[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 153 (Wednesday, October 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S10633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           REPUBLIC OF CONGO

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I am deeply concerned by the 
deteriorating humanitarian situation in the eastern and northeastern 
regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the east, the FDLR 
rebels have deliberately and brutally targeted civilians in response to 
a new military offensive, while the Congolese military--an 
undisciplined force now including several former militias--has also 
targeted civilians with killings, rapes, and looting amidst ongoing 
operations. Last week, a coalition of 84 humanitarian agencies released 
a report stating that more than 1,000 civilians have been killed and 
nearly 900,000 displaced in eastern Congo since January. In addition, 
the United Nations reports that there have been over 5,000 cases of 
rape in South Kivu Province in the first 6 months of this year alone, 
and that number is increasing. With the offensive continuing and the 
onset of the dry season, the level of violence is likely to increase in 
the months ahead.
  Meanwhile, Doctors without Borders reported last week that hundreds 
of thousands of people in northeastern Congo are fleeing from renewed 
attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army. For two decades, the LRA 
operated in northern Uganda and southern Sudan, but they have shifted 
their base of operations in recent years into northeastern Congo. This 
year, facing renewed pressure from a cross-border Ugandan military 
offensive, the LRA have scaled up their attacks on civilians, killing 
an estimated 1,200 Congolese and abducting 1,500 in the first 6 months 
alone. Ongoing Ugandan military operations have reportedly had some 
success, but the LRA leader Joseph Kony continues to evade capture and 
his forces exploit the region's porous borders. The Congolese military 
has deployed new forces to the northeast, but their inability to 
protect civilians from the LRA and their own abuses against civilians 
have only made things worse.
  Over the last decade, the people of eastern Congo have already lived 
through violent conflict and humanitarian crisis. According to the best 
estimates, more than 5.4 million people have been killed, making this 
the single deadliest conflict since the Second World War. Millions have 
been displaced from their homes, forced to live in squalid conditions. 
Women and girls and even some men and boys in the Congo have endured 
horrific levels of sexual violence. Yet, rather than coming to an end 
of this nightmare, I am worried that Congo is now entering another 
chapter of it. Without a clear and viable plan for civilian protection, 
continuing military operations and deployments will likely lead to 
further reprisal attacks by armed groups and greater displacement. At 
the same time, without real progress to demilitarize the economy and 
reform the Congolese military, any security gains are likely to be 
short-lived.
  I was very pleased that Secretary Clinton chose to travel to eastern 
Congo during her trip to Africa in August and pledged $17 million in 
new funds to address the sexual violence there. I also know the State 
Department has been exploring ways to build on her historic visit. And 
last week, the United States hosted meetings with our European and U.N. 
partners under the auspices of the Great Lakes Contact Group to discuss 
our collective efforts going forward. This is all well and good. I hope 
the international community will take immediate steps to bolster 
civilian protection and humanitarian access in both the east and 
northeast. But as we go forward, we also need to finally get serious 
about pressing regional governments to address the underlying causes of 
the conflict: the continued plunder and militarized trade of eastern 
Congo's rich mineral base, the region's porous and unregulated borders, 
outside support of armed groups, and the lack of accountability and 
discipline in the Congolese army.
  Addressing these issues will not be easy. But continuing to rely on 
half-measures and focusing on the symptoms offer little hope of ending 
Congo's crises. It is time for a comprehensive and concerted 
international effort toward the Congo and the Great Lakes Region of 
Africa, and I am confident that there is no better administration in 
recent history to lead such an effort. President Obama has already 
demonstrated his commitment to and understanding of this issue with his 
work on the DRC Relief, Security and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006. 
Secretary Clinton was reportedly the most senior U.S. Government 
official to ever visit eastern Congo. And finally, Johnnie Carson is 
perhaps the most experienced Assistant Secretary for African Affairs 
that we have ever had. Together, we have an opportunity to reverse the 
trends and address Congo's crises--both in the east and with the LRA--
and I hope we will seize it. For Africa, few achievements could be more 
important for the sake of regional stability and saving lives.

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