DRC: Your empire needs protecting

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the site of countless human rights violations and a staggering death rate. For more than a decade, bloody civil war has kept the DRC in a constant state of fear and unrest.

The turmoil and bloodshed from the Hutu-Tutsi conflict and genocide did not remain confined to the borders of Rwanda, but rather spilled into the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was then Zaire, as early as 1996. Hutu refugees banded together with Zaire's military forces, fighting against the Congolese Tutsi people who in turn joined forces and rebelled. This rebel force, called the Alliance des Forces Democratiques pour la Liberation du Congo-Zaire, or AFDL, was led by Laurent-Desire Kabila and aimed to oust the current president, Mobutu. Mobutu left the country in 1997, at which point Kabila put himself in the position of president and gave the country its current name. Warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba 's MLC, or Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo, invaded in 1998 with support from both Rwanda and Uganda while Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia sided with the DRC government. In 2001, Kabila was assasinated and succeeded by his son who quickly entered into peace talks. 

Despite the apparent resolution and the presence of UN peacekeepers, northeastern ethnic clashes rekindled the conflict. Another peace accord was drawn up, and by June of 2003 nearly all outside troops (save Rwanda) had been pulled from Congo. The first multi-party election since their 1960 independence was held in June of 2006, and a close contested election between Kabila and Bemba led to bloodshed and police control followed by a second election in October of the same year. The reign of the transitional government that had been in place came to a close with Kabila's December 2006 swearing in. 

The state of Congo remains so fragile that human rights violations and conflict are abundant. In October of 2008, a rebel uprising out of Rwanda led to a crisis situation for refugees. Joseph Kony's LRA of Uganda, the Ituri conflict, and trouble in northern Katanga all contribute to what has been deemed the world's deadliest conflict since World War II with a death toll of  5.4 million people.

"Today at the dawn of 2009, people in the Congo are still dying at a rate of an estimated 45,000 per month and already 2,700,000 people have died since 2004. This death toll is due to widespread disease and famine; reports indicate that almost half of the individuals killed are children under the age of 5. The aftermath of the war has truly gutted the country. This death rate has been prevalent since efforts at rebuilding the nation began in 2004."  Wikipedia

As the terrible attacks in this area continue to plague the Congolese people, it appears that the UN has been falling short of their peacekeeping duties. The issue of the terrible LRA violence is extremely prevalent, as the Human Rights Watch claims the abductions of at least 160 childre with reports of new attacks every week, and the UN has reported 140,000 civilians have been displaced by the violence. Congo boasts a population of over 58 million, and the number of peacekeepers in place by the UN is only enough for approximately one per 3,400. Needless to say, this is not enough. Civilians are dying at an obscenely fast rate and the peace efforts are simply not cutting it. The people of Congo are in dire need of help to save them from the violent insurgence at hand. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo#cite_note-18

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1OdCrpy4HFMvxUdd05e88M2AmKgD96E7K602

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-16-voa39.cfm