Valley formation aridifies East Africa and elevates Congo Basin rainfall.

East African aridification during the past 8 million years is frequently invoked as a driver of large-scale shifts in vegetation1 and the evolution of new animal lineages, including hominins2-4. However, evidence for increasing aridity is debated5 and, crucially, the mechanisms leading to dry conditions are unclear6. Here, numerical model experiments show that valleys punctuating the 6,000-km-long East African Rift System (EARS) are central to the development of dry conditions in East Africa. These valleys, including the Turkana Basin in Kenya, cause East Africa to dry by channelling water vapour towards Central Africa, a process that simultaneously enhances rainfall in the Congo Basin rainforest. Without the valleys, the uplift of the rift system leads to a wetter climate in East Africa and a drier climate in the Congo Basin. Results from climate model experiments demonstrate that the detailed tectonic development of Africa has shaped the rainfall distribution, with profound implications for the evolution of African plant and animal lineages.

Tropical deforestation causes large reductions in observed precipitation.

Tropical forests play a critical role in the hydrological cycle and can influence local and regional precipitation1. Previous work has assessed the impacts of tropical deforestation on precipitation, but these efforts have been largely limited to case studies2. A wider analysis of interactions between deforestation and precipitation-and especially how any such interactions might vary across spatial scales-is lacking. Here we show reduced precipitation over deforested regions across the tropics. Our results arise from a pan-tropical assessment of the impacts of 2003-2017 forest loss on precipitation using satellite, station-based and reanalysis datasets. The effect of deforestation on precipitation increased at larger scales, with satellite datasets showing that forest loss caused robust reductions in precipitation at scales greater than 50 km. The greatest declines in precipitation occurred at 200 km, the largest scale we explored, for which 1 percentage point of forest loss reduced precipitation by 0.25 ± 0.1 mm per month. Reanalysis and station-based products disagree on the direction of precipitation responses to forest loss, which we attribute to sparse in situ tropical measurements. We estimate that future deforestation in the Congo will reduce local precipitation by 8-10% in 2100. Our findings provide a compelling argument for tropical forest conservation to support regional climate resilience.

Hydroclimatic vulnerability of peat carbon in the central Congo Basin.

The forested swamps of the central Congo Basin store approximately 30 billion metric tonnes of carbon in peat1,2. Little is known about the vulnerability of these carbon stocks. Here we investigate this vulnerability using peat cores from a large interfluvial basin in the Republic of the Congo and palaeoenvironmental methods. We find that peat accumulation began at least at 17,500 calibrated years before present (cal. yr BP; taken as AD 1950). Our data show that the peat that accumulated between around 7,500 to around 2,000 cal. yr BP is much more decomposed compared with older and younger peat. Hydrogen isotopes of plant waxes indicate a drying trend, starting at approximately 5,000 cal. yr BP and culminating at approximately 2,000 cal. yr BP, coeval with a decline in dominant swamp forest taxa. The data imply that the drying climate probably resulted in a regional drop in the water table, which triggered peat decomposition, including the loss of peat carbon accumulated prior to the onset of the drier conditions. After approximately 2,000 cal. yr BP, our data show that the drying trend ceased, hydrologic conditions stabilized and peat accumulation resumed. This reversible accumulation-loss-accumulation pattern is consistent with other peat cores across the region, indicating that the carbon stocks of the central Congo peatlands may lie close to a climatically driven drought threshold. Further research should quantify the combination of peatland threshold behaviour and droughts driven by anthropogenic carbon emissions that may trigger this positive carbon cycle feedback in the Earth system.

Scaling up area-based conservation to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework's 30x30 target: The role of Nature's Strongholds.

The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), signed in 2022 by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, recognized the importance of area-based conservation, and its goals and targets specify the characteristics of protected and conserved areas (PCAs) that disproportionately contribute to biodiversity conservation. To achieve the GBF's target of conserving a global area of 30% by 2030, this Essay argues for recognizing these characteristics and scaling them up through the conservation of areas that are: extensive (typically larger than 5,000 km2); have interconnected PCAs (either physically or as part of a jurisdictional network, and frequently embedded in larger conservation landscapes); have high ecological integrity; and are effectively managed and equitably governed. These areas are presented as "Nature's Strongholds," illustrated by examples from the Congo and Amazon basins. Conserving Nature's Strongholds offers an approach to scale up initiatives to address global threats to biodiversity.

Entomological indicators of Plasmodium species transmission in Goma Tsé-Tsé and Madibou districts, in the Republic of Congo.

BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a major public health problem in the Republic of Congo, with Plasmodium falciparum being the deadliest species of Plasmodium in humans. Vector transmission of malaria is poorly studied in the country and no previous report compared rural and urban data. This study aimed to determine the Anopheles fauna and the entomological indices of malaria transmission in the rural and urban areas in the south of Brazzaville, and beyond. METHODS: Indoor household mosquitoes capture using electric aspirator was performed in rural and urban areas during raining and dry seasons in 2021. The identification of Anopheles species was done using binocular magnifier and nested-PCR. TaqMan and nested-PCR were used to detect the Plasmodium species in the head/thorax and abdomens of Anopheles. Some entomological indices including the sporozoite infection rate, the entomological inoculation rate and the man biting rate were estimated. RESULTS: A total of 699 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected: Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) (90.7%), Anopheles funestus s.l. (6.9%), and Anopheles moucheti (2.4%). Three species of An. gambiae s.l. were identified including Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (78.9%), Anopheles coluzzii (15.4%) and Anopheles arabiensis (5.7%). The overall sporozoite infection rate was 22.3% with a predominance of Plasmodium falciparum, followed by Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale. Anopheles aggressiveness rate was higher in households from rural area (1.1 bites/night) compared to that from urban area (0.8 ib/p/n). The overall entomological inoculation rate was 0.13 ib/p/n. This index was 0.17 ib/p/n and 0.092 ib/p/n in rural and in urban area, respectively, and was similar during the dry (0.18 ib/p/n) and rainy (0.14 ib/p/n) seasons. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight that malaria transmission remains high in rural and urban area in the south of Republic of Congo despite the ongoing control efforts, thereby indicating the need for more robust interventions.

Central African dwarf crocodiles found in syntopy are comparably divergent to South American dwarf caimans.

Recent molecular taxonomic advancements have expanded our understanding of crocodylian diversity, revealing the existence of previously overlooked species, including the Congo dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus osborni) in the central Congo Basin rainforests. This study explores the genomic divergence between O. osborni and its better-known relative, the true dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis), shedding light on their evolutionary history. Field research conducted in the northwestern Republic of the Congo uncovered a locality where both species coexist in sympatry/syntopy. Genomic analysis of sympatric individuals reveals a level of divergence comparable to that between ecologically similar South American dwarf caimans (Paleosuchus palpebrosus and Paleosuchus trigonatus), suggesting parallel speciation in the Afrotropics and Neotropics during the Middle to Late Miocene, 10-12 Ma. Comparison of the sympatric and allopatric dwarf crocodiles indicates no gene flow between the analysed sympatric individuals of O. osborni and O. tetraspis. However, a larger sample will be required to answer the question of whether or to what extent these species hybridize. This study emphasizes the need for further research on the biology and conservation status of the Congo dwarf crocodile, highlighting its significance in the unique biodiversity of the Congolian rainforests and thus its potential as a flagship species.

Socioecological factors influencing intraspecific variation in ranging dynamics of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Ndoki Forest.

Ranging dynamics are physical and behavioral representations of how different socioecological factors affect an organism's spatial decisions and space use strategies. Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are a model species to investigate the drivers of spatial dynamics based on both the natural variation in socioecological factors within the species and compared with their mountain gorilla counterparts. In this study, we evaluate the influences of resource seasonality and social dynamics on variation in home range size, utilization, and intergroup overlap among multiple gorilla groups over an 8-year study period in the northern Republic of Congo. This study shows that western lowland gorillas can have small home ranges comparable to mountain gorillas, rather than universally larger home ranges as previously supposed, and that home ranges are stable through time. The largest source of variation in space use was the degree of intergroup home range overlap. The study groups did not demonstrate intraspecific variation in range size nor changes in intergroup overlap with respect to seasonality of fruit resources, but all groups demonstrated expansion of monthly range and core area with group size, matching predictions of intragroup feeding competition. These findings highlight the potential impact of intergroup relationships on space use and prompt further research on the role of social dynamics in ranging strategies. In this study, we reveal a greater degree of variability and flexibility in gorilla ranging behavior than previously realized which is relevant to improving comparative studies and informing conservation strategies on behalf of these endangered primates.

Exploring the dietary practices and perceptions of African immigrants in Illinois- a qualitative study of immigrants from Nigeria and Congo.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies suggest an increased prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases among African immigrants with increased length of stay in the U.S. The objective of the current study is to understand the dietary practices and perceptions of recent African immigrant families. DESIGN: Focus group sessions were conducted with Nigerian and Congolese immigrant parents residing in Illinois. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling methods and focus group sessions were conducted via videoconference. Participants discussed dietary practices, meal preparation, and family mealtimes for their families. They also discussed experiences with eating different kinds of foods since arrival in the U.S. Verbatim transcription of focus group sessions were completed and deductive thematic analysis of transcribed data was conducted using NVivo (QSR International Pty Ltd. [2020] NVivo [version 12]). RESULTS: Twenty African immigrant parents (Mean age: 42 years, Female: 95%) residing in Northern and Central Illinois participated in a total of five focus group sessions. Seven themes were derived from the analysis. Participants had a positive attitude toward healthy diet and had a high level of interest in receiving educational resources to make healthier food choices. Participants preferred and mostly consumed foods they were familiar with before migration. A majority of the participants perceived 'American foods' as unhealthy, characterizing them as containing a high amount of sugar and salt. Parents reported that their school-aged children often preferred a western diet over traditional African meals. CONCLUSION: This study helps to understand unique diet-related practices and perceptions of recent Nigerian and Congolese African immigrants in Illinois. Findings could help to inform cultural adaptation of evidence-based nutrition education programs for these groups of African immigrants.

Development of a CRISPR/Cas12a-recombinase polymerase amplification assay for visual and highly specific identification of the Congo Basin and West African strains of mpox virus.

Human mpox is a zoonotic disease, similar to smallpox, caused by the mpox virus, which is further subdivided into Congo Basin and West African clades with different pathogenicity. In this study, a novel diagnostic protocol utilizing clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 12a nuclease (CRISPR/Cas12a)-mediated recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) was developed to identify mpox in the Congo Basin and West Africa (CRISPR-RPA). Specific RPA primers targeting D14L and ATI were designed. CRISPR-RPA assay was performed using various target templates. In the designed CRISPR-RPA reaction system, the exponentially amplified RPA amplification products with a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) site can locate the Cas12a/crRNA complex to its target regions, which successfully activates the CRISPR/Cas12a effector and achieves ultrafast trans-cleavage of a single-stranded DNA probe. The limit of detection for the CRISPR-RPA assay was 10 copies per reaction for D14L- and ATI-plasmids. No cross-reactivity was observed with non-mpox strains, confirming the high specificity of the CRISPR-RPA assay for distinguishing between the Congo Basin and West African mpox. The CRISPR-RPA assay can be completed within 45 min using real-time fluorescence readout. Moreover, the cleavage results were visualized under UV light or an imaging system, eliminating the need for a specialized apparatus. In summary, the developed CRISPR/RPA assay is a visual, rapid, sensitive, and highly specific detection technique that can be used as an attractive potential identification tool for Congo Basin and West African mpox in resource-limited laboratories.

Simulating carbon accumulation and loss in the central Congo peatlands.

Peatlands of the central Congo Basin have accumulated carbon over millennia. They currently store some 29 billion tonnes of carbon in peat. However, our understanding of the controls on peat carbon accumulation and loss and the vulnerability of this stored carbon to climate change is in its infancy. Here we present a new model of tropical peatland development, DigiBog_Congo, that we use to simulate peat carbon accumulation and loss in a rain-fed interfluvial peatland that began forming ~20,000 calendar years Before Present (cal. yr BP, where 'present' is 1950 CE). Overall, the simulated age-depth curve is in good agreement with palaeoenvironmental reconstructions derived from a peat core at the same location as our model simulation. We find two key controls on long-term peat accumulation: water at the peat surface (surface wetness) and the very slow anoxic decay of recalcitrant material. Our main simulation shows that between the Late Glacial and early Holocene there were several multidecadal periods where net peat and carbon gain alternated with net loss. Later, a climatic dry phase beginning ~5200 cal. yr BP caused the peatland to become a long-term carbon source from ~3975 to 900 cal. yr BP. Peat as old as ~7000 cal. yr BP was decomposed before the peatland's surface became wetter again, suggesting that changes in rainfall alone were sufficient to cause a catastrophic loss of peat carbon lasting thousands of years. During this time, 6.4 m of the column of peat was lost, resulting in 57% of the simulated carbon stock being released. Our study provides an approach to understanding the future impact of climate change and potential land-use change on this vulnerable store of carbon.

Hormone physiology and sleep dynamics among BaYaka foragers of the Congo Basin: Gendered associations between nighttime activity, testosterone, and cortisol.

Sleep quality is an important contributor to health disparities and affects the physiological function of the immune and endocrine systems, shaping how resources are allocated to life history demands. Past work in industrial and post-industrial societies has shown that lower total sleep time (TST) or more disrupted nighttime sleep are linked to flatter diurnal slopes for cortisol and lower testosterone production. There has been little focus on these physiological links in other socio-ecological settings where routine sleep conditions and nighttime activity demands differ. We collected salivary hormone (testosterone, cortisol) and actigraphy-based sleep data from Congolese BaYaka foragers (N = 39), who have relatively short and fragmented nighttime sleep, on average, in part due to their typical social sleep conditions and nighttime activity. The hormone and sleep data collections were separated by an average of 11.23 days (testosterone) and 2.84 days (cortisol). We found gendered links between nighttime activity and adults' hormone profiles. Contrary to past findings in Euro-American contexts, BaYaka men who were more active at night, on average, had higher evening testosterone than those with lower nighttime activity, with a relatively flat slope relating nighttime activity and evening testosterone in women. Women had steeper diurnal cortisol curves with less disrupted sleep. Men had steeper cortisol diurnal curves if they were more active at night. BaYaka men often hunt and socialize when active at night, which may help explain these patterns. Overall, our findings indicate that the nature of nighttime activities, including their possible social and subsistence contexts, are potentially important modifiers of sleep quality-physiology links, meriting further research across contexts.

Performance on the African neuropsychology battery using the learning ratio in a sample of healthy Congolese.

OBJECTIVE: Using the African Neuropsychology Battery (ANB), we seek to develop normative data by examining the demographic effects for two learning process scores: initial learning (Trial One) and learning ratio (LR, the percentage of items learned relative of to-be-learned material following Trial 1). METHODS: Healthy participants from the Democratic Republic of Congo completed the four memory tests of the ANB: the African Story Memory Test (ASMT), African List Memory Test (ALMT), African Visuospatial Memory Test (AVMT), and African Contextual Visuospatial Memory Test (ACVMT). We developed indices of learning for each subtest, as well as aggregate learning indices for Trial 1 and LR, and composite indices examining verbal, visual, contextual, and noncontextual learning, and grand indices comprising all four subtests. RESULTS: Trial 1 and LR scores each demonstrated acceptable intercorrelations across memory tests. We present normative data for Trial 1 and LR by age and education. CONCLUSION: These data provide normative standards for evaluating learning in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Republic of Congo, February 2022.

In resource-limited countries, the lack of widespread screening masks the true situation of COVID-19. We conducted this study to assess SARS-CoV-2 spread by detection of specific antibodies and to determine associated factors. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Subjects were tested for the presence of two antibodies (IgM and IgG) specific to SARS-CoV-2. Data collection was done using a smartphone with the KoboCollect application. Prevalence of antibodies was estimated with 95% confidence intervals. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with positive serological test. A total of 9,094 persons were tested in 4,340 households. The mean age was 30.18 ± 18.65 years, 46.5% male. The overall seroprevalence (prevalence, 95% CI) of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was (48.2% [47.2%-49.2%]). Being vaccinated, having been in contact with a COVID-19 patient, being older than 50 years, living in a union, having secondary education and having tertiary education were factors independently associated with the likelihood of having anti-sars-CoV-2. We estimate in February 2022 that 48% persons had antibodies against the COVID-19 virus, more among those vaccinated. Vaccination intensification in low prevalence departments will reduce the risk of new outbreaks.

Age, extent and carbon storage of the central Congo Basin peatland complex.

Peatlands are carbon-rich ecosystems that cover just three per cent of Earth's land surface, but store one-third of soil carbon. Peat soils are formed by the build-up of partially decomposed organic matter under waterlogged anoxic conditions. Most peat is found in cool climatic regions where unimpeded decomposition is slower, but deposits are also found under some tropical swamp forests. Here we present field measurements from one of the world's most extensive regions of swamp forest, the Cuvette Centrale depression in the central Congo Basin. We find extensive peat deposits beneath the swamp forest vegetation (peat defined as material with an organic matter content of at least 65 per cent to a depth of at least 0.3 metres). Radiocarbon dates indicate that peat began accumulating from about 10,600 years ago, coincident with the onset of more humid conditions in central Africa at the beginning of the Holocene. The peatlands occupy large interfluvial basins, and seem to be largely rain-fed and ombrotrophic-like (of low nutrient status) systems. Although the peat layer is relatively shallow (with a maximum depth of 5.9 metres and a median depth of 2.0 metres), by combining in situ and remotely sensed data, we estimate the area of peat to be approximately 145,500 square kilometres (95 per cent confidence interval of 131,900-156,400 square kilometres), making the Cuvette Centrale the most extensive peatland complex in the tropics. This area is more than five times the maximum possible area reported for the Congo Basin in a recent synthesis of pantropical peat extent. We estimate that the peatlands store approximately 30.6 petagrams (30.6 × 1015 grams) of carbon belowground (95 per cent confidence interval of 6.3-46.8 petagrams of carbon)-a quantity that is similar to the above-ground carbon stocks of the tropical forests of the entire Congo Basin. Our result for the Cuvette Centrale increases the best estimate of global tropical peatland carbon stocks by 36 per cent, to 104.7 petagrams of carbon (minimum estimate of 69.6 petagrams of carbon; maximum estimate of 129.8 petagrams of carbon). This stored carbon is vulnerable to land-use change and any future reduction in precipitation.

Teaching varies with task complexity in wild chimpanzees.

Cumulative culture is a transformative force in human evolution, but the social underpinnings of this capacity are debated. Identifying social influences on how chimpanzees acquire tool tasks of differing complexity may help illuminate the evolutionary origins of technology in our own lineage. Humans routinely transfer tools to novices to scaffold their skill development. While tool transfers occur in wild chimpanzees and fulfill criteria for teaching, it is unknown whether this form of helping varies between populations and across tasks. Applying standardized methods, we compared tool transfers during termite gathering by chimpanzees in the Goualougo Triangle, Republic of Congo, and in Gombe, Tanzania. At Goualougo, chimpanzees use multiple, different tool types sequentially, choose specific raw materials, and perform modifications that improve tool efficiency, which could make it challenging for novices to manufacture suitable tools. Termite gathering at Gombe involves a single tool type, fishing probes, which can be manufactured from various materials. Multiple measures indicated population differences in tool-transfer behavior. The rate of transfers and probability of transfer upon request were significantly higher at Goualougo, while resistance to transfers was significantly higher at Gombe. Active transfers of tools in which possessors moved to facilitate possession change upon request occurred only at Goualougo, where they were the most common transfer type. At Gombe, tool requests were typically refused. We suggest that these population differences in tool-transfer behavior may relate to task complexity and that active helping plays an enhanced role in the cultural transmission of complex technology in wild apes.

Plasmodium falciparum msp-1 and msp-2 genetic diversity and multiplicity of infection in isolates from Congolese patients in the Republic of Congo.

With limited up to date data from the Republic of Congo, the aim of this study was to investigate allelic polymorphism of merozoite surface protein-1 (msp-1) and merozoite surface protein-2 (msp-2). This will help assess the genetic diversity and multiplicity of Plasmodium falciparum infection (MOI), from uncomplicated malaria individuals living in Brazzaville. Between March and October 2021, a cross-sectional study was carried out at a health center in Madibou District located in the south of Brazzaville. Plasmodium infection was diagnosed in human blood by microscopy and the block 2 of P. falciparum msp-1 and block 3 of msp-2 genes were genotyped by nested PCR. Overall, 57 genotypes with fragment sizes ranging from 110 to 410 bp were recorded for msp-1, among which 25, 21, and 11 genotypes identified for K1, MAD20, and RO33 allelic families respectively. RO33 (34.3%) and MAD20 (34.3%) allelic families were more frequent compared to K1 (31.4%) although the difference was not statistically significant. Also, 47 msp-2 genotypes were identified, including 26 FC27 genotypes type, and 21 genotypes belonging to the 3D7 allelic family. FC27 was more frequent (52.3%) compared to 3D7 (47.7%). The prevalence of the polyclonal infection was 90.0% while the MOI was 2.90 ± 1.0. The MOI and polyclonal infection were not significantly associated with the parasitaemia and anaemia. This study reveals a high genetic diversity and the trend of increasing MOI of P. falciparum isolates from the south of Brazzaville, compared to the reports from the same setting before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chemodiversity of propolis samples collected in various areas of Benin and Congo: Chromatographic profiling and chemical characterization guided by 13 C NMR dereplication.

INTRODUCTION: Propolis is a resinous natural substance collected by honeybees from buds and exudates of various trees and plants; it is widely accepted that the composition of propolis depends on the phytogeographic characteristics of the site of collection. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical composition of ethanolic extracts from eight propolis batches collected in different regions of Benin (north, center, and south) and Congo, Africa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Characterization of propolis samples was performed by using different hyphenated chromatographic methods combined with carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13 C NMR) dereplication with MixONat software. Their antioxidant or anti-advanced glycation end-product (anti-AGE) activity was then evaluated by using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl and bovine serum albumin assays, respectively. RESULTS: Chromatographic analyses combined with 13 C NMR dereplication showed that two samples from the center of Benin exhibited, in addition to a huge amount of pentacyclic triterpenes, methoxylated stilbenoids or phenanthrenoids, responsible for the antioxidant activity of the extract for the first one. Among them, combretastatins might be cytotoxic. For the second one, the prenylated flavanones known in Macaranga-type propolis were responsible for its significant anti-AGE activity. The sample from Congo was composed of many triterpene derivatives belonging to Mangifera indica species. CONCLUSION: Therefore, propolis from the center of Benin seems to be of particular interest, due to its antioxidant and anti-AGE properties. Nevertheless, as standardization of propolis is difficult in tropical zones due to its great chemodiversity, a systematic phytochemical analysis is required before promoting the use of propolis in food and health products in Africa.

Revision of Nannocharax luapulae Boulenger, 1915 (Characiformes: Distichodontidae) from the Upper Congo basin: Evidence for a species pair.

For many decades, Nannocharax luapulae has been considered to be widespread in the southern part of the Upper Congo basin. However, meristic, morphometric and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) barcoding evidence revealed that its geographical distribution is restricted to the Luapula-Moero basin. The populations of the Upper Lualaba are assigned to a new species, N. chochamandai. This new species, though highly similar to N. luapulae, can readily be distinguished from it by its lower number of lateral line scales, 41-46 (vs. 49-55), its pectoral fin reaching the pelvic-fin insertion (vs. not reaching the pelvic-fin insertion) and its pelvic fin reaching the base of the anal fin (vs. not reaching the base of the anal fin). Specimens of N. chochamandai display thickened pads on the first three pelvic-fin rays that exhibit intraspecific variation in development, which appears to be related to the flow-strength of the river in which these Nannocharax specimens occur. Nannocharax luapulae is redescribed and an updated identification key to the Nannocharax species of the Congo basin sensu lato is provided as well. Some fish conservation issues related to N. luapulae and N. chochamandai are also highlighted.

A new species of Parauchenoglanis (Auchenoglanididae: Siluriformes) from the Upper Lualaba River (Upper Congo), with further evidence of hidden species diversity within the genus.

Parauchenoglanis zebratus sp. nov. is a new species endemic to the Upper Lualaba in the Upper Congo Basin. It is distinguished from all its congeners known from the Congo Basin and adjacent basins by the presence of (1) distinctive dark-brown or black vertical bars on the lateral side of the body, at least for specimens about ≥120 mm LS , (2) a broad and triangular humeral process embedded under the skin and (3) a well-serrated pectoral-fin spine. Genetic analysis based on mtDNA COI sequences confirmed the genetic distinctiveness (2.8%-13.6% K2P genetic divergence) of P. zebratus sp. nov. from congeners within the Congo and adjacent river basins. The study also revealed additional undocumented diversity within P. ngamensis, P. pantherinus, P. punctatus and P. balayi, indicating the need for further in-depth alpha-taxonomic attention to provide more accurate species delimitations for this genus. The discovery of yet another new species endemic to the Upper Lualaba, and this well outside the currently established protected areas, highlights the critical need for further assessments to accurately document the species diversity to guide freshwater conservation prioritisation and biodiversity management in this region.

Relevance of a citizen participation technology platform to strengthen sub-Saharan health systems / Pertinence d'une plateforme technologique de participation citoyenne pour consolider les systèmes de santé subsahariens

Introduction: A citizen participation intervention using a toll-free number combined with an interactive voice server to collect citizens' opinions on their health systems was conducted in Burkina Faso, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of Congo between 2020 and 2021. Purpose of research: This paper aims to assess the effectiveness, sustainability, and transferability of this m-participation intervention to the health systems strengthening. Results: The analysis shows the relevance of the telephone to include citizens in the governance of sub-Saharan health systems. Conclusion: Information and communication technologies are an important support in the quest for better health democracy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction: Une intervention de participation citoyenne par téléphone, via un numéro vert combiné à un serveur vocal interactif pour recueillir les opinions des citoyens sur leurs systèmes de santé a été déployée au Burkina Faso, au Bénin et en République démocratique du Congo entre 2020 et 2021. But de l'étude: Cet article évalue l'efficacité, la viabilité et la transférabilité de cette intervention participative pour consolider les systèmes de santé. Résultats: L'analyse montre une pertinence du téléphone pour impliquer les citoyens dans la gouvernance des systèmes de santé subsahariens. Conclusion: Les technologies de l'information et de la communication sont un soutien important dans la quête d'une meilleure démocratie sanitaire en Afrique subsaharienne.