Congo-Refugee+Cause

=**Civil War**=

For starters the most basic cause of the refugee crisis is the civil war currently being waged in Congo. The war itself however, is caused by a multitude of different political forces or armies that have entered the country. One such force is the Interhamwe. The Interhamwe was the militant group that committed most of the killing of the genocide in Rwanda. They entered Congo when they were pushed into the country by the Tutsi Rebels.
 * This is a picture of a Tutsi Rebel from Rwanda.**¹

Later the country was divided up into three different segments, each one being controlled by a different political party. Between the segment of Lusaka and Zambia a cease-fire was proposed. It was given the name of The Lusaka Accord, it called for many things to happen or not happen. It called for a cease-fire, a deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation, a withdrawal of foreign troops, and finally the launching of a Inter-Congolese Dialogue to form a government leading up to elections.
 * This is a picture of President Laurent Kabila signing the accord.**²

Not long after the accord was signed the sides began to repeatedly accuse each other of violating the accord. All of the accusations at the time only existed on paper. It is believed that these accusations provoked large-scale organized attacks against civilians living in the opposite side, especially if the civilians were of Tutsi origin. In June of 2000 the president of the UN Security Council suggested that the UN Security-General create a Panel of Experts to investigate into the illegal exploitation of the natural resources and any other forms of wealth of Congo.

On the 16th of January 2001 President Laurent Kabila was assinated. He was succeeded by his son, Joseph Kablia. Not long after, the Inter-Congolese Dialogue began again in Addis Ababa under the supervision of the former president of Botswana, Ketumile Masire. At first the meetings did very little of anything and therefore they were ceased. But later the Dialogue was started again in South Africa, this time it included all representatives from different government, rebel groups, political opposition, civil society and the Mai-Mai. These conversations ended without any progress when the government and the MLC broke and agreement that was signed by the majority of the people at the dialogue. But this agreement left out the groups of the RCD and the opposing UDPS party.


 * This is a picture of Joseph Kabila who took over power when his father Laurent Kabila was assassinated.**³

The partial agreement made during the last dialogue was never activated, so negotiations started up again in October 2002. But there was difference during these new talks, eventually the talks lead to the creation of an inclusive powersharing arrangement. All delagates from the many different groups signed the arrangement at Pretoria in December 17, 2002. By the end of that year all Angolan, Namibian and Zimbabwean troops had been taken out of Congo. In October 2002 Rwandan troops officially left the country, but later there were continued, unconfirmed reports that small groups of soldiers still remained in Congo as well as a few military advisers in the more eastern parts of the country

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=References= Jenkins, Cathy. "World: Africa Eyewitness: Rwandan Survivors." __BBC News__. 25 Apr. 2007 <[|http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/298859.stm>.] || "World." __The Tribune__. 25 Apr. 2007 <[|http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99jul12/world.htm>.] || Luaula, Raymond. "ActualitéS::CongoOne." __CongoOne__. 25 Apr. 07 <[|http://www.congoone.net/Allstory.php?ArtId=45>.] || Information "Congo Civil War." __Global Security.Org__. 23 Apr. 2007 <[|http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/congo.htm>.]
 * ¹Tutsi Rebel Picture
 * ²Laurent Kabila Picture
 * ³Joseph Kabila Picture