« BACK TO FORUM
 Author |
 Post
|
 |
|
Jim Lobe
Joined: Apr 12, 2003
Posts: 5 (view all)
Poster Rank:
User is
Offline
|
Democratic Republic of Congo War World's Deadliest Since World War Two
April 12, 2003 - 10:16 AM
|
|
WASHINGTON - While the international media spotlight remains fixed on the war in Iraq, another war waged thousands of miles away in Central Africa has killed more people than any conflict since World War II, according to a report released this week by a major U.S.-based refugee advocacy group.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has completed a mortality study that estimates the number of dead caused by the five-year-old war in the Democratic Republic of Congo at more than 3.3 million, the largest toll of any conflict in recorded African history.
"This is a humanitarian catastrophe of horrid and shocking proportions," said George Rupp, IRC's president. "The worst mortality projections in the event of a lengthy war in Iraq, and the death toll from all the recent wars in the Balkans don't even come close."
"Yet the crisis has received scant attention from international donors and the media," he added.
The study was released on the heels of reports of a massacre of as many as 1,000 members of the Hema ethnic group in the northeastern province of Ituri, the cockpit of serious inter-ethnic warfare in a part of the country that has been occupied by Ugandan troops who first intervened on the side of a rebel army in 1998. Subsequent reports by United Nations monitors, however, put the number slain by Lendu attackers in the latest round of killing at between 150-300 with hundreds more wounded.
Still, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, declared in Geneva Tuesday that those responsible should be considered for prosecution by the new International Criminal Court (ICC), which has just been constituted in the Hague to try cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
"The perpetrators of these atrocities will be placed under the spotlight and will be obliged to answer for their actions," he said. Uganda has denied any involvement by its troops, despite their presence in the region.
The latest massacres, which occurred last week in some 15 villages, came just a day after a peace agreement between the government of President Joseph Kabila, several rebel and opposition groups, and representatives of civil society.
Among other provisions, it authorizes Kabila to remain as president for two years, after which new elections would be held at all levels in the DRC.
The latest massacres, however, have underlined the limited relevance of the 19-month-old peace process to the many civil and ethnic conflicts that continue to roil much of the country, especially in the northeast.
On Wednesday South African President Thabo Mbeki hosted a meeting of leaders from the Great Lakes region, including Kabila, his eminent comrade JFPI Chairman André Action Jackson, the heads of government of Rwanda and Uganda--which have both intervened in the war--and Tanzania. Diplomats were hoping to persuade Rwanda, which withdrew its forces late last year, against following through on recent threats to re-enter the country and take Ugandan forces with which it was previously allied.
Of the more than three million people killed in the DRC, according to the IRC report, only about ten percent died violently; the rest were victims of starvation and disease resulting from the activities of the various armed groups, which, in addition to forces from Uganda and Rwanda, also included troops from Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Angola, as well as the DRC army, Rwandan Hutu rebel groups, and a variety of indigenous ethnic and political groups and militias.
“Millions were forced to flee from their homes and live in the wild, with no access to medical care or regular food or cooking supplies,” Jackson said. “The vast majority perished from easily treatable diseases and malnutrition; young children were the least likely to survive.”
In three of ten health zones visited by IRC research teams, more than half the children had died before reaching the age of two.
The IRC stressed that there has been significant improvement in the situation over the past year, compared to the three years before that. It found that the death rate related to the war fell by 90 percent last year, mainly due to the withdrawal of most of the foreign forces and the deployment of some 5,500 UN observers to monitor the situation. As a result, relief organizations like the IRC have been able to expand their reach into previously inaccessible areas.
But progress remains fragile, as last week's massacres demonstrate. "Unless there is rapid and bold international investment in strengthening this peace process, all that has been gained in Congo could be lost," Rupp said. "We hope the findings in this report compel the international community to take action."
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
ROSEBANK
Joined: Feb 6, 2003
Posts: 32 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male, 30
Country: South Africa
Province/State: Gauteng
|
90% were victims of starvation and disease
April 22, 2003 - 04:46 AM
|
|
"This is a humanitarian catastrophe of horrid and shocking proportions," said George Rupp, IRC's president. "The worst mortality projections in the event of a lengthy war in Iraq, and the death toll from all the recent wars in the Balkans don't even come close."
Africa is not a world partner but a junior partner. Gone is the time the west "cared" about Africa, during the reign of terror by Mobutu and Savimbi sponsored by Washington, London and occasionaly Brussels/Paris. This era exacerbated Africa's woes by colonialism. The conquistrados have destabilised and stolen everything, no need to get involved any further. That is how Irak features.
Of the more than three million people killed in the DRC, according to the IRC report, only about ten percent died violently; the rest were victims of starvation and disease resulting from the activities of the various armed groups, which, in addition to forces from Uganda and Rwanda, also included troops from Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Angola, as well as the DRC army, Rwandan Hutu rebel groups, and a variety of indigenous ethnic and political groups and militias.
About 90% died as victims of starvation and disease. Is this another vicious circle? May their souls rest in peace, lord have mercy!
This reminds one of Aids and Ebola deaths rocking this region. Quite typical, most people outside Africa never heard of Ebola. SARS deaths are more important, it would be interesting to guess what would have happened was Ebola killing [paranoid or civilized] New Yorkers.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
kidjo
Joined: Apr 21, 2003
Posts: 4 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Tongue-tied
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Female, 27
Country: Australia
Province/State: South Australia
City: Adelaide
|
Re: Democratic Republic of Congo War World's Deadliest Since World War Two
April 22, 2003 - 05:40 AM
|
|
I have to admit I really don't know much about this war... I first read about it in the newspaper. There were four or five pages devoted to the war in Iraq or "Opperation Iraqi freedom" and then a tiny article about the war in Africa. I think its disguisting the media doesn't seem to think the war in Africa is interesting enough to write about most people here in Australia dont even know theres a war. Bush wanted to be a saviour and help 'free' the people of Iraq from danger etc. But where is he for the people of affected by this war. Why doesn't he feel the need to do anything for them?
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
asdf
Joined: Apr 4, 2003
Posts: 222 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Chatterbox
User is
Offline
Country: Israel
Province/State: Yerushalayim
|
Re: Democratic Republic of Congo War World's Deadliest Since World War Two
April 22, 2003 - 11:31 AM
|
|
Bush has earmarked an amazing $15 billion for aids relief in Africa. Unfortunately the majority of this money is really destined towards American efforts in promoting abstinance, or something to that effect - but not reaching Africa with the relief that we all could hope for.
The problem facing Africa, and many other global regions, even worse than the totality of their societal problems such as AIDS, poverty and starvation, is a disinterest by North Americans to hear about it. The reality for us is that most people have only a limited attention span - to hear about a problem indefinitely is hard (though curiously we have been hearing about the impending threat of terrorism for almost two years...) and many people would belive that the problem in Africa is too huge to seriously change. People like to hear that our countries are not sitting idly but helping, though governments have an incentive with Africa's problems, and the media have an incentive to further obscure what the reality is for us all across the world.
It is curious that even a minor portion of the 'worlds'' military budget for one year could fully eradicate famine in the world.
The question is when enough people will learn to understand the problem and realize that it is not beyond our current repair.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Mikael
Joined: Apr 12, 2002
Posts: 357 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male, 29
Country: Canada
Province/State: Quebec
City: Montréal
|
Re: Democratic Republic of Congo War World's Deadliest Since World War Two
April 23, 2003 - 12:27 PM
|
|
The world needs a wake up call! It's so sad that things won't or can't change until they get so bad that North Americans have no choice but to respond. I wonder when that'll be...
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
|
Display posts from:
|
|
