By Ian P. Wilson
The ill-fated Ugandan and U.S.-assisted mission Operation Lightning Thunder launched in the jungles of eastern Congo December 14, 2008 was supposed to be the end of the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). (more…)
BY Hellen Abak
When George Bush announced the formation of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) on February 6, 2007, many Africa observers weren’t at all surprised – pointing to the growing dependency of the U.S. on African oil. (more…)
John Prendergast, former National Security Advisor to Bill Clinton is a well-known, well-connected author/activist and policy analyst, who specializes in Africa. (more…)
Friends of the Congo (FOTC) recently posted a letter on their blog in response to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s recent series of articles on the Congo.
The letter covered a lot of ground, and responded to Kristof’s central question of why the millions dead in Congo had not commanded the same attention given to Darfur and outlined several ways Americans can help end Congo’s genocide. (more…)
Invisible Children (IC) the popular and wildy misleading activist organization is at it again, with the help of the Huffington Post, which is running an editorial by one of the IC founders, Laren Poole, who is asking for votes for the Chase Community Giving challenge on Facebook. (more…)
The serious and devastating impacts of corruption in Uganda and other developing nations is highlighted quite effectively in the stellar, must-see documentary “Addicted to Aid,” .
Sierra Leonean journalist Sorious Samura takes us to the heart of the blood diamonds industry in Sierra Leone, secretly filming sales of donated medicines and mosquito nets provided by UNICEF. (more…)
Olara Otunnu was interviewed on New York public radio in January. The 8-part show is available on youtube, or directly from WBAI FM NY’s archives. (more…)
Jeff Sharlet’s recent book “The Family” details the relationship between top U.S. Congressmen and Uganda’s President Yoweri K. Museveni, who has been in power since a military coup in 1986.
While U.S. corporations – cellphone, video game, and computer manufacturers in particular – continue to profit from Congo’s riches, more than 5 million Congolese people have died due to resource-related conflicts in the last decade alone – with neighboring countries Uganda and Rwanda playing a major role in the conflict.
Congolese student activist and spokesperson for Friends of the Congo Kambale Musavuli offers real solutions to Congo’s crisis and explains why the “conflict minerals” approach misses the mark and why Western nations like the United States must change course in order to effectively resolve Congo’s long-running conflicts.
Lucy Larom, a San-Diego based activist, led the annual Gulu Walk event in San Diego this year. Larom’s account of the event and reasons for her continued passion for the Acholi people and solidarity with Ugandans are eloquently stated in her following piece. Video of her presentation is also available.
