Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Stuck in Limbo
By Javier Pérez de la Cruz International coverage of the Democratic Republic of Congo often focuses either on scenes of horror playing out in the eastern parts of the country, or the urban chaos of its capital, Kinshasa. “For me, it was also this whole middle ground of the daily life: a post office worker, a fireman, […]
Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in Conflict
By Tom Adams On Tuesday 3 June, with just a week to go until the start of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Frontline Club hosted a fully booked event on preventing and responding to sexual violence in conflict, with specialist reference to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in Conflict
On 10 June, world leaders and NGOs will gather in London for a global summit with the aim to create “irreversible momentum against sexual violence in conflict and practical action that impacts those on the ground”. Ahead of the summit, we will be joined by a panel of speakers who have been working towards this aim for many years. They will be discussing what needs to be done to make it a reality.
Screening: Justice for Sale + Q&A
Justice for Sale raises questions about the role of the international community and non-governmental organisations within the Congolese judicial system. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Femke van Velzen moderated by Sandra Whipham from BRITDOC.
Bang Bang Bang: a special preview reading at the Frontline Club
A seasoned human rights defenders and her idealistic young colleague embark on a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. For Mathilde it’s an induction into a life less ordinary. For Sadhbh it’s back to madness and chaos away from her lover and London – exactly as she likes it.
A special preview reading of Bang Bang Bang, which is coming to the Royal Court Theatre in October.
Rwanda Finally Ditches Nkunda
So General Laurent Nkunda has been arrested in Rwanda. About time too. His thuggish rebellion scattered 250,000 people in the last months of 2008 as he flexed his muscles and played games with the lives of the families he claimed to represent. There are still questions to be answered – will Rwanda hand over […]
My African Predictions for 2009
This year I lost $200 in bets on the US presidential election and remain committed to swimming naked to Tuti island in the middle of the Nile on my next visit to Khartoum. That is not enough to stop me making a few more predictions of the events that will shape the African news agenda […]
Finding Peace in Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic
How much time do you give peace negotiations that involve such slippery characters as Joseph Kony and Yoweri Museveni. Or Laurent Nkunda and Joseph Kabila. Or Somalia where the Shabab is not even involved. And don’t get me started on Darfur. Well time has run out for the Ugandan peace process. After two years, numerous […]
New Rebel Group in DRC
Just when you thought you had a handle on what was happening among the myriad militia groupings in the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Independent reports the emergence of a new rebel army The findings of collaboration with the Tutu rebels by the Rwandan government came on the same day that some of its leaders […]
Who’d Have Thought It?
Certainly not Tony Blair, Paul Kagame’s new best friend and adviser, who has said Rwanda does not control Laurent Nkunda and his rebel army. Nor Foreign Office minister Lord Mark Malloch-Brown who told me exactly the same thing in Goma last month Lord Malloch-Brown said the region’s rich tin ore and coltan seams were a […]
For Sale: Lord’s Resistance Army feature
Earlier this year photographer Kate Holt and I chartered a plane to fly from Dungu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the tiny village of Doruma which was recovering from repeated attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army. We found people living in fear of the next assault, as LRA raiding parties roamed the jungle […]
Nkunda’s At It Again
It’s 10 days or so since I left Goma and I see that it remains business as usual. A bunch of thugs are still trying to hold an equally thuggish government to ransom and the media continues to give General Laurent Nkunda far more credit than he’s due… General Nkunda and UN special envoy, Olusegun […]
Go Animal Early
Mapima, a baby chimp, was rescued from a Congolese army commander and a life of misery. Pic credit: Kate Holt Jolted out of my Congo cynicism by a features editor who wasn’t convinced by my gorilla pitch. “Rob,” she said, “with a quarter of a million people displaced by this fighting isn’t it, erm, a […]
My Base in Goma
The Ihusi Hotel, Goma The Ihusi Hotel, nestled on the shores of Lake Kivu, is gradually emptying out. Those of you who may have been worried about my safety/comfort during my time here in Goma will be relieved to know that I have a lake view and have enjoyed omelette avec fromage et jambon each […]
Nkunda’s Media War
Laurent Nkunda and Olesegun Obasanjo inspect rebel troops So I made my way up into the rebel-held hills at the weekend to seek out General Laurent Nkunda, the renegade Tutsi general, who has helped bring a fresh wave of misery to Congo’s embattled people. Yesterday he was meeting the UN’s new peace envoy, Olesegun Obasanjo, […]
Who’s Winning?
Children at Kibati Camp, near Goma. Credit: Kate Holt The conflict here in Goma is a meaningless mess. Laurent Nkunda claims his gunmen are protecting ethnic Tutsis from the attentions of Hutu militias – the former Interahamwe, responsible for the worst abuses in the Rwandan genocide. The government says he is a terrorist, and points […]
The Roads in and out of Goma
A government soldier on the road out of Goma with his pet, James The road into Goma twists and turns through the hills of Rwanda until you drop down through the mist to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The flat waters of Lake Kivu stretch into the distance giving the lakeside hotels […]
Congo’s Forgotten Conflict in the Limelight
Got to be honest, I’m not too sure what to make of recent coverage of the troubles in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The story shows no sign of disappearing off the world news schedules just yet… and yesterday the BBC propelled it right back up to the top again. Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda […]
Devils and Details
George Clooney’s people have still not contacted my people over the great “Put Up or Shut Up” debate he proposed last year. George has now at least been to Darfur (albeit for about 24 hours before being struck down by diarrhoea and having to be smuggled back to the comforts of the Rotana Hotel in […]
It’s What Jesus Would Have Wanted
Dungu Bridge, one of the structures left behind by Belgian rule in the Congo OK, I give in. The Church – and the Catholic Church in particular – has its uses. I’d prefer the poor of Africa to spend their money on themselves rather than giving it to their priests. But that’s an argument I’m […]
Congo’s Crumbling Castle
Dungu Castle The castle looms up out of the jungle, overlooking a muddy river which bisects the town. You can just imagine the soirees on the lawn which runs down to the riverbank. Talk would have been of that day’s hunting while couples danced to music from a gramophone in the shimmering light from flaming […]
