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Posts Tagged ‘Congo’

Update on Violence in Eastern Congo

The presidents of Congo and Rwanda have signed an agreement calling for an international military force to root out the current rebellion in eastern DRC. According to a Reuters report yesterday, the agreement came out of a meeting of leaders from the Great Lakes region in connection with an African Union summit in Addas Ababa, Ethiopia. Presidents Joseph Kabila and Paul Kagame also met one-on-one at AU headquarters, in connection with the Great Lakes session.

Map of region, BBC

According to Reuters, “Kabila, Kagame and the other Great Lakes presidents condemned ‘in the strongest terms the actions of the M23 and other negative forces operating in the region and support the efforts deployed by the government of the DRC for the restoration of peace and security in North Kivu province,’ according to the declaration from the meeting seen by Reuters. Endorsing Thursday’s security pact, the leaders also condemned a separate eastern rebellion by predominantly Hutu insurgents and agreed to ‘work with the AU and the UN for an immediate establishment of a neutral international force to eradicate’ all armed groups in eastern Congo.”

The fuller account is well worth reading: “Congo, Rwanda presidents sign up to anti-rebel pact.” The BBC also has a good report online: “Rwanda and DRC ‘agree on international border force.’” Both articles treat the important question of where the international force will come from, as well as giving helpful perspectives on the history of violence in this region.

Just to be clear: the area talked about here, where violence involving various groups has continued past the end of the second Congolese war in 2003, is on the opposite side of the country from the Ubangi region, where the Paul Carlson Partnership is at work. Our area has been mostly calm since ’03, with only one brief outbreak near the region significant enough to worry about in these nine years.

SAJ 16 Jul 2012

New Rebellion in Eastern Congo

Photo: BBC/AP

A new rebellion has been tearing the North and South Kivu provinces apart, again, though you may not have seen anything about it in the U.S. news media. This current uprising is by men who had been part of a rebel group in earlier struggles in the area and were subsequently incorporated into Congo’s national army. If that sounds like a risky proposition, it was. In April a group of these soldiers broke away and began advancing through the Kivus, fighting against the army they had just left. They are commanded by Bosco Ntaganda, also known as “Terminator,” a notorious thug who was second to Thomas Lubanga. If you recognize Lubanga’s name, it’s probably because he was recently sentenced by the International Criminal Court to 14 years in prison for war crimes. Ntaganda has also been indicted by the ECC.

Earlier this week the rebels–who call themselves M23 after the date of a failed peace treaty–threatened to invade the city of Goma, North Kivu, “if attacks against civilians in the city do not stop,” according to the BBC account. If that statement sounds totally inside out, just remember, this is Congo, where things do not have to make any sense where military force is involved. United Nations peace-keeping troops were moving to Goma to protect the city, and the rebels later denied that they intended to try to take that target. Meanwhile, an estimated 200,000 new refugees have been created by this upheaval.

Photo: BBC/Reuters

There are two quite good articles that I recommend if you want to get a quick but insightful picture of what’s going on this time. The first is on the BBC’s website: “The tactics behind DR Congo’s mutiny.” Written by Andrew Harding, BBC Africa Correspondent, the article takes the perspective of what the M23 rebels are actually trying to achieve. “As with most mutinies, the turmoil now spreading across the lush green hills of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is, despite appearances, a calculated and calibrated affair. Its ultimate purpose is not to conquer territory or defeat enemies but to strengthen a negotiating position and to win, for its various partners, a bigger slice of power or money or security. In this case, all of the above.”

The second comes from the Agence-France Presse, as picked up by ReliefWeb: “Kivu: why DR Congo’s border region is focus of violence.” In this one article, you’ll get a good survey of the involvement between the DRC and Rwanda going back at least 18 years. If you want a more thorough treatment of that history, superbly done, read Dancing in the Glory of Monsters, by Jason K. Stearns. And if you want to keep an eye on how this particular episode of warfare is going, watch the BBC online. They’re pretty good about reporting on Congo and other African countries.

SAJ 13 Jul 2012

The Lights Are On at Karawa Hospital!

In the past two weeks something remarkable has been going on at Karawa hospital in Congo: lights! The hospital had been limping along on brief periods of electricity each day because their only source was a generator with a ravenous appetite for diesel fuel. Imagine trying to run a hospital without reliable electricity!

The Zulu hydroelectric plant was built years ago to serve the hospital, and we’ve recently invested in getting the two turbines overhauled and brought back into working condition. But Zulu is 7 miles from the hospital, which means 7 miles of badly worn cable lying between the two. To replace it would cost as much as $250,000, an impossible sum.

Karawa pediatrics ward with the lights on!

So we turned to solar. We advertised the need and the projected cost, several of our wonderful partners stepped up to help, and in April we contracted with Kade Zongalinga to outfit the most urgent buildings at the hospital. And on June 25 we received this email from Marta Klein, physician assistant working at Karawa and member of our Medical Steering Team:

“Let’s talk about some good news. No, it’s actually great news. Last week on Wed. was the first night with lights on in the Pediatrics ward!!!!! The solar panel has been installed and all the wiring. There are two lights in the main room of Pediatrics and one light in the med room and isolation room. The nurses are loving it. I went down there on Friday evening and took some pictures with the lights on. I’ll try to attach them with this email. I also heard the lights for Maternity are working. I saw it first hand today as I walked through there. Even a little light makes such a big difference. We just wanted you to know that the patients are appreciative and the providers are also appreciative for this improvement.”

Other urgent buildings are being also being done as part of this project, and we’ll update you later on them. Right now, we send a big, big thanks to our three primary church partners in this project: Lakeview Covenant Church, Duluth; Trinity Covenant Church, Salem, Ore.; and the Kent (Wash.) Covenant Church. Equally big thanks to the individuals who also contributed. Take a peek through the door and see what you’ve done!

SAJ 28 Jun 2012

Congo Is #2 Most Failed State

Congo is now the second most failed state in the world. Last year and in 2010 it was in fourth place on Failed States Index, which is prepared each year by the Fund for Peace and published in Foreign Policy. In its comments on the DRC the authors cite, among other things, the election held last December, which was “marred by violence, corruption, and instability,” and “only underscored the fact that the country–where 1.7 million of the total 71 million residents are internally displaced persons–remains terrifyingly unstable.”

They also highlighted the fact that “The DRC ranks last on the International Food Policy Research Institute’s 2011 Global Hunger Index, with about 70 percent of its population lacking access to adequate food and 25 percent of children suffering from malnourishment.”

The Failed States Index uses twelve criteria and scores 60 countries. Congo scored especially high on Demographic Pressures, Refugees/IDP’s, Human Rights, Security Apparatus, and External Intervention (the higher the score, the more severe the problem).

Opposition protester in Kinshasa Nov 2011

Opposition protester in Kinshasa, late Nov. 2011, shortly before the presidential election

In commenting on the index as a whole, Foreign Policy observed that “ Most countries that fall apart . . . do so not with a bang but with a whimper. They fail not in an explosion of war and violence but by being utterly unable to take advantage of their society’s huge potential for growth, condemning their citizens to a lifetime of poverty. This type of slow, grinding failure leaves many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America with living standards far, far below those in the West.” We could say that the DRC has suffered both the bang and the whimper–war since 1996 continuing along the eastern border, and the inability to “take advantage of their society’s huge potential for growth.”

The article in Foreign Affairs continues: “What’s tragic is that this failure is by design. These states collapse because they are ruled by what we call ‘extractive’ economic institutions, which destroy incentives, discourage innovation, and sap the talent of their citizens by creating a tilted playing field and robbing them of opportunities. These institutions are not in place by mistake but on purpose. They’re there for the benefit of the elites who gain much from the extraction . . . at the expense of society.” Again, Congo is a poster child, having some of the richest mineral resources in the world and the poorest people.

The full article and index are worth reading–and if you do nothing else, take a few minutes for the “Postcards from Hell” photo series. You won’t soon forget it.

Oh, and the number one failed state? Somalia. Tough neighborhood.

Photo: Foreign Policy, EPA/Yannick Tylle

SAJ 28 Jun 2012

A Nurse Reflects on Her Trip to Congo

Ann Hagensen, a member of the Paul Carlson Medical Ambassadors, traveled to Congo in April with two other medical professionals. They spent a week at Karawa, assessing the needs of the hospital and nursing school and accomplishing a major shift in the sourcing of pharmaceuticals. Here are some of her reflections after she returned home.

Greetings to all,

From left: Ann Hagensen, PCP country manager Texa Dembele, ECC travel facilitator Mr. Kwale, Wade Carlson, Beth Carlson

Two weeks have now passed and my heart is beginning to settle as God reveals His mercy and plan. At first upon returning home I was moved to tears often in remembrance of Karawa and wished I was back there getting my hands on kids with Marta as she teaches parents and the nursing staff. I loved being with them! So after two days of on and off tears, my Pastor met with me. He is a great listener! What I learned is that small, incremental steps that are concrete in nature will help me carry the burden of knowing what life is like for kids, families and staff of the Karawa Hospital and health system. So my prayers of compassion and mercy for Congo moved into asking God for insight on our/my next steps.

My daughter’s graduation from California Baptist University in L.A. came four days after my return. I sat on another plane, with many families heading to Disneyland for spring break. Reverse culture shock set in quickly! I was observing how kids ever so young are learning entitlement, expectation and materialism beyond my beliefs. The roller coaster ride of tears and mental discipline bathed in prayer continued. Thank God for a loving and gracious husband who would comfort me in those waves of grief.

My joy abounded the moment I saw my two daughters! We talked endlessly and shared kindred hearts for serving the nations. When my daughter was busy , I found the School of Nursing

Pediatrics unit at Karawa hospital

God is up to something. I met a professor in a new position entitled Director of Global Nursing. She took two pages of notes, looked at all the pictures on my lap top, and is very open to the moving of God’s spirit. We focused on the idea of student scholarships. We knew that our American students blow through money easily in Starbucks, on burgers, or whatever. A scholarship for a Congolese student would not be out of range for many of our own. She is also interested in raising funds for materials needed in their learning lab, which are sorely lacking.

We also talked about how this generation will be the generation that can change the world. They do not sit around, they like to take action, and they feel strongly about being an advocate for the poor and needy. I walked away praising God for His divine appointment! I am not shy when it comes to raising money for a cause I am passionate about. This is one step I can take to contribute to the School of Nursing in Karawa.

My thoughts and prayers are with the ECC missionaries and the leadership and staff of the Karawa hospital and health centers. I look forward to learning more about how I can continue to help the people of Congo from this side of the globe.

Blessings,
Ann

Ann Hagensen practiced as a certified pediatric critical nurse for the first twenty-one years of her career. For the past twelve years she has served as the director for family and patient centered care programs at MultiCare Health Systems in the Seattle area.

SAJ 28 Jun 2012

Farmers to Markets and Food Security in Congo

Fresh evidence that our Farmers to Markets agricultural microfinance program is right on the mark in terms of international priorities. The United Nations Development Programme yesterday released its “African Human Development Report 2012,” and the headline is “Food security must be at centre of Africa’s development.” The report focuses especially on sub-Saharan Africa, where more than one out of four people are undernourished. (Take a look at the six-minute video on YouTube that introduces the report.)

“While acknowledging that there are no quick fixes,” says the press release, “the report argues that food security can be achieved through immediate action in four critical areas.” Those four are increasing agricultural productivity, more effective nutrition, building resilience, and empowerment and social justice.

FTM farmers clearing a field

AllAfrica.com brings the subject home to Congo in an article on its site. “The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the potential to become sub-Saharan Africa’s breadbasket,” it says, “yet it has the highest estimated prevalence of malnutrition in the world.” What many people don’t know is that the DRC actually exported food up until its independence from Belgium in 1960. Even in 1990 it grew the most cassava of any country in Africa. Now the country has to import food, and many people across Congo are subsistence farmers, like those we work with in Farmers to Markets. In the places where FTM is at work, the average cash income has been about $25 a year.

In this context, Byron called from Congo several days ago with some good news from FTM. In the Loko region, he said, farmers are seeing increases of two to three times the harvest when they use the new methods they’ve learned from our agronomist. In the Bumba region the increases are in the range of one and a half to two times the harvest. And the new methods they’re learning? Plant in rows. Space the seeds out. Weed well. Read more about Farmers to Markets.

SAJ 16 May 2012

Hunt for Kony Intensifies

The hunt for Joseph Kony is intensifying with coordination, technical support, and more troops. The Voice of America reported yesterday on the renewed efforts of the four national partners in this hunt: Uganda, the D.R. Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. That last country currently has its hands full with border conflicts with Sudan, but they remain part of the efforts as much as they can.

In addition to troops from those four countries, the African Union has contributed forces and the United States has provided 100 military trainers and technical advisers. Pres. Obama, speaking at the U.S. Holocaust Museum on April 23, announced the extension of those deployments as one part of the U.S. honoring the Holocaust “never again” pledge by working to prevent mass atrocities.

The cooperating military leaders emphasize that taking Kony out of action is only one of their aims. “Joseph Kony would be a good result of our concerted joint action,” said AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra, “but then you have to be sure you neutralize the whole organization.” A news release from the State Department emphasized that “the United States is supporting projects in LRA-affected areas to increase civilian protection, enhance early-warning capabilities, deliver humanitarian relief and strengthen the overall resiliency of communities.”

The Voice of America article gave the film “Kony 2012,” produced by the organization Invisible Children, partial credit for ratcheting up the pressure on the hunt for Kony. “At a U.S. Senate hearing last month, lawmakers signaled they would push to expand a State Department ‘Rewards for Justice’ program to include Kony,” the article reported, adding, “Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson told senators the United States is providing radios and cellphones to communities in the Congo as part of the campaign to bring Kony and his followers to justice.”

Read the full articles and see the President’s comments here: Voice of America article, President’s remarks, State Department release. See also the comments on “Kony 2012″ posted here when the film came out.

SAJ 9 May 2012

Emergency Medicines for Wasolo

It started when Dr. Freddy told Tom Christy that Wasolo hospital was running out of medicines. Dr. Freddy Bale is the medical director there, and Tom is a good friend of the hospital and village of Wasolo. After spending two years there as a short-term missionary, back in the eighties, Tom just couldn’t get Wasolo out of his head, or his heart. He has continued helping out in a number of ways ever since then, sometimes together with the Paul Carlson Partnership, sometimes on his own.

In March Dr. Freddy told Tom that they were running low on meds. Tom calculated that he would need $14,000 to provide $10,000 worth of medicines, with the cost of shipping. He contacted PCP to ask if we could give $5,000, saying that the Kejr Foundation of Salina, Kansas, would contribute $9,000. Byron brought the matter to our Medical Steering Team, and, with Dr. Aimé’s approval (the medical director of the CEUM system), the team said yes.

So Dr. Freddy gave Tom a list of the needed pharmaceuticals, and an associate of Tom’s purchased them in Kinshasa. From there it was air freight to Bumba, then by truck from Bumba up to Wasolo–the most isolated of the CEUM hospitals. (See the maps on our Facebook page.) On April 16 the truck arrived, and the boxes of medicine were unloaded at the pharmacy.

And the moral of this story? Well, there are three: (1) the CEUM hospitals need more medicines than we are able to provide right now; we’ve set a goal of doubling the amount; (2) strategic partnerships can make a lot of good happen; and (3) never underestimate a committed volunteer! Hats off to Tom for making this happen, and to the Kejr Foundation for their generosity.

SAJ 7 May 2012

Women’s Lives Are Changing through Farmers to Markets

Mr. Gila’s wife came to the Loko office of Farmers to Markets to say thank-you. Her husband was a member of the UFF (Union Makes Force) farmers’ association in the Dambalia village, and he was changing. Mr. Gila was a “tough guy” and strict about tradition. “The man is almost king,” as Texa Dembele tells it, and “the woman has to work to serve him.” But now Gila had begun working along with his wife when she went to the field, rather than sitting under a tree, as most men do. Mr. Gila’s wife told the Loko staff that if more people in the area could be part of the FTM training, “something will happen!” By the way, the animator of this group (the staff person convening and training the association) is a woman, named Patience. As Texa says, “Pat on the back for Animator Patience!”

A Congolese woman’s life is not easy. Women are treated as minors, in the custody of their husbands. They can’t make legal contracts on their own, or travel out of the country. Almost half of Congolese women cannot read or write. And violence against women is not limited to the combustible eastern side of the country. Women living many miles away have a 17 times greater chance of being raped (by a civilian) than they had a decade ago. That’s an appalling statistic–but is it really a complete surprise, when women in Congo are regarded as worth so much less than men?

Maman Bongisa association of women farmers in its weekly meeting

From the time we designed the Farmers to Markets microfinance and value-chain program and submitted our proposal to the U.S. Agency for International Development, one of our stated goals was to begin changing the standing of women and the dynamics of decision-making in the family. That’s why we mandated that at least 50% of the farmers participating must be women (the current figure is 52%). Our training of the animators, and so their training of the associations over many months, includes healthy and balanced gender roles.

We don’t claim miracles, but we are seeing signs of change. Mr. Gila and his wife are one good example, especially with the wife’s vision of what could happen in the area if more men could have the experience her husband had. Another is the woman who spoke up in an association meeting, saying, “Now I have a voice! I never had a voice before.” Her opinions had been worth nothing until she was invited to be part of an association with both men and women. In that context, in the presence of men, she was given a role and a voice.

And then there was the group of women who were part of an association along with some men. Before long, they realized that they were being treated unfairly. The men were giving them less of the profits, neglecting to include them in decision-making, and so on. So the women picked up and left and formed their own association. They named it Maman Bongisa, which means “women arrange,” and set about growing corn. At last report, they were doing well.

Pat on the back for all these women and for the FTM leaders–and for everyone who has been a part of this program through gifts of money.

Read more about Farmers to Markets elsewhere on this website.

SAJ 2 May 2012

Malaria Rising Sharply in Congo

The incidence of malaria in the DR Congo has been rising during the past three years, particularly in recent months, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders). An article on the MSF website reports that in six of the eleven provinces of Congo, the number of cases treated at the organization’s clinics and hospitals has risen by 250 percent since 2009. In recent months they have seen a high number of cases of the most severe form of the disease. Each year, malaria kills 300,000 children under five in Congo. It is the top cause of death in the country.

A unit at Karawa hospital, with primary support from PCP

MSF points out that the DRC presents a “context of a health system that is sorely lacking resources at all levels.” This is true across the country, but some areas are particularly disadvantaged. The eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, for example, are still plagued by continuing violence from militias, DRC military, and all sorts of renegades–an unsettled and fearful context that makes it hard to seek treatment for malaria and other illnesses.

The article also cites Équateur province–where PCP works–as needing help, saying “the limited presence of effective healthcare providers and overstretched health systems make it difficult for people living in endemic areas to access prevention and treatment.”

The best means of protection against malaria is long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets. The DRC government recently launched a major distribution of the nets in Katanga, Bandundu, and North and South Kivu provinces, as reported in an article on ReliefWeb. Supported by UNICEF, the World Bank, and other international agencies, this current drive will give out a total of 13.7 million nets. In the past, Équateur has benefited from similar international distributions. In spite of these efforts, WHO (the World Health Organization) reports that only 6 percent of Congolese children sleep under treated nets.

Both articles are worth reading in full. See the MSF article here, and the ReliefWeb article here.

The Paul Carlson Partnership has been supporting medical care in northwest Congo for over 40 years. Read more about our medical work elsewhere on this website, with further information on our Medical Ambassadors site.

SAJ 1 May 2012