The presidential race in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be closely watched internationally. Congo is rich in the rare minerals needed to make electric cars and solar panels.
Six million have died, and more than six million are displaced after decades of fighting and the ensuing humanitarian crisis in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, drawing in neighbors, mercenaries and militias. An upcoming election is inflaming tempers.
Dan Gertler, an Israeli billionaire, is pressing President Biden to remove sanctions that were imposed on him for bribe-fueled transactions in the impoverished African country.
The pope is planning to spend three days in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the most populous and most Catholic nations in Africa. While it has extensive natural riches, its people have long been buffeted by conflict and exploitation.