Democratic Republic of Congo
A vast country roughly the size of Western Europe with immense mineral wealth and natural resources, the DRC is emerging from more than a decade of devastating civil war in which almost four million people died and as many as half a million women and girls have been victims of extreme sexual violence carried out by armed groups.
At a time when the eyes of the world were diverted elsewhere, the Catholic Church was the only structure capable of assuring a humanitarian safety net for the victims of violence, providing psychological support, medical services and access to justice for rape victims. As a result, we have mainly been working in partnership with Congolese Church structures at parish, diocesan and national levels.
With our partners we have been implementing large scale humanitarian and resettlement programmes in the east of the country as well as longer term social development programmes in the area of psycho-social trauma healing and rebuilding livelihoods. In addition, we also fund specific programmes around peace building and reconciliation, promoting more accountable and responsive governance to reduce poverty, and advocacy around natural resources.
 | Take action now: Open up the books! On 20 February new laws are on the table to ensure companies open up their books - please help close the legal loopholes so that poor communities can benefit from the wealth beneath their feet. Please take action today. |
 |
Make a radical difference to the lives of the poorest of the poor |
 | Congolese Bishops call for calm ahead of Democratic Republic of Congo elections Millions of Congolese are voting in their country’s second elections in 40 years. A delegation of Catholic Congolese Bishops (CENCO) is calling on all candidates to keep the peace and when the result is known, to respect it, without turning to violence. |
 | CAFOD response to new EU country-by-country proposals Expert welcomes positive proposals, but voices concern about influence of possible industry lobbying. |
 | Unearth Justice Update – Gold Mining Many of you may have seen the recent Channel 4 Dispatches programme, ‘The Real Price of Gold’, and so we wanted to update you on our work in relation to mining and how you can help. |
![Refugees gather at a makeshift camp near Kibati, 12 km north of the provincial capital of Goma, October 29, 2008 [REUTERS/Stringer, courtesy www.alertnet.org]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/where-we-work/dr-congo/images/refugees-who-fled-fighting/934156-2-eng-GB/refugees-who-fled-fighting_0column75_nospace_landscape.jpg)
