DRC: Deja Vu, 1998

Amnesty International posted a petition calling for the U.S. to push the UN Security Council to prioritize the protection of civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (or the "Democratic? Republic of the Congo," as the popculturereference blog aptly puts it). The UNSC needs to strengthen its peacekeeping force, MONUC, to sufficient enough capacity to protect civilians caught in the crossfire of the DRC's multiple waring factions. Join the call.

As Michael wrote today in the Humanitarian Relief blog, the security situation in the eastern region of the country continues to deteriorate, despite previous cease fire declarations:

"Congolese soldiers rampaged through three towns north of Goma, looting and raping the civilian population.  The violence started Monday night, and continued on Tuesday in Kanyabayonga, Kaina and Kirumba as people fled into the surrounding forest.

"The UN reports that the soldiers were retreating from the frontline towns of Nyanzale and Kikuku, captured by the rebels last week, and 'were unhappy at the pull-out and were also unsettled by rumours of a rebel attack.'"

To make matters ever so slightly worse, history may be repeating itself: Angola announced its intention to send troops to support Congo's rag-tag military (unverified sources claim Angolan troops are already in the DRC), and there are rumors of Zimbabwe joining the fray (as if Bobby Mugabe doesn't have enough to do, beating his own population into submission), which is sure to make Rwanda just a touch unhappy. It's all horribly reminiscent of the last major multi-nation war that ripped through the DRC, from 1998 - 2002, which went a little something like this:

• Militias responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide seek refuge in the Eastern DRC (then Zaire), so Rwanda supports rebels, led by Laurent Kabila, to overthrow long-time crazy dictator, Mobutu Sese-Seko, in 1997. (And there was much rejoicing.)
• Kabila turns prodigal son and decides he's had enough Rwandan involvement in his government. So, naturally, Rwanda and Uganda invade in the East and support new rebel groups, while Angola, Zimbabwe, and Namibia come to Kabila's aid. Much looting, raping, and killing of civilians commences.
• Kabila is assassinated in 2001 and replaced by his son, Joseph, who pushes for peace talks. Agreements are signed, and various nations withdraw, in 2002. An estimated 3.8 million civilians died by the end of it.

It would be quite preferable if a catastrophic cross-continental conflict could be avoided, this time around.

(For further information on the history of conflict in the Congo, check out Wronging Rights, the ENOUGH Project, and the Genocide Intervention Network.)

[Photo from Reuters: Refugees in Congo watch a UN helicopter. The UN continues to debate sending peacekeepers into the wartorn African country despite a growing humanitarian disaster there.]