Congo seems to getting better. It probably has just least leveled off and ready to start the long climb up. But, will the economic crisis be another plague for the Congo and sub-saharan Africa?
US in Africa, Fanning the Flames or Putting out the Fire?
On the great continent of Africa, conflicts are raging in many nations while humanitarian crises like food security, poverty and disease accelerate. The U.S. professes a firm commitment to democracy in Africa but tends to look the other way on human rights issues depending on military, economic and political alliances. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will need to address complex issues in Africa including the conflicts in Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe.
The free market approach to Africa has not been successful and is made worse by the global economic crisis and rise in food costs. 87% of sub-Saharan Africans are making less than $2/day. Debt relief and reforming U.S. trade with Africa to be “fair” instead of “free” could go a long way to help stabilize African nations. U.S. aid is sorely needed to help relieve hunger and end violence in Africa, but the U.S. must consider the human rights abuses of the governments receiving U.S. assistance and allegiance to be credible in Africans’ eyes.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): The Second Congo War, also called Africa’s World War, has killed 2.7 million people since 2004, although it officially ended in June of 2003. The conflict is the world’s deadliest since World War II with an estimated 5.4 million people killed as of the end of 2008. The status of women is the DRC is volatile at best, with rape used as a weapon of war and many women enslaved by soldiers.
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