ConflictVoice

The United Nations will pull 2,000 peacekeepers out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the end of June but propose that the remaining 20,000 leave only when security improves, France’s ambassador to the DRC has said.

DONGO-BRAZZAVILLE, 11 May 2010 (IRIN) - Security is improving in Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Equateur province, where an insurgency rooted in aresource conflict pushed some 200,000 people in the marginalized region to flee their homes last year. But it will require more than an end to the violence for the trickle of returnees to turn into a torrent. 

“It’s calm now. We have the situation under control,” Ndangobo Ngoy, a lieutenant-colonel in the DRC army, told IRIN in Dongo, an Equateur town that was attacked in October 2009, prompting almost its entire population, some 100,000 people, to take flight, mostly across the Ubangi river into the Republic of Congo (RoC). 

The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have for over 11 years endured violence, war crimes, corruption, humanitarian crisis, looting and rape on a scale that defies comprehension. In April 2007, theInternational Rescue Committee estimated the death toll in Congo since 1998 at 5.4 million. This horrific figure continues to rise at a rate of 45,000 a month. The additional consequences of disease and malnutrition has resulted in a rise in the death toll to at least 7 million, not to mention the millions of refugees.

For those who haven’t been following the Dongo crisis that closely (how is that possible?), here is the best map of the area I could find.

Basically, Dongo is on the opposite side of the…

I was unemployed, trying to kickstart a career in political journalism, when I received a call from a BBC producer making a documentary about theDemocratic Republic of Congo. My uncle works in the Congolese community in north London, translating, teaching English, offering advice; the documentary makers had come to him looking for a young woman, living in Britain but born in DRC, who had not been back for a long while. I fitted the bill.

I thought they would want a quick interview, maybe to use my words in a voiceover. After a couple of meetings it became apparent they had something much grander in mind. They wanted to take me to eastern Congo, home of the deadliest conflict in Africa, to learn first-hand about the violence that is devastating the region.

The following is an interview with Refugees International’s Camilla Olson (advocate) and Steve Hege (consultant) on the Dongo crisis. They will be releasing a report on Wednesday on the situation…

Below is also a picture of Odjani, the leader of the militia, sitting in the middle in robes.

1946 - The colonial administration intervenes following an outbreak of violence between Inyelle and…

I attended a panel discussion yesterday at Columbia University on peacebuilding in the Congo and Sudan. One of my fellow panelists was Herbert Weiss, Emeritus professor at the City University of…

In January this year the Congolese army launched a new set of operation together with UN backing: Amani Leo (Peace Today - they really need better code names). Let’s take a quick look at South Kivu

Christiane Amanpour hosted a show on the DR Congo today, with myself, Ben Affleck and human right activist Sylvie Maunga as guests. The story behind the show was that Affleck launched his…

It has been confirmed now for several weeks: the Belgian King Albert II will be the guest of honor at the 50th independence celebrations in Kinshasa on June 30th, 2010. Minister of Information Lam

For those who haven’t noticed, these are important days in the future of the Congo.

Two important decisions are being taken by the international community: debt relief and the future of the…

KINSHASA — The Democratic Republic of Congo is to launch on Tuesday a “firearm for 50 dollars” disarmament campaign in the vast country’s volatile eastern region, a minister said Monday.

Communication Minister Lambert Mende told AFP the government counted on collecting “20,000 to 30,000 guns at first” but did not say how long the operation, financed by President Joseph Kabila, was intended to last.

What’s wrong with the title of this blog?

The head of UN peacekeeping Alain Le Roy announced two days ago after meeting with President Kabila that they would begin drawing down the UN…