The 2006 election in the Democratic Republic of Congo was supposed to usher in a new period of peace and stability for the beleaguered, exhausted Congolese people. Instead, it made one of the country's most intractable problems worse.
Giving a human face to Congo’s conflict
Published December 4, 2008
The conflict in Congo is too complicated to explain in a five-minute video, so we've left most of the context out in order to focus on Pascal's story. For more background on the recent fighting, check out my Q&A on history, rebels and crisis in eastern Congo.
I've been reporting on DRC for five years now, and there's nothing that frustrates me more than the dismissive comments I often get about how conflict in Africa is endemic.
Violence is rarely irrational — it almost always has root causes that can be addressed. We're often just too busy or lazy to learn enough about a situation to figure out how.
Given the extent of the outside world's involvement in Congo over the last century, I am of the school that says we owe it to Pascal, Vestine, their two children and the millions who are suffering in Congo to try.
Contributor Michael J. Kavanagh reported for Worldfocus last year on the crisis in eastern Congo. He's currently based in the DR Congo's capital, Kinshasa.
Journalist Michael J. Kavanagh reported on the Crisis in Congo for Worldfocus last year.
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Grantee
Michael J. Kavanagh is a journalist based in Kinshasa and New York who reports on conflict and post-conflict development issues around the world, with a special focus on Africa. His radio and...
