War and Peace

Rule of Law Still Out of Reach in Eastern Congo

by Daniel J Gerstle

categories: Armed Conflict, Human Rights

Published November 12, 2009 @ 05:26PM PT

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Congo (DR), also known as DRC, Congo-Kinshasa, and former Zaire, currently hosts one of the most complex wars in the world. Why does it keep boiling on? What can concerned citizens do to contribute to solutions?

Despite government reforms, peace initiatives, millions in aid, and one of the largest UN peacekeeping efforts with 17,000 troops, the violence remains out of control. Many believe the various rebel groups, as well as the government, are really battling for control of territory not only for sanctuary for their particular group but also to control natural resources beneath the soil including minerals, jewels, and metal ores Western companies seek.

In brief, the government is fighting a number of rebel groups in the east including such incorrigible all-stars as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) (yes, the former Rwandan rebels remain in Congo), the National Congress of the Defense of the People (North Kivu), the Union of Congolese Patriots, and various Mai Mai militias, just to name a few. And the UN is trying to step between them only to get embroiled in deep questions about their role and rules of engagement.

For more detail, the best places to start are Reuters Alertnet for a summary of the crisis, list of aid agencies you can contact or contribute to, and links to breaking news; ReliefWeb for updates on the humanitarian and peacebuilding dimension; and the International Crisis Group for political writing and serious recommendations to the actors involved. The ICG offers such indie hits as "A Comprehensive Stategy to Disarm the FDLR" and "Five Priorities for a Peacebuilding Strategy."

How can a concerned citizen contribute to peace and recovery? If I were your philanthropy adviser, I would suggest committing donations not only to aid agencies listed on Alertnet which promote health and protection for civilian survivors, but also to those which pursue peacebuilding efforts, particularly those aspects recommended by the ICG.

If I were your activism advisor, I would suggest that after reading everything here to then go to the Enough Project and consider their suggestions and/or prepare petitions to encourage the actors you've learned about in this reading, as well as members of your congress or parliament who have power over these issues, to pursue the recommendations of Enough and the ICG.

If you have worked in the Congo DR and have recommendations on what concerned global citizens can do, please write in below and let us know.

[Photo: UN Peacekeepers under attack in Bunia, Congo DR, UN Photo.]