North Kivu: An Update from the “Great North”
North Kivu province is split into two administrative regions. The Petit Nord in the south and the Grand Nord in the north. Most of the violence that you read about in North Kivu happens in the Petit Nord, where the poorly integrated Congolese army, the FDLR, and other militias prey upon civilians. I traveled recently to Grand Nord to better understand the security situation there and the threats facing civilians ...
Field Dispatch: Walikale
Walikale territory, a vast and remote region of North Kivu, is scene of much of the fighting in Congo during the past year, and home to some of the region’s most lucrative mines. This is the second of two Field Dispatches looking at the crisis in eastern Congo ...
Field Dispatch: Tensions in North Kivu
The end of 2009 saw optimistic statements about the situation in Congo from both the United Nations and the Congolese government. However, my experience on the ground in North Kivu seemed to point to a different picture. This is the first of two field dispatches based on my travel to particularly contentious territories in the region ...
Protecting Victims And Witnesses of Sexual Violence Cases In Congo
In Bukavu, South Kivu, I attended a conference on the protection of witnesses and victims in cases of sexual violence, an issue in eastern Congo that raises more than one concern ...
Field Dispatch: Refugees Return in North Kivu
Here in North Kivu province, anxiety about the return of Congolese refugees from Rwanda has long been an especially contentious issue ...
Chanting ‘Yole’ (“All Together”) And Making It Real In Congo
The combination of years of conflict, natural disasters, and resource-rich land that is at once a boon and a driver of violence might lead one to believe that this region of Congo is cursed ...
Justice in Congo? A Case In Goma
I regularly interact with Congolese people who roll their eyes when I suggest they report a crime to the police or the army. Impunity has divided the population and the security apparatus; all that is left is skepticism and distrust. The investigation into the murder of businessman Albert Prigogine has taken on national significance and generated international press. But even in this spotlight, will justice be done? ...
Meeting with Congolese Organizations, Clinton Offers Glimpse into New U.S. Partnership
Goma, DRC – When a prominent figure like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton comes to a town like Goma in eastern Congo, many people want to use the opportunity to get their messages across. Goma has been a conflict zone for over a decade, so her visit was deemed a sign of U.S. involvement in the region and gave hope to many actors on the ground. But the official reason for her visit was to tackle the issue of sexual violence that has been plaguing the region largely under the international radar. Following official meetings with the Congolese Prime Minister ...