President Obama—Eastern DR Congo Needs Your Attention!

Action: Email or call President Obama at 202-456-1414, and urge him to:

(1) Stop giving military aid to Rwanda.

(2) Partner with the governments of Rwanda, Congo, and the United Nations to develop a more aggressive political strategy to disarm, demobilize, repatriate, reintegrate, and resettle (DDRRR) armed groups operating in eastern Congo.

(3) Work with the U.N. to appoint a special envoy of the U.N. Secretary General to oversee the DDRRR process.

Background: A United Nations Group of Experts recently released a report documenting the Rwandan government's support for rebel groups operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The report implicates several high-ranking Rwandan officials from the ministry of defense. According to the report, these government officials recruited men and boys in Rwanda, trained and armed them, then sent them to fight as rebels for M23, a rebel group currently in open rebellion against the Congolese government. Since the rebellion started, more than 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, hundreds more have been killed.

While President Obama has long recognized that eastern Congo has been destabilized by neighboring countries, his administration continues to provide military aid to these same countries fueling the cycles of violence in the area.

Faith Reflection: As followers of Christ, we are taught to love our neighbor [Leviticus 19:18], learn to do good, seek justice and defend the oppressed [Isaiah 1:17]. Just as Jesus lived his life, we must speak and act for justice and peace.

Action: Email or call President Obama at 202-456-1414, and urge him to:

(1) Stop giving military aid to Rwanda.

(2) Partner with the governments of Rwanda, Congo, and the U.N. to develop a more aggressive political strategy to disarm, demobilize, repatriate, reintegrate, and resettle (DDRRR) armed groups operating in eastern Congo.

(3) Work with the U.N. to appoint a special envoy of the U.N. Secretary General to oversee the DDRRR process.

Alert prepared by Patricia Kisare, Legislative Assistant for International Affairs, July 19, 2012

Read the U.N. report here!