This week, the governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) signed a Tripartite Agreement, setting the stage to help more than 50,000 Congolese refugees return home after living in camps in Rwanda.  

Refugees International wrote in a September 2009 field report that sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had increased since the start of the government-led “Kimia II” military operations against the FDLR rebel group. When Refugees International Advocate Camilla Olson and I were in South Kivu in August carrying out research for the report, many displaced women described their experiences after they fled the fighting. One woman from Ziralo groupement told RI she escaped after hearing gunshots outside her house. In the chaos, her family was scattered and left home with nothing. She spent four nights in the forest before she could make it into town. She said women were raped by the FDLR while fleeing, and she didn’t want to go back home as long as they were still around.

The long awaited release of the new US policy on Sudan outlines several key points that lay the framework for lasting peace there. With a focus on a comprehensive approach to Sudan, the US administration recognizes the importance that peace in Darfur, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and border safety play in establishing and maintaining stability for the people of Sudan. It is refreshing to see a US strategy that takes a holistic approach, recognizing the commitment made to all Sudanese people and the strength of US leadership in the international community.

On Tuesday at the Brookings Institution, Refugees International advocates Kristele Younes and Patrick Duplat presented on their recent mission to Pakistan. The country is facing a complex humanitarian emergency, and many people who were displaced by the military operations during the summer are still unable to return home. Moreover, the humanitarian community and the United Nations face many challenges in working with the Pakistani government to deliver aid.

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of speaking about my work with Refugees International on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the first ever Westport Circle event.

Organized by two young, energetic and passionate friends of RI, Peter Finlay and Sefra Levin, the event brought together more than 65 people from the Westport, CT and New York City areas to spend an evening learning more about RI and how they can support our work.

It is estimated that almost every civilian household in Juba, south Sudan, holds at least one gun.  Just a few years after the resolution of decades of civil war in south Sudan, it is clear that civilians still feel unprotected by the state and find it necessary to take the responsibility of protection upon themselves. Just a few months ago, I learned of a similar situation with residents in Karamoja, Uganda who were reluctant to disarm because they felt weapons were their only form of protection.  I also remember feeling the same type of concern in the Central African Republic, when I encountered villagers who had created ‘self-defense units” in order to ward off bandits. These are all clear examples of the extreme gaps in the day-to-day safety civilians feel.

The Obama administration is a much stronger supporter of the United Nations than the Bush administration was. But even for those who strongly believe in multilateralism -- and who want to see the UN play a larger role in international relations, humanitarian assistance and nation-building -- it can be difficult to understand the mandate and work of individual agencies and the cumbersome bureaucracy that sometimes prevents swift action.

As a humanitarian talking with displaced Iraqis be prepared for a lot of anger.  “You destroyed my country,” said one woman. “Those ruling have no place for us. What will you do?” Millions of people have been displaced inside and outside the country. Small numbers have returned home. For others, insecurity, plus the absence of the rule of law, infrastructure, employment prospects, or basic services like water, sanitation, education or health care prevent them from returning home.