Early this week, authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo abruptly decided to close during the night two border posts normally used by thousands, mainly cross-border traders operating in the towns of Goma (Eastern DRC) and Gisenyi sector in Rubavu District on the Rwandan side.

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.

Photo by Meher Ali / MONUC MONUC peacekeepers and FARDC troops conducting operations at Kengelu in Ituri Violence has plagued the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since its emergence from Belgian colonial rule in 1960.

Democratic Republic of Congo or DR Congo is a war torn Central African country bordering the republic of Sudan to the north, The republics of Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda in the east, The republics of Zambia and Angola to the south and the Atlantic ocean to the west with about 37km coastline.

This part of the globalissues.org web site looks at the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Media coverage is poor and yet there have been millions of refugees and over five million killed since the war began around August 1998.