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Congo-Kinshasa: New Civilian Catastrophe Looms in East
A new offensive by the Congolese army, backed by United Nations peacekeepers, against Rwandan rebels ensconced in the lush forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to aggravate what is already one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.While the rebels are undoubtedly a scourge to the local population and a major driver of ongoing conflict in Central Africa, the military action planned will lead to more atrocities against Congolese civilians, create greater numbers of displaced and desperate people and, because of the UN's involvement, do lasting damage to its peacekeeping. In the eastern DRC, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR -- a group led by some of the architects of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and bankrolled by their control of valuable mining areas -- have terrorized Congolese civilians for nearly 15 years. We travel regularly to towns controlled by the rebels where the fear on the faces of local residents is jarring. Among a catalogue of abuses, they are responsible for vicious acts of sexual violence. Posted by: Steve White 2009-05-21 |
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