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UN Report on Congo Raises the Possibility of Genocide
September 9, 2010
Leaked to the press on August 26, a draft report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights -- which assesses human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) -- has drawn international attention for asserting that invading Rwandan troops (APR) and their rebel allies, the AFDL, killed tens of thousands of Hutu, including many civilians, across eastern Zaire (former DRC) in 1996 and 1997. The violence, the report concludes, could be classified as genocide.
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Untangling the Complexities: Background to the Congo
January 6, 2010
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has suffered two wars since 1996. At its height, the second war involved the armies from seven African nations and multiple rebel groups. According to the International Rescue Committee, an estimated 5.4 million people died between 1998 and 2008, most from preventable diseases as a result of the collapse of infrastructure, lack of food security, displacement, and destroyed health-care systems. The formal conclusion of the war in 2003 did not bring an end to conflict in the region.
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Online Galleries Focusing on Regions at Risk Demonstrate the Power of Photography
November 9, 2009
With the power to capture the complexities of life in a single image, photography plays two unique, distinct, and tremendously important roles in genocide prevention and response. Photographs provide visual evidence so the world can know and remember; they also allow us to understand. By looking at a photograph, we bear witness to the emotions, relationships, and implications of that single moment. In the words of photographer, Ron Haviv, this "time to contemplate, time to absorb, time to put yourself into that situation" has the potential to influence a human being to not only reflect, but also act.
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Secretary Hillary Clinton Visits Eastern Congo
August 12, 2009
In an unprecedented visit by an American secretary of state, Hillary Clinton visited Goma in eastern Congo this week, in order to call attention to the region's ongoing conflict, which is marked by extreme brutality and widespread sexual violence. Secretary Clinton's visit comes admit increased concern for the region, as hope vanishes that the combined Rwandan-Congolese operation launched last January against rebel groups would finally bring an end to the violence.
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Genocide Prevention Rather Than Response Gains Favor in Policy Circles
May 23, 2009
John Heffernan discusses his recent trip to the Congo and the importance of genocide prevention in an editorial piece (external link) published on May 22 in the Huffington Post:
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Rwanda’s Genocide: 15 Years Later
April 10, 2009
April 7, 2009 marked the 15th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. Joined by an international audience, Rwandans across the country gathered to commemorate the deaths of between 500,000 and a million Rwandans, predominantly Tutsis, over 100 days in 1994. President Paul Kagame spoke about the need to remember, but also of the future he is trying to build for the country: “This is the constant underlying message: that while we must remember the past, history, events, and facts – we must also remember to shape our future.”
