President Félix Tshisekedi has signed a decree establishing a specialised criminal court to prosecute economic and financial crimes in Democratic Republic of the Congo,...

President Félix Tshisekedi has signed a decree establishing a specialised criminal court to prosecute economic and financial crimes in Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s fight against corruption. The decree-law, signed on Saturday, creates a new judicial body dedicated to handling complex financial offences, including corruption, money laundering, fraud, currency counterfeiting and the embezzlement of public funds. Authorities say the new court is intended to reinforce the country’s justice system and improve the prosecution of economic crimes, which remain widespread and have long undermined public finances and governance. Until now, many cases flagged by financial watchdogs or oversight bodies have struggled to progress through the judicial system. In numerous instances, investigations...