DR Congo (view map)

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a vast country covering over 2.34 million square kilometres of central Africa with a population of 62.6 million people.

Its territory includes a huge array of some of the most valuable resources in the world including gold, silver, diamonds, copper, coltan, cobalt and oil.

DRC’s immense size and natural resources have been a key factor in the corruption and conflicts that have gripped the country since independence in 1960.

The country’s history of violence recently culminated in a five year civil war between government forces - backed by Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe - and rebel groups supported by Uganda and Rwanda. In 1997, Rwandan forces invaded eastern DRC in an attempt to eradicate extremist Hutu militias who had crossed the border to escape justice for their roles in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and civil war. The conflict itself began in 1998 after the newly installed president, Laurence Kabila, renounced the alliance between the DRC and Rwanda.

The war had economic as well as political repercussions, with neighbouring countries taking sides in the conflict in order to gain access to the DRC’s vast mineral wealth. Despite signing a peace accord in 2003 and the holding of democratic elections in 2006, peace remains fragile with much of eastern DRC still in the grip of militia violence.

The civil war has had a horrific impact on the country, killing close to four million of its citizens and leaving a legacy of poverty, hunger, disease, and human rights abuses. In 2005 the Crisis Group estimated that over 1,000 people were dying every day from war related causes including disease hunger and violence.

Today 80 per cent of the population live in extreme poverty, living on less than 50 pence a day. The country’s domestic revenue – despite its huge mineral wealth - is amongst the lowest in the world. The destruction of much of the country’s infrastructure has made trade and the delivery of basic services almost impossible. Around 70 per cent of the population has little or no access to health care and over 80 per cent - almost 45 million people – have no access to safe, clean drinking water.

HIV/AIDS is rife throughout the DRC, with many living in ignorance about what the virus is and how it is spread. A high level of sexual violence against women has also contributed to the rapid spread of the disease. In areas of the DRC still affected by violence, levels of HIV rates remain unknown.

SCIAF has been involved in DRC since early 2000 and helps Congolese communities that have endured immense suffering, to rebuild their own shattered lives and communities. SCIAF currently works with partners in the areas of sexual violence recovery, HIV/AIDS, women’s development, education, and peace-building.