Congo on the Brink

Last week fighting broke out again in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The conflict − which some have called Africa’s World War − has drawn many parties into the hostility largely because of festering ethnic clashes rooted in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and the region’s rich mineral wealth.

Human Rights Watch reported yesterday that Ugandan rebels from the Lord’s Resistance Army are now rampaging north eastern Congo. And while Zimbabwean and Angolan troops have reportedly been in the region (Angola as a volunteer for the UN force), it remains unclear to what degree their presence is contributing to the region’s stability, as both parties have a history of fighting in the country; and at least on one occasion, against each other.

Even though the UN mission in the DRC, MONUC, is the largest peacekeeping mission in the world, calls for further deployment have increased, with some even suggesting the use of other multinational rapid response forces, such as the Nato Response Force.

The broader picture is that power-sharing is eroding in Zimbabwe, South Africa’s leading party, the African National Congress, is in the midst of breaking up and the West has been pre-occupied with other concerns.

• Eastern Congo
• Sexual and Gender Based Violence