History of Poverty in D.R. Congo
On 30 June 2010, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the third largest country in Africa, celebrated 50 years of independence, 50 years of political intrigue, misrule and almost constant unrest interspersed with short periods of relative stability.
Since the mid-1980s, the country has been in a state of turmoil, suffering from civil war and factional divisions fuelled by external invasion and occupation, together with unbridled exploitation and expropriation of the country's abundant natural resources.
With an estimated 5.5 million dead, this 'unknown war' has seen a greater death toll than any other conflict since the second world war. Warlords, rebels and 'freedom fighters' abound, with neither the central government, their allies, nor a largely ineffectual UN (United Nations) presence providing any comfort or peace to the rural population.
The mothers and children have suffered the most. They were often left to fend for themselves, with their husbands and sons either killed or away fighting. Rape, mutilation, abduction and ethnic cleansing have become a way of life for many in this vast and effectively lawless country.
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