Inclusive Security: Hope for Congo

   •    December 29, 2005

This article was originally published by The Boston Globe.

The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo officially ended in 2002, but the atrocities continue. Since 1998, nearly 4 million people have died, not only as a result of violence but also from disease and famine triggered by war. Every 24 hours means another 1,000 senseless deaths, largely ignored by the world.

Donor governments, including the United States, provide more than half the budget of the transitional government that took charge after the war. However, many government members are former warlords who will do anything to maintain power. They struggle with each other for Congo’s rich natural resources and control thousands of militiamen roaming the countryside.

Political instability poses long-term consequences for citizens of Congo, particularly women, with militia gangs posing daily threats to their safety.

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