DR Congo, South Africa, Senegal.

Today's three stories you should know.

Dec 01, 2022

DR Congo

At least 50 civilians have been killed in a massacre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the country’s army. The military pointed the finger at the M23 rebel group and its allies, which government forces have been battling in east DRC for several months. The UN, a US government official and the Human Rights Watch rights group all said they also had information that a massacre had taken place. When contacted by the Reuters news agency, the M23 said it would respond to the accusations in a statement later. The rebels and the government agreed a ceasefire five days ago but it appears fighting has erupted again. DRC has accused neighboring Rwanda of funding and training the rebels - something Kigali has consistently denied.

South Africa

Pressure is piling on South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa after a parliamentary panel found he may have broken anti-corruption laws in connection with the theft of a large amount of money from his farm. The accusation is that Ramaphosa covered up the theft of $580,000 that was … ummm … stuffed in several sofas on the property. Ramaphosa denies any wrongdoing and says the money was the proceeds of the sale of buffaloes to a Sudanese businessman. However, reports say the buffalo were still on the farm two years later. MPs are due to debate the findings of the report this week.

Senegal

A chaotic brawl erupted in the Senegalese parliament today after a male politician slapped a female MP in the face. During a contentious budget presentation, footage showed opposition MP Massata Samb walking over to Amy Ndiaye Gniby of the ruling Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition before swinging a forceful slap at her head. As scuffles erupted, Gniby picked up a chair and threw it at Samb before she was tackled to the ground by another MP. Clips of the incident have been shared widely on social media in Senegal, prompting debate on violence against women in the country.