Reporting From the Front Lines in Congo

For a decade, Human Rights Watch has been a key source of information and commentary on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since August of this year, when active combat between the forces of renegade general Laurent Nkunda and the Congolese army resumed in eastern Congo, we have been working to reveal the great toll that it is taking on the lives of civilians. Our researchers have crossed the front lines in this volatile region to document the fate of those trapped in conflict zones, including the hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced by the conflict and remain unable to return home. Our expert Congo researchers have given countless interviews for such media and press outlets as the BBC, CNN, Newsweek, the Economist, and Le Monde. Our advocates, based in key capitals around the world, have been speaking directly to policy-makers to make the case for increased attention to the crisis. We worked with Congolese NGOs to draft a letter to the UN Security Council highlighting the urgent need to bolster peacekeepers in the region, and we were invited to brief the UN Security Council and the UN envoy to Congo on the topic. The Security Council responded positively, approving an increase of 3,000 troops. If they are the right kinds of troops—an issue we are now working on—they have the potential to make a real difference in protecting ordinary Congolese who are suffering in violent, insecure conditions. We have also worked with international mediators to ensure that protection of civilians is central to ongoing peace discussions. With our on-the-ground investigations, we also are seeking justice for the perpetrators of past crimes in eastern Congo. Last month, the ICC decided to proceed with the trial of Congolese rebel leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who is accused of using child soldiers. Another warlord, Gedeon Kyungu Mutaganga, is currently on trial before a Congolese military court in one of the largest war crimes trials in Congo’s history. Human Rights Watch has documented serious violations by both of these individuals. In 2009, we will continue following their trials, which are enormously significant for putting an end to Congo’s culture of impunity.