[CLAIM] DR CONGO

Thousands upon thousands of Kongolese desperately flee across the borders of their native homeland, preferring the conditions of poorly managed refugee camps in neighboring countries over the perpetual chaos familiar to the Kongo. Those who remain ultimately accept the risk of disease, war, and limitless corruption.

The country's HDI index is among the lowest in the world, showing no sign of increasing soon. Selfish politicians continue to rise, using their financial advantages to keep themselves in powerful positions. Most embarrassingly, despite having an abundance of natural resources (specifically cobalt), the DR of the Congo remains one of the most exploited, poverty-stricken, human-rights violating countries in the world; economic pressure and greed has led to increasing political and economic corruption and instability. As a result, our people starve, both in education and nutrition. We fall behind in virtually every facet of society and we should be humiliated. The Kongo is an embarrassment to all of Africa, leaving some to wonder: Were we better off before?

This cycle of corruption and greed has led to several successive civil wars, all of which brought upon their fair share of death, famine, grief, and destruction. Despite losing over 5.4 million people in previous civil wars, the DR of the Congo has shown little improvement. In recent years, passionate groups in seek of drastic political change have emerged loud and proud throughout Africa's second largest country. The sheer lack of improvement has led the rise of a new political group that believes democracy is not the way for the people of the Kongo; it simply isn't working. Our support stems from the huts of the smallest of villages to the highest peak of a skyscraper in the Kongo's largest city, Kinshasa. As our support grows, tensions climb - which leads to the question: Could the Kongo lie on the brink of yet another civil war? Surely change will come this time around...

Excerpt from the journal of Dr. Eshele Mulumba, Kongolese Political Activist

Here comes the Third Congolese Civil War. Will this bring some stability to Central Africa or simply implode on itself like its predecessors? We shall find out.