Countries
Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a State of Central Africa. The President is Joseph Kabila, elected in 2006.

Between 2004 and 2008 the country was scourged by the conflict between the government and the rebels, reaching  the highest intensity at the end of 2008 with the intervention of the Rwanda Patriotic Front, of a Un mission and of the armies of Angola and Zimbabwe.

Two recent military campaigns, in the eastern and northern areas of the country,  has brought on a dramatic increase in the violence against civilians, from both governmental forces and rebels. Homicides, rapes, recruitment of children as child soldiers and evictions have reached exceedingly high levels,  often obliging people to return to non secure areas in search for food.

The government has announced a zero tolerance policy towards human rights abuses by soldiers, but the arrests have been few, while instead violent attacks against human rights defenders and journalists has continued throughout the country. The government has done little to relieve the poverty or reconstruct destroyed infrastructures.