Source:  Congolese Women's Group
One has to question why the International Community has pursued a military path to “protect” civilians in Libya especially, considering that there is a far greater humanitarian crisis unfolding in the heart of Africa.

Read More For the past 15 years, nearly 10million people have perished in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 2 million women, men, girls and children violently raped, and mutilated, 2 million displaced, living in appalling conditions in the refugee camps, due to the ongoing conflict, which was triggered by U.S. and UK allies Rwanda and Uganda when they invaded Congo in 1996.

As the world focuses on the Western intervention in Libya under the guise of moral responsibility to protect the vulnerable, the global community must question the lack of action on the part of the IC when it comes to the millions dead in the Congo. The world apathy towards the DRC, where the humanitarian crisis is far greater than in Libya, leads one to question why the double standard in applying the principle of the responsibility to protect, especially considering that the Congo situation does not require a military solution but rather robust diplomatic and political action.

The suspicion many analysts share is that the International Community is quick to act against its enemies while providing cover for its allies, even if its allies are clearly culpable for committing mass atrocities, crimes against humanity and possible genocide, according to the recently published U.N. report called “U.N. Mapping Exercise Report.”

The DR Congo risks Ivorian-style Poll violence.

The vast and mineral-rich central African country is due to hold presidential elections on 28/11/ 2011. These elections could plunge the country into open conflict similar to that in Ivory Coast unless authorities shore up their preparations. The financial and logistical problems threaten to lead to a 'botched' poll that could all too easily become as violent as the Ivory Coast", International Crisis Group said in a statement.  The electoral dilemma the authorities face could spread to the streets.

With the opposition divided, Kabila, the incumbent president remains favourite to be re-elected, despite growing unpopularity over his obvious failure to tackle insecurity and corruption. Kabila regime is a complete disaster. His government faces the prospect of collapse. Popular disaffection has grown as a consequence of endemic corruption and a failure to provide broad and sustained economic growth. The possibility of widespread violence around national elections as well as the emergence of antigovernment movements could precipitate a major political and humanitarian crisis with destabilizing consequences for the region.

However, every person concerned should probe very seriously the critical question: Would the 2011 elections create the conditions that would establish the basis for the best possible future for the Congolese people?

The international community is supporting these elections, even though the conditions do not exist to conduct democratic elections. The objective reality is that the Congolese presidential elections should not be held within the current environment. What happened few years ago in Kosovo, and recently in Sudan, is not different from what is brewing in the Congo.  The country is governed from outside, Congolese people do not have the control over their country. Its corrupt political elite prefer to betray the privileged interests of the country to preserve their personal benefits. It is perfectly foreseeable that these elections would further entrench the very conflict it is supposed to end.

To read the Appeal document, please click here

 

 

• DRC