The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) released the official “Report of the Mapping Exercise” in October 2010. The report documents “the most serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed within the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between March 1993 and June 2003”. U.S. tax dollars fund U.S. allies Rwanda and Uganda, which are deeply implicated in these mass atrocities, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and possibly genocide in the Congo.

This congressional briefing will serve as a first step in delivering justice to the people in the heart of Africa. It will help stop American tax dollars from going to support mass atrocities in Africa and perpetuating a war, which has killed an estimated 6 million people, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II.

Speakers:

• Emira Woods, co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute of Policy Studies
• Claude Gatebuke, African Great Lakes Action Network
• Bahati Jacques, Africa Faith and Justice Network
• Nita Evele, Congo Global Action Coalition Professor
• Nii Akuetteh, Founder, The Democracy & Conflict Research Institute, DCRI; and Founding Executive Director of OSIWA

This event is co-sponsored by the African Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition, which is comprised of the following organizations: Africa Faith and Justice Network, Friends of the Congo, Institute for Policy Studies’ Foreign Policy In Focus project, African Great Lakes Action Network, Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation, Foundation for Freedom and Democracy in Rwanda, and Congo Global Action.