Since December 2013, conflict in South Sudan has forced 2 million people from their homes.
Stop the PR Campaign, Start Making a Difference
When I was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last October, every meeting that I held with Congolese government officials sounded surprisingly similar. They were all engaged in a battle to change the long-held image of the country as “the rape capital of the world.” Government officials explained to me that now that…
Congolese Women: What Happened to the Promise to Protect?
The widespread acknowledgement of conflict-related sexual violence in the DRC spurred the international community to act in an unprecedented manner.
Lifting the Siege in South Sudan
In December 2013 South Sudan’s capital city, Juba, exploded in violence. Fighting between troops loyal to the ousted vice president Riek Machar and those loyal to President Salva Kiir was followed by a wave of ethnic violence. As panic set in, thousands of people sought refuge in bases belonging to the United Nations Mission in…
A Glimpse of Life for IDPs on a UN Base in South Sudan
In December 2013, conflict ignited in Juba, South Sudan, and soon spread throughout the country. Tens of thousands of civilians fled to United Nations bases for protection. Today, fighting continues, and more than 100,000 South Sudanese are sheltering under the protection of UN peacekeeping forces.
Fleeing South Sudan’s Violence
The village of Pagak lies in Ethiopia’s Gambella region on the western border with South Sudan. Pagak essentially exists on both sides of the border, and in better times, people would move from one country to another primarily to meet friends and relatives, engage in trade, or transport livestock.
Conflict in South Sudan Continues More Than One Year On
South Sudan is continuing to reel from internal conflict that ignited in the capital Juba a little more than a year ago and quickly spread throughout the country. On December 15th, 2013, fighting erupted in Juba between soldiers loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar and those loyal to President Salva Kiir. More than one…
With Battle Looming in Eastern DRC, Now Is the Time to Prevent, Prepare, and Protect
This month, one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s longest-running conflicts may finally reach an inflection point. After months of political posturing, it appears that the international community will now launch a military offensive against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The Congolese armed forces (FARDC) will be expected to lead the…
The Secret Urban Refugees of Dar es Salaam
Earlier this year, I made my first trip to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in a search for some urban refugees. Although urban refugees are not officially recognised by the government of Tanzania, some organisations which work with the urban refugee population, such as Asylum Access, estimate that there may be over 10,000 in the city.
“The Triangle of Death:” Responding to Congo’s Hidden Crisis
Between 2011 and 2014, the number of people displaced in the DRC’s Katanga province jumped from 55,000 to 500,000 – more than 900 percent – as more than 100 villages have been burnt to the ground. Civilians face threats from local rebel movements, tribal militias, and abusive elements of the Congolese army. In this video, RI…