Peace process near collapse in eastern Congo

Peace process near collapse in eastern Congo The peace process in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is on the verge of collapse due to resumed hostilities between Government forces and rebels loyal to Congolese general Laurent Nkunda.  Absent immediate and robust diplomatic pressure on the Congolese government and a more impartial effort by United Nations peacekeepers to stop the fighting, the region could descend back into total war. After weeks of tit-for-tat violence, large-scale fighting between the Congolese army and Nkunda’s National Congress for the Defense of People, or CNDP, began again on August 28 in the territory of Rutshuru, North Kivu. Violence has since spread to Masisi territory in North Kivu, and Kalehe territory in South Kivu. The clashes are the largest violations to date of the cease-fire agreement signed last January in Goma (capital of North Kivu) between the Congolese government, the CNDP, and 21 other armed groups active in the East. The fighting has newly displaced an estimated 100,000 civilians in North Kivu, and has curtailed access for humanitarian aid agencies across the province. On September 25, the Enough Project -along with 82 other NGOs-released a statement on the humanitarian costs of faltering peace efforts.  This follow-up examines why those diplomatic efforts are failing and what steps the international community must immediately take to halt the violence and reinvigorate the peace process.   To read the full statement, click here To read the Congo Advocacy Coalition’s September 25 release, click here To join our Raise Hope for Congo Campaign and learn what you can do to help protect and empower Congolese women, click here

– Past Due: Remove the FDLR from Eastern Congo – Getting Serious about Ending Conflict and Sexual Violence in Congo

Check out the Enough Project’s website for our new Raise Hope for Congo