Three of the four teams representing the Democratic Republic of Congo in African club competitions have advanced to the knockout stages.

Four former militiamen, who had been arrested and were being held at the Makala prison in Kinshasa, were flown to the International Criminal Court on Saturday to testify in the cases against Thomas Lubanga and Germain Katanga.

The Leopards revived their hopes of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday by beating Mauritius 3-0 at Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has withdrawn its envoy to the Republic of Congo, authorities in Kinshasa announced on Friday. The DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, said in a statement that ambassador Esther Kirongozi will leave Brazzaville immediately.

Presidents Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mwai Kibaki of Kenya met on Friday at Harambee House in Nairobi, Kenya, over a “significant amount of gold”, estimated to be worth US $113 million, smuggled to Kenya from eastern Congo.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs chartered a plane on Friday to evacuate 167 Congolese citizens from Tripoli, Libya. The Boeing 727 departed Kinshasa N’djili airport on Friday at 10 am for a 10-hour round trip to bring back home those who have been caught up in the fighting between insurgents and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

The military operation codenamed “Umbrella” and other joint special operations against Ugandan LRA rebels have significantly reduced their freedom of action and their maneuvering space in Orientale Province, the military spokesman for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), Lt-Colonel Mamadou Gaye, said on Wednesday in Kinshasa during a press briefing.

TP Mazembe returned home to a heroes’ welcome on Sunday evening as thousands of fans streamed the streets of Lubumbashi to greet the team. The fans were grateful for an epic year in which the DR Congo side also made history by becoming the first team in Africa to successfully defend its Champions League title twice.

TP Mazembe reach FIFA Club World Cup Final TP Mazembe have made history by becoming the first African club to reach a FIFA Club World Cup final. The African champions beat the champions SC Internacional of Brazil 2-0 Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.

The United Nations Security Council imposed targeted measures including travel bans and asset freezes on four Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) leaders and a former Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP) commander integrated in the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), on Wednesday, at the request of the permanent missions to the United Nations of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.