Congo slaughter appeal

Amnesty International has launched an urgent appeal to end arms supplies to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, stop the killing and torture of civilians and bring those guilty of human rights abuses to justice

In recent weeks, killings have spiralled in Ituri and Kivu provinces, where renewed fighting has exacerbated an already terrible humanitarian situation. In Ituri, thousands of civilians have been killed and tens of thousands more forced to flee conflict between ethnic militia.

The war in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a human rights and humanitarian crisis of vast proportions. Since August 1998, at least 3.3 million people are estimated to have died because of the conflict, most from disease and starvation. More than 2.25 million people have been driven from their homes, many of them beyond the reach of humanitarian agencies.

Armed groups have aimed ruthless violence directly at civilian communities, especially in rural areas. Villages throughout the east have been attacked, their inhabitants killed, raped, beaten or driven into the countryside. In many areas, homes, fields, health centres, food stores, everything that survival depends on, have been looted or laid waste.

The governments of DRC, Rwanda and Uganda are sponsoring the violence through their patronage of the armed groups responsible. All the groups use child soldiers and have committed appalling human rights abuses. Despite this, the three governments have continued to supply weapons, equipment, training and other forms of military and political support.

The deployment of an emergency UN multinational force in May 2003 has calmed the situation in the town of Bunia but not in the rest of Ituri, and its mandate will expire in September. AI fears that the permanent UN military mission (MONUC) in the area will be unable to avert a dramatic escalation in violence or provide effective protection to civilians.

Please help by signing the Amnesty International Petition.

Note: This article was published by JUST Response on August 3 2003. It first appeared in Amnesty International under the title "DRC: Stop the slaughter now". We express our grateful acknowledgement to Amnesty International.

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