The Democratic Republic of Congo, aka the DRC, or more commonly "the Congo", has experienced an endless nightmare of violence, poverty, famine, disease and murder for the last 16 years. The constant bloodshed between national and armed forces has led to countless civilian deaths or genocide in Congo. Before I go any further, I need to explain what genocide is. A genocide is an attempt to destroy an entire group of people. The most famous example is the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were murdered during World War II. It is tragic to say that history has repeated itself and over 5 to 7 million Congolese civilians have lost their lives since 1996. In order to truly understand the events unfolding at this very moment, we must go back in time. past to find its roots. of this problem, see what is happening right now and try to do something to help stop these atrocities. According to BBC News, Congo's troubles began in the early 19th century, when Belgium colonized the Congo and enslaved its citizens. It wasn't until the 1960s that Congo finally gained independence, but Joseph Mobutu came to power in 1965 and left the nation (renamed Zaire) to collapse due to his exploitation of the country's natural resource abundances. country (BBC News). In 1994, the genocide took place in Rwanda, where dominant Hutu extremists massacred 800,000 Tutsis in Rwanda (ECI). According to the ICRtoP, exiled Hutu extremists found refuge in Zaire and allied themselves with Mobutu. Rwanda and Uganda then invaded Zaire that year in what was known as the "First Congo War", leading to the overthrow of Mobutu, the arrival of Laurent-Désiré Kabila (who renamed the DRC country), and ..... .middle of paper......and medical supplies. If this is not possible, then we should try to raise awareness of the plight of the Congolese so that others can try to do their part. We could also try to boycott the purchase of electronic devices (great sacrifice) to protest the lives that have been taken for the sole purpose of profit. If enough of us come together, we can make our voices heard by our government so that it can finally take real action to end the genocide in Congo. Works Cited “Crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo”. Responsibilitytoprotect.org. International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect, 2011. Web. February 19, 2014.Eastern Congo Initiative. Eastern Congo Initiative, 2010. Web. February 18, 2014. “Democratic Republic of Congo.” Amnesty.org. International amnesty. Internet. February 13, 2014. “Questions and answers: Conflict in DR Congo. »bbc.co.uk/news/. BBC News, November 20, 2012. Web. February 11 2014.