Congo-Kinshasa: A New Beginning?

In the best scenario, today's elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 25 million voters, will demonstrate the will of the Congolese people for peace and the possibility of increased stability. In the worst case, the elections themselves may prove a stimulus for further violence. In any scenario, the fundamental issues of building a government that works and fighting poverty and corruption lie ahead.

This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains a report from the UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks on violence in recent months, excerpts from a letter to churches in the Congo from the Reverend Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, and the executive summary of the report by the UN on the human rights situation in the Congo for January-June 2006.

For a short background summary on the elections, see http://allafrica.com/stories/200607240156.html

For extensive detailed reports, in English and French, see the website of the UN Mission in the DR Congo (http://www.monuc.org).

For earlier AfricaFocus Bulletins on Congo (Kinshasa) and additional links to news and background data, see http://www.africafocus.org/country/congokin.php