Congo: War and Atrocities Escalate

Congo: War and Atrocities Escalate
Laurent Nkunda (Reuters, 2004)
Congo: War and Atrocities Escalate
Laurent Nkunda (Reuters, 2004)

Congo: War and Atrocities Escalate

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Laurent Nkunda, the rebel leader on the offensive in eastern Congo, has threatened to overthrow the government in Kinshasa. Many neighboring countries don’t want to see that happen. Angola announced yesterday that it’s prepared to send troops to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Eyewitnesses told the BBC that Angolan and Zimbabwean troops were already on the ground.

These are the same players who took part in the devastating five-year Congolese war that ended in 2003. All this is unfolding, despite the presence of the largest U.N. peacekeeping force in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since August. The U.N. wants 3,000 more troops deployed, but the Security Council has not responded.

Jerome spoke with Alison Des Forges, a Senior Africa Advisor for Human Rights Watch

(Click here for the Human Rights Watch web page on Congo.)