Congo

Following a landmark peace agreement and a tumultuous political transition backed by the world’s largest United Nations peacekeeping operation, the Democratic Republic of Congo held largely successful elections in 2006. However, elections were not a panacea to Congo’s ills; 45,000 people die each month, mostly from hostilities and the crippling effects of widespread displacement in the country’s eastern provinces. Some 500,000 people were displaced in 2007, and women and girls are routinely subjected to appalling acts of sexual torture. Finally, in late 2007 and early 2008, the United States and its allies did the high-level diplomacy necessary to secure a peace agreement between the Congolese government and multiple armed groups operating in the East. This deal is just the beginning. The United States government, working closely with its allies, must strongly support the peace deal’s implementation and help rid eastern Congo of the militias that wreak havoc on civilian populations.

Roots of the Crisis | Congo Activist Card | Congo Policy Standard*NEW*