A girl builds a fire in a camp for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Kibati, just north of the provincial capital city of Goma. Government forces went on a rampage of looting and rape against civilians on Tuesday, the UN said, amid warnings of "humanitarian black holes" opening up in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.(AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba)
From CNN:
(CNN) -- Congolese soldiers looted villages, reportedly raping women and ransacking homes, late Monday and early Tuesday, U.N. officials said, as the prospect of a sustained ceasefire between government troops and rebel soldiers continued to fade.
The looting came before a nearly hour-long, nighttime gun battle north of the provincial capital of Goma that represented some of the most intense fighting since Rebel leader Gen. Laurent Nkunda declared a unilateral ceasefire on October 29.
Since then, both sides have accused the other of violating the ceasefire in smaller skirmishes that both the U.N. and Democratic Republic of Congo officials say have killed hundreds of people, including civilians.
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My Comment: African tribalism at its worse. To effectively end this war, tens of thousands of troops and billions in assistance must be provided .... and be provided with the idea that it would take years to stabilize the region. But no one is going to get involved with the exception of a few small countries and a symbolic participation of a few soldiers.