Several years of conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. According to the International Rescue Committee, 1,000 people are dying every day in this region of the world, mostly from hunger and disease. More than 3.8 million have dies in the last 6 years since fighting began in 1998.

The Congo in 2006

Violent conflict persists today in eastern DRC and has escalated recently as a result of the failure to disarm Rwanda Hutu militiamen and the continued existence of other armed groups- sometimes supported by outside countries that control geographic areas and access to rich mineral resources. Most recently violence has flared in Katanga province where the army is fighting to put down local militia groups. According to reports by the UN group of experts and numerous international NGOs, the DRC’s diverse natural resources, including diamonds, gold, coltan, cassiterite, cobalt, copper and timber, have played a major role in funding the conflict in the DRC, and in undermining efforts to promote peace, stability and economic development in the country.

While substantial progress has been made in the transition to democracy, for example, the parliament has adopted a new constitution that was approved in a national referendum in December 2005, the pace of the transition has been very slow. Elections that were originally scheduled for June 2005 have now been scheduled for the end of April 2006 with a final round slated for June 2006. The delays have been a major cause of anger and frustration for the population that longs for peace and stability and believes elections and democracy can help bring this to them. Many believe the various factions of the transitional government have purposely dragged their feet so they can stay in power and continue to enrich themselves.

Because of the war and the previous decades of neglect under Mobutu, life today for the average Congolese is extremely difficult. The DRC is one of the poorest countries with an average daily income of 27 cents per person. About 11% of the Congolese children die before their birthday and life expectancy is less than 50 years. The DRC has one of the worst transportation and communication infrastructures on the continent, leaving the majority of Congolese completely isolated from health services, educational opportunities, markets and information. Over two million Congolese have been displaced from their homes due to the conflict, denying them access to their fields and livelihoods, while schools and hospitals have fallen into severe disrepair, most of them lacking essential equipment and staff.

Recent updates of research by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) shows that over 1200 people per day- 38,000 per month, continue to dies, above and beyond the normal mortality rate, due to the effects of the conflict. The UN has called DRC “a neglected catastrophe, a silent but deadly disaster.”

The population has manifested its great desire for a new order by overwhelming voting yes in December 2005 to a new constitution for the country. And with elections now on the calendar for April and June 2006, the Congolese Catholic Church and the Congolese people believe that the changes that elections and a new government can bring will usher in a new era of hope for the Congo.

What the U.S. Government and International Community Can Do

Press the leaders in the Congo to make a full unequivocal commitment to the transition and the new electoral calendar. The parliament must pass essential electoral laws. The international community must ensure that adequate resources are committed and disburse to support the elections, that government and civil society civic education efforts continue to educate the population, and that an effective system for monitoring the elections is put in place. Elections are not an end in themselves, however, and will not solve all of Congo’s problems, so the international community will have to sustain its support after the elections to consolidate and stabilize the gains that elections will bring.

Support the Congolese government with urgent efforts to establish a national unified army. Violence continues in areas in the east and security cannot be established without a national army and police force with a presence throughout the country. All militia groups in the East must be fully armed and demobilized with the full support of the UN Peacekeeping force (known as MONUC).

Address the issue of conflict resources by pressing the DRC and neighboring governments to increase transparency and natural resource governance, and pushing to include the monitoring of natural resource exploitation in the mandate of MONUC.

Increase humanitarian aid. Current levels of international humanitarian assistance for the DRC are insufficient. Basic needs are not being met. Mortality rates continue at a staggering level. In particular, urgent additional funding is needed for:

• Infrastructure development, logistics and communications. To get humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable, donors must not only provide funds for humanitarian and post-conflict recover assistance, but for logistical and communications support, and for rural transport infrastructure to facilitate humanitarian access.
• The special needs of women and children. Because of the high prevalence of sexual abuse and the use of sexual violence as a tool of war against women and children, careful donor attention should be given to mitigate these effects. Interventions responding to this should include psychosocial counseling, HIV/AIDS voluntary counseling and testing, and other services.

CRS has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo at various times since its independence from Belgium in 1960. The agency has been forces to discontinue its work in the country on three occasions; the last reopening of the CRS/Congo office was in 1993. CRS addresses the needs of the country’s isolated, rural communities by managing over a dozen projects in the following areas: Community Health, Emergency Response (both war-related and natural emergencies, justice and peace, and food security).

The bipartisan Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, co-sponsored by Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mike DeWine (R-OH), aims to get the U.S. government involved in helping to end the crisis in this country. Several faith-based and humanitarian organizations, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS), support this important legislation. In the coming weeks, we will provide you with more information about this bill and opportunities to act.