29 May 2013
Cape Town: The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation briefed Members on the political and socio-economic situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Significant progress had been achieved in the DRC over the past decade. However, Eastern DRC had continued to suffer from recurring cycles of conflict and persistent violence by armed groups, both Congolese and foreign. The consequences of this violence had almost been devastating with acts of violence and violations of human rights used almost daily as weapons of war. Displacement figures were among the highest in the world and hovered near two million people.
