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Economy

How Congo's Civil Strife Drives Up Food Prices For All

Fleeing the conflict, Masisi
Fleeing the conflict, Masisi
Cosmas Mungazi and Mustapha Mulonda

MASISI - Every day at 6 a.m., a parking lot near a roundabout in this northeastern Congo city fills with minibuses, motorbikes and heavy cargo trucks. The atalakus (ticket sellers) shout out names of destinations: "Masisi! Nyabiondo!"

Passengers board with their packages: manufactured goods, drinks, salted fish...Everyone is pushing each another, trying to get the best seats on the available vehicles. Those in a hurry scramble onto the back of motorbikes; two passengers huddle behind a minibus driver. Once the buses are finally on the road, at each stop women run up to the buses with cheese and bottles of milk and rush around the vehicles, which are still moving, pushing and shoving to be the first to make a sale.

The same thing happens on the return journey. With the enormous number of displaced persons - 17,000 displaced in a town of only 20,000 residents - and NGO workers, Masisi is attracting waves of shopkeepers from the nearby city of Goma, who travel here to sell beer, clothes, soap, cosmetics and electronic products.

This is the commercial side of the fighting that broke out last spring in the eastern region of North Kivu over disputes around the implementation of a 2009 peace agreement that integrated National Congress Defence of the People (CNDP) rebels into the national army. The United Nations esimates that the violence has displaced nearly half a million people since April.

"The conflict between government forces and the M23 rebels seems to be calmer in the center of the Masisi territory, so thousands of people have started to flock here," says André Buhima Bahibika, deputy administrator of the territory.

A price surge

However, it is a situation that is only making matters worse for the displaced persons. "The manufactured products are extremely expensive. They must think that we have already recovered after losing everything in the war! Being displaced, I can't even afford the basics," says Célestin Sengi, originally from Nyamaboko, more than 30 kilometers away.

Farming products have also risen in price: "100 kilos of beans have gone from $50 to $55. Two years ago, it used to cost $40," says Sakina Bilingo, a vendor from Goma who regularly travels between the two towns.

Even though, traditionally, Masisi used to supply Goma with meat, a kilogram is now more expensive here than it is in the capital of the North Kivu region. "One kilogram now costs $5.50 in Masisi, whereas in Goma, it's between $2.25 and $2.50," Sakina Bilingo says.

The surge in prices is not only making life difficult for the residents, but also for the humanitarian workers. "I've been here for three months now, traveling often from Masisi to the most remote corners of the territory. I have been eating at the restaurants in Masisi, and they're charging the same rates as in Goma. I don't earn enough to pay these prices," says one humanitarian worker in Masisi.

For residents, this relatively peaceful period has been beneficial: "Masisi is coming back to life. But, due to the large presence of national and international humanitarian workers, there are more and more shop owners, who aren't taking into account our average incomes. Prices are becoming unbearable and I'm really struggling to feed my family," complains one resident, Bito Kalinga.

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Economy

Soft Power Or Sportwashing? What's Driving The Mega Saudi Image Makeover Play

Saudi Arabia suddenly now leads the world in golf, continues to attract top European soccer stars, and invests in culture and entertainment... Its "soft power" strategy is changing the kingdom's image through what critics bash as blatant "sportwashing."

Footballer Karim Benzema, in his Real Madrid kit

Karim Benzema during a football match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium on June 04, 2023, in Madrid, Spain.

Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — A major announcement this week caused quite a stir in the world of professional golf. It wouldn't belong in the politics section were it not for the role played by Saudi Arabia. The three competing world circuits have announced their merger, putting an end to the "civil war" in the world of pro golf.

The Chairman of the new entity is Yassir Al-Rumayan, head of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Add to this the fact that one of the major players in the world of golf is Donald Trump – three of the biggest tournaments are held on golf courses he owns – and it's easy to see what's at stake.

In the same week, we learned that two leading French footballers, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, were to join Saudi club Al-Ittihad, also owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. The amount of the transfer is not known, but it is sure to be substantial. There, they will join other soccer stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

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