29 July 2008
(Goma, July 29, 2008) – Six months since the signing of a peace agreement, horrendous violence continues to plague the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a coalition of 64 a
Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Outline
“2.5 million people have been displaced and 40,000 women and girls have been raped.”
From 1998-2003, more than 4 million people lost their lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in the deadliest conflict since the Second World War.
The situation
The DRC is a vast country with enormous economic resources, but millions of its people live in extreme poverty and are at risk of disease and violence. Though a peace deal was signed in 2003, fighting is still taking a huge toll on civilians, especially in the east of the country.
What Oxfam is doing
Oxfam works in several camps to install emergency water supplies and treatment systems. It promotes hygiene and constructs latrines and showers.
Updates
18 June 2008
The five-year war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which involved the armies of five other countries, officially ended in 2003 and democratic elections were held in 2006.
16 June 2008
Oxfam today urged European leaders to do more to bring lasting peace in Eastern Congo as EU Foreign Ministers meet in Brussels to review the EU’s military and police reform mis
