In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a complicated civil war continues to broil, despite the signing of the Lusaka peace accord in July 1999. An unofficial front line diagonally cuts the country in two, as heavy artillery and bombings cause thousands in the West of the country to flee in late 2000. Smallerscale attacks, arson and massacres have displaced hundreds of thousands in Province Orientale and North and South Kivu. Neither the DRC government, the rebels, nor their backers in neighbouring countries, show any sign of fully implementing the accord. The international community is essentially ignoring what has been deemed ‘Africa’s first world war.’ The DRC remains a forgotten emergency. Falling outside of the media spotlight, and experiencing persistent shortfalls in pledged humanitarian aid, the population of the DRC has been largely abandoned to struggle for their own survival.
