For more than a century, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been plagued by regional conflict and a deadly scramble for its vast natural resources. In fact, greed for Congo's natural resources has been a principal driver of atrocities and conflict throughout Congo's tortured history.
Angelina Jolie is meeting with women and girls in eastern Congo, where sexual violence is rampant. Jolie, a special envoy for the UN refugee agency, traveled to the Nzulo camp near Goma on Monday along with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Armed conflict in the DRC involving the national army and a range of Congolese and foreign armed groups has continued mostly in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu since the war officially ended in 2002. All fighting forces have unlawfully recruited boys and girls and have used them in hostilities including, although not only, as fighters.
A resurgence of violence in Congo reached a pinnacle this week as M23 rebel fighters seized Goma and a nearby international airport, increasing widespread concerns amongst humanitarian organizations that some of those fighting on the front lines are child soldiers.
In November 2012 the M23 group besieged Goma, the regional capital of Congo's eastern province of North Kivu. The violence forced tens of thousands of Congolese out of their homes. Here, people flee the town of Sake, 26km west of Goma, on November 22, 2012.
The M23 rebel group is fighting the Democratic Republic of Congo military for control of the country, and the violence is driving tens of thousands of Congolese out of their homes. Here on November 22, thousands fled the town of Sake and headed east to the camps for displaced in the village of Mugunga.
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