’s president looks to make a minerals deal with the United States.

Rwanda-backed rebels captured a key eastern Congo city a month ago Friday. Residents in Goma say they are struggling on various fronts even as the rebels try to consolidate their administration and restart normal life.