Congo conflict shutters Heineken brewery, cripples economy

Nearly 14% of Heineken's total revenues come from its businesses in the Middle East and Africa, where Congo, with its population of over 100 million, is a large market

Former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and police officers who allegedly surrendered to M23 rebels arrive in Goma, Congo. File picture: Moses Sawasawa/AP

At his bar in Bukavu — a city in eastern Congo overrun by Rwandan-backed rebels last month — Adolphe Amani dipped into his dwindling stock of beer to serve a table of thirsty customers watching a recent Sunday football match on his television.

But with his main supplier — the nearby Heineken-owned Bralima brewery — shuttered, he expects to close his doors within the week.