WHY WORLD IGNORES CONGO CRISIS

Resource-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has long been overrun by armed groups seeking a share of the region’s strategic natural resources and carrying out massacres in the process. Over 120 militias are currently active in the region.

With an estimated 7-million Congolese internally displaced (many of whom are beyond the reach of aid), countless killed, masses in poverty and swathes of the population exploited in slave-like conditions for decades, the world rarely hears anything about it.

That’s in sharp contrast to global coverage of, for example, the war in Ukraine, which is still making front pages around the world.

Kinshasa told UN peacekeeping forces to leave DRC after it accused them of failing to resolve the conflict, despite more than two decades in the country. Since then, the carnage in eastern Congo has only worsened, even though South Africa stepped in with 2,000 troops.

Why isn’t the suffering of African people taken seriously? Why isn’t the plight of the Congolese getting as much global attention as that of Ukrainians, say?

Our man Erick Gavala reports from the ground. Your thoughts and insights in the comments are always welcome.