[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14075-14076]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         CONFLICT IN THE CONGO

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Madam President, I rise today to call my colleagues' 
attention to the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's 
Ituri Province. Recently, international attention has been focused on 
the alarming ethic violence in the region, where thousands have been 
killed in the past year. Credible reports suggest that over 50,000 
people have died in Ituri since 1999, and a half million more have been 
displaced. For years, this horror was lost in the larger tragedy of 
Congo's conflict, in which over 4 million people are estimated to have 
lost their lives.
  Clashes between Hema and Lendu militia forces in Ituri escalated 
recently as external actors fuel the fire with increasingly 
sophisticated arms and support, essentially waging proxy wars at the 
expense of Congolese civilians. The reports from the region are truly 
appalling, featuring horrific murders, mutilation, cannibalism, rape, 
and the use of child soldiers. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, 
which has no mandate or capacity to enforce peace, has been reduced to 
struggling to protect the civilians who have fled in desperation to 
U.N. sites in Bunia, but their capabilities are severely limited, and 
most civilians frantically searching for help and security are left 
with no help at all.

[[Page 14076]]

  Congo's suffering is more than a humanitarian crisis. It is a 
massively destabilizing force in Africa. The war has drawn in other 
states and provided lucrative opportunities for international 
criminals. We cannot forget that our security is at risk when these 
shadowy forces are making gains.
  The pattern of massive human rights abuses and constant 
destabilization has to stop. I recently offered an amendment to the 
foreign assistance authorization bill in the Foreign Relations 
Committee designed to bolster U.S. support for activities in central 
Africa aimed at pursuing justice and accountability, deterring abuses, 
and holding those responsible for such abuses accountable for their 
actions. That is one small step toward a constructive policy in the 
region over the longterm. But with regard to Ituri, the U.S. must take 
action urgently today.
  On May 30, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution authorizing 
the Secretary-General to reinforce the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the 
northeastern town of Bunia. France has agreed to lead the multinational 
force, and while our relationship with France has certainly not been an 
easy one lately, their leadership on this issue is admirable. The 
United States should provide all appropriate assistance to this 
mission, and I am grateful to be joined by Senator Alexander, Senator 
Biden, and Senator Lugar in making that point clear in communications 
to the administration.
  We have spent a great deal on MONUC to date, but if we do not take 
action to defuse this explosive situation, if we stand by and let 
militia forces rip apart the province in a struggle for power and 
mineral wealth, then I am at a loss as to how to explain this 
investment. The U.S. must also work closely with other international 
actors to move forward on a process of disarmament and a meaningful 
political solution to the conflict, so that the respite that may be 
offered by this new force is not short-lived. Perhaps most importantly, 
the U.S. must take concrete steps to insist that the government in 
Kinshasa and the governments of Rwanda and Uganda stop use their 
influence with the parties to stop the violence. We cannot simply stand 
by, reading reports of grotesque violence and massive suffering, and 
claim that there is nothing we can do. There is actually a great deal 
of work to be done. We should start today.

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