Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed a joint statement Friday pledging to respect each other’s sovereignty and draft a peace agreement by May 2 to end hostilities in conflict-torn eastern Congo, according to a media note released by the US Department of State.
DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe signed the US-brokered agreement in Washington, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in attendance.
The joint declaration commits both nations to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, refrain from supporting non-state armed groups, avoid interfering in each other’s internal affairs, address security concerns through peaceful means, and establish a joint security mechanism to combat organized crime.
The statement also outlined plans for cooperation with the US on strategic projects, including the development of mineral value chains and hydropower.
"Today marks not an end but a beginning, a necessary step towards peace taken with resolve and purpose," Wagner told a news conference after the signing.
Nduhungirehe said the declaration “opens the door to a definitive peace agreement, giving fresh impetus" to efforts toward lasting stability.
Eastern Congo has been gripped by a security and humanitarian crisis since January, after the M23 rebel group launched a new offensive, capturing large swaths of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
The DRC, along with the US and European Union, accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels -- an allegation Kigali strongly denies.
Separately, on Wednesday, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23), a broader rebel coalition including M23 fighters, agreed to pursue a truce with the DRC government during Qatar-brokered talks in Doha. By Ahmet Emin Donmez and Asiye Latife Yilmaz, Anadolu Agency
The youth are no longer content with status or swayed by staged appearances. They are informed. They are watching. And they are asking.[File, Standard]
If Kenya is to grow in justice and truth, its citizens must perfect the art of asking questions. Not just loud ones. Not just clever ones. But quality questions — the kind that stir the soul, stretch the mind, and shift the direction of conversations, policies and consciences.
Questions are not chaos. They are conscience. They are not rebellion. They are responsibility. In the arsenal of non-violent resistance, few tools are as potent as the well-asked question.
A good question delays injustice, interrupts corruption and denies oppression the comfort of fluency. It forces systems to pause — to explain, to account, or at least to lie better. A single, piercing question can wear out a corrupt regime, especially one addicted to underhand deals and shallow slogans.
That is why questioning must become second nature to the Kenyan citizen. We must ask — and ask well. Because silence is not peace. And passivity is not patriotism.
Yet our political culture resists this. Leaders prefer monologues — speeches where they shine and no one speaks back. They brand questioners as naysayers or enemies of development. But the truth is: a questioning public is not a threat to democracy — it is its lifeblood.
This generation, especially the youth, is no longer content with status or swayed by staged appearances. They are informed. They are watching. And they are asking. And if you run from their questions, they will assume — rightly — that you’re running from the truth.
But this civic virtue must be taught early — in our homes, our churches, our classrooms. In many African cultures, questioning elders was mistaken for disrespect. Children were raised to keep quiet and told that silence was honour.
We are now witnessing a generational shift: the young are unlearning fear, while the old struggle to accept that being questioned is not mutiny — it’s maturity.
Curiosity is no nuisance. It is a virtue. In a world overflowing with information, the true leaders will not be those who say the most, but those who ask — and can answer — the best questions.
Even God asked questions. “Where are you?” “Whom shall I send?” “Who touched me?” These were not for information — they were invitations to reflection and transformation.
That God asks questions gives questions a sense of the sacred. The very first question in the Bible — “Where are you?” — asked by God to Adam in the Garden of Eden, was not about information. God, all-knowing, knew exactly where Adam was. But that question was an invitation to reflection, repentance, and restoration. It was a call to face the truth of their actions and their distance from the Creator. God’s first question is a question of relationship, of accountability, and of coming back into the light.
God received questions too — raw and defiant ones. That God takes questions cancels the popular spiritual cliché that “you cannot ask God questions.” On the contrary — the Bible is full of faithful people who did just that. Moses questioned God’s justice. Habakkuk questioned His methods. Job questioned His fairness. And God didn’t curse them for asking — He engaged them instead. This means questioning is not a sin. It is often the path to holiness. David questioned God’s silence. In the Psalms, one question recurs like a drumbeat in the dark: “How long, O Lord?” This question — at once desperate and devout — is the cry of those who trust God’s justice but cannot see it; who believe in righteousness, but feel surrounded by its absence.
And this is the question that many Kenyans ask today. How long will injustice thrive? How long will leaders lie, steal, and then ask for our silence? How long will the cries of the hungry be met with jokes at rallies? How long will the state punish the brave and reward the corrupt? It is a biblical protest. It is a holy lament. It is what faithful citizens ask when governance fails and conscience awakens.
This question is not just for God — it is also for our political leaders. How long will you pretend all is well when the people suffer? How long will you mock the questions of the youth instead of answering them?
In Scripture, God does not rebuke those who ask “How long?” Instead, He often responds with comfort, with justice — sometimes with judgment.
Kenyans must therefore perfect the craft of asking questions. Not only as a democratic right, but as a spiritual discipline — a way of seeking truth, resisting evil, and holding both heaven and earth to account. The asking of such questions is not weakness — it is strength. It is faith in motion. It is love refusing to accept that corruption must win.
So ask, Kenyans. Keep asking. And to those in power: listen! Behind the question “How long?” is a people awakening to its voice — and one day, to its power.
Jesus welcomed questions. He never shut down sincere seekers or silenced confused disciples. He even took questions from those who came to test him. When a lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?” — even though it began as a test — Jesus responded with a story so profound that it gave us the greatest ethic of love: the parable of the Good Samaritan. A moment that began with legal manouvering ended up defining what it means to love. That’s the difference between surface talk and soul talk. Between drama and depth. Life’s deepest answers are reserved for those who ask with depth, not drama; with hunger, not hype.
The openness of Jesus shows us something essential: clarification is not weakness — it is wisdom. To question is to resist blindness. To anticipate questions is to live accountably.
That’s true in faith. But it’s just as true in politics. In a system where leaders dread questions, democracy is already in danger. A government that fears being questioned is not safeguarding order — it’s suffocating truth. A home that forbids questions becomes a prison.
To question is to grow. To invite questions is to lead with integrity. To respond to questions with grace is to build trust.
And so, Kenya must raise a questioning citizenry — one not silenced by power or shamed by tradition. A people who ask soul-deep questions that stir repentance, expose injustice, and call forth righteousness. Like Nathan before King David: “Why have you despised the word of the Lord?” That question resurrected a dead conscience — and turned a wayward king toward God.
In these times of deep national need, we don’t just need more information. We need better questions. And we need the courage to keep asking — until the answers come. By Edward Buri, The Standard
Uganda on Saturday declared an end to the country's latest Ebola outbreak, three months after cases were confirmed in the country.
Emmanuel Ainebyona told Anadolu that it has been 42 days without a new case since the last confirmed patient was discharged.
The East African nation announced on Jan. 30 the latest outbreak, the Sudan strain of the virus which has no approved vaccine.
According to the Health Ministry, since the outbreak was declared, 12 confirmed cases of Ebola have been recorded, of which 10 patients recovered, while two died. Two other cases that were not confirmed after laboratory tests.
Cases were recorded in seven districts and three cities, according to Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus applauded the Ugandan Health Ministry for its “leadership and commitment” in overcoming the outbreak. “Congratulations to the government and health workers of Uganda on ending the Ebola outbreak,” he said on X.
“Uganda’s leadership and resilience were crucial in containing this outbreak,” said Kasonde Mwinga, the WHO representative in Uganda. “From day one, WHO worked hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health, deploying expertise, providing essential supplies, and ensuring every suspected case was investigated. The people of Uganda have shown extraordinary resolve.” By Hamza Kyeyune, Anadolu Agency
Faith Kipyegon wins the Diamond League in Xiamen. She clocked 2:29.21, April 26, 2025. Abie Wafula
1500m World record holder Faith Kipyegon has held the Kenyan flag high yet again after delivering a stunning performance at the Xiamen Diamond League, setting a new meeting record of 2:29.21 in the 1000m race.
With the stunning performance, Kipyegon not only secured a win but also placed herself at the top of global rankings for the event this season.
Kipyegon towered the race from the start, showcasing speed and endurance as is the norm in most, if not all, of her races.
Throughout the race, she maintained a strong pace, distancing herself from her competitors and crossing the finish line with a time that carved her name into the history of the Xiamen meet.
World Athletics
Her winning time of 2:29.21 smashed the previous meeting record and came close to the world record, set by Svetlana Masterkova (2:28.98) in 1996.
''Close call, Faith Kipyegon just misses out on the 1000m world record with 2:29.21 in Xiamen,'' World Athletics reported.
Although Kipyegon fell just short of breaking the record, her performance cements her position as one of the greatest middle-distance runners.
The newly found victory continues Kipyegon's unmatched prowess in the track field, adding to her long list of achievements, which includes multiple Olympic and world titles.
The win also signals a strong start to the 2025 season, raising anticipation for upcoming races.
Chebet won the race after a classic world-leading 14:27.12 for the win in the Xiamen Diamond League. Another athlete who made history was Agnes Ngetich, who became the first athlete to break 30 minutes in a women-only 10km race on Saturday, clocking 29:27 at the Adizero Road To Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
“I’m so excited, I didn’t expect this. Last year, I missed it by two seconds, so I came back today to attempt again. I’m proud of myself,'' an excited Ngetich said. By Christine Opanda, Kenyans.co.ke
Pope Francis was laid to rest in Rome after a historic funeral that brought together politicians, royalty, and 400,000 mourners.
The Vatican confirmed that Francis has been buried in a niche between the Sforza and Pauline Chapels at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, making him the first pope in more than a century to be laid to rest outside the Vatican walls.
After a solemn yet beautiful Mass, Francis’ mortal remains were carried across the Eternal City to his final resting place. Around 150,000 people lined the streets to bid farewell to the pontiff, who had made a poignant final appearance just a day before his death, waving to the faithful from his popemobile in St. Peter’s Square.
The funeral procession wound through Rome’s ancient heart — past the monument to fallen soldiers in Piazza Venezia, a tribute to a pope who tirelessly championed peace; past the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, where only a week earlier his Via Crucis meditations had condemned the “economy of indifference” and called for an “economy of peace.”
Pope Francis was laid to rest in Rome on April 26, 2025 after a historic funeral that brought together politicians, royalty, and 400,000 mourners.
Finally, the cortege reached the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where his coffin was raised toward the crowd for a final public goodbye before being carried inside.
Inside the basilica, the coffin was briefly paused before the revered icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, to whom Francis had a deep devotion. The Rite of Burial, presided over by the Cardinal Camerlengo according to the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, began at 1:00 pm and concluded by 1:30 pm, attended by family members and close associates of the late Pope.
Earlier, according to Italy’s interior ministry, some 400,000 mourners had filled St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding streets to honour Francis. Applause rang out as his coffin, inlaid with a cross, was carried by 14 white-gloved pallbearers into the sunlit square for the funeral Mass, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
Leaders and dignitaries from over 150 countries attended, including U.S. President Donald Trump — whose relations with Francis had often been tense — and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who received a warm ovation from the crowd. Also present were members of Europe’s royal families and the presidents of Argentina, France, Germany, Poland, Gabon, and the Philippines.
In the three days leading up to the funeral, approximately 250,000 people filed past Pope Francis’ body, laid out before the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, paying their respects to a pope remembered for his humility, compassion, and advocacy for the poor, migrants, and environmental stewardship.
Francis, the first non-European pontiff in over 1,300 years, died aged 88 after suffering a stroke.
As Francis is laid to rest, attention now turns to the future of the Church. The secretive conclave to elect his successor is unlikely to begin before May 6, giving cardinals time for informal meetings to assess one another and consider how to steer the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church through a period of deep ideological divisions and financial challenges. Editorial Desk, Capital News
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