North Kivu is again a crucible of conflict in Congo. Since
fighting resumed between the insurgents of Laurent
Nkunda and the national army in December 2006, over
370,000 civilians have been displaced in the province.
Due to the failure of the latest attempt to integrate
Nkunda’s troops into the army, the crisis has become
much worse since May 2007. UN attempts to impose a
ceasefire and appoint a special envoy to mediate have
failed. President Joseph Kabila’s 15 October decision to
suspend offensive operations and his subsequent call on
all Congolese armed groups in the region to present
themselves for disarmament or army integration is
welcome but fighting continues, and there is no real
dialogue with Nkunda. A comprehensive initiative needs
to be launched urgently to de-escalate the crisis and
address the root causes of the conflict.
