Time to build on encouraging progress - Refugees International

The war in the DRC has been notable for “unspeakable brutality and high death tolls” since 1998 but, in the past few months, there have been encouraging movements toward peace, Refugees International President Ken Bacon said in a statement on Wednesday to mark World Refugee Day. “The war is not yet over, but fighting has slowed, foreign troops are pulling out, child soldiers are demobilising and humanitarian workers are beginning to deliver assistance to vast areas of the country that were previously too dangerous for aid operations,” Bacon stated. Peace was not assured but now, unlike last year, there was reason to hope for an end to fighting, he added. Nonetheless, there were five steps that the world community must follow to promote this progress toward peace - steps that ultimately could work in other countries, such as Sudan or Angola, as well, according to Refugees International: First, there must be a UN security presence, since the deployment UN observers to the Congo have played an important role in building confidence and promoting security. Second, it must promote the demobilisation of child soldiers and help create education, psycho-social rehabilitation and job creation programmes to turn child fighters into adult citizens. Third, the international community must improve the status of women through education, expanded reproductive health services, economic empowerment and political inclusion. Fourth, it should “move quickly from aid to development programmes that will promote self-sufficiency and give war-torn countries a reward for peace. And fifth, it must never give up on a peace process because “there is always room to do more”.