A network of African civil society and international organizations today called upon African Union states to use the AU’s upcoming session about the International Criminal Court to promote the court’s ability to prosecute the world’s worst crimes fairly and effectively.

The Congolese government's military operation in eastern Congo, Kimia II, backed by United Nations peacekeepers and aimed at neutralizing the threat from a Rwandan Hutu militia group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), has resulted in an unacceptable cost for the civilian population.

(New York, October 9, 2009) – The award of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama should encourage him to apply his stated principles to both foreign and domestic human rights policy.

Southern African leaders should press Zimbabwe's power-sharing government to end ongoing human rights violations and to implement legal reforms.

In this question and answer dossier, Human Rights Watch explains a number of aspects of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including who is fighting whom, the humanitarian situation, killings and other human rights abuses, sexual violence, UN peacekeeping, financial assistance, and others.

Killings and brutal sexual violence against women, girls and also men have massively increased in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since the start of military operations in January 2009.

The UN Security Council should urgently establish a high-level post to fill a leadership gap relating to women and armed conflict. A special representative of the secretary-general assigned to this issue would be able to push for protection against sexual violence and to promote equal participation by women in peace talks.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should emphasize human rights on her seven-nation trip to Africa.