Bringing Attention to the Horrors in Eastern Congo

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton could not keep the emotion out of her face as she spoke of the horrors continuing to reign down on women, men and children in the mineral-rich forests of Eastern Congo. The first high-ranking American official to ever visit the North Kivu town of Goma, now "home" to almost 20,000 internally displaced persons in wretched conditions, she demanded that the US help train Congolese forces to protect these people from the ravages of rebel groups.

She did not mention that there are more than 7,000 rapes attributable to government forces.

Bringing any kind of peace to this area of the world is almost impossible as long as there are huge deposits of minerals that the world needs.

The United Nations has accused all sides of human rights abuses in Congo, including mass killings, rape and lootings.

Last month, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at least 200,000 cases of sexual violence had been reported in eastern Congo since 1996.

Most observers, however, contend that the number is far higher and the resulting deaths by mutilation, disease, or torture compound the situation to intolerable levels. It is believed that more than 5 million people have died in eastern Congo alone in the last 14 years.

Go get em Hillary--let them know that YOU MEAN BUSINESS!!