DRC's heart-rending history

InterAction: American Council for Voluntary International Action has a well-written, heart-rending summary  history of the D.R.Congo since 1994.  You may also want to read:

• Congolese children still main victims of conflict
• Reasons for hope in D.R. Congo

DRC election-related articles

Here are a couple of links to articles related to the upcoming elections in D.R. Congo:

• DRC election: risks, opportunity
• D.R. Congo: Election Poses Dangers for Street Children

BBC's Focus on Africa

Jeff Hoover let us know about some recent stories in the BBC "Focus on Africa" magazine.

• "Kabila's Kingdom" - With elections coming in June, this is a timely article.
• "Law of the Jungle"

UN Humantiarian Action Plan for DRC

The United Nations launched the 2006 Humanitarian Action Plan for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in February, 2006. Read the UN's report about the statement by Jan Egeland, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coodinator.  [IRIN news is produced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humatitarian Affairs.]

Congolese reality a harsh one

"I had never seen a child die of malnutrition, another harsh dose of Congolese reality," said Dr. Robert Bradley. Bradley was one of 17 medical personnel from the western U.S. -- all members of the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) team that travelled to Mulungwishi in May of 2005. He also praised the value of the weekly nutrition program that Lori Persons runs at the Seminary.

• Read the full article, "A Dose of Congolese Reality," at GBGM

Health conditions in Central Africa

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a Travelers' Health series of pages, including this on on health in Central Africa.  You can get a feel for the conditions there by reading through their description of precautions for travelers.

Congo's problems

James Traub, in his July 3, 2005 article in the NY Times, "The Congo Case", lays out the historical and present political and social problems in the D.R. Congo. He said, "Few Congolese have access to roads, eletricity, clean water, medical care or almost any other public services". The article is very enlightening, including about the UN role in D.R. Congo. [Viewing this article requires a free registration.]