Yesterday I wrote a diary about the developing situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You can read it here
Today it appears that the Congolese army has given up its fight to defend Goma (the easternmost provincial city in the DRC) from Laurent Nkunda's Tutsi-led rebel army. Rutshuru, a territorial capital in eastern DRC has reportedly already been captured by Nkunda's troops. The UN has evacuated civilians from its Goma post, but its peace-keeping forces are going to try to defend Goma.
This situation has the potential to rapidly deteriorate and destabilize the region. As Reuters reports:
The conflict threatens to take on a regional dimension. Rwanda accuses the Congolese army of collaborating with the Hutu rebels, known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, while Kinshasa accuses Kigali of backing Nkunda. Having invaded Congo during previous wars, Rwanda could intervene if it felt threatened.
Right now, it appears that relief agencies are pulling out of the region. However, once aid gets through, there will be a massive need since tens or hundreds of thousands of people have already been displaced by fighting in the past month (adding to the already huge number of refugees in the region) and Goma is a town of 600,000 people (some pictures here), a huge number of whom may be displaced if Nkunda's troops take Goma.
The media have been covering this story to a certain extent. Please encourage them not to bury it just because Palin said something stupid or McCain mentioned Ayers once again. I certainly don't know what the answer is to this situation, but staying informed is important. If you want to do something, you can write your representatives in Congress and expressing your concern or give money to the the Red Cross (which will likely be one of the first organizations in the area) or directly to some of the gorilla rangers who have been attacked and displaced in the fighting (41 of whom are still missing).
UPDATE:
I'm trying to find a map of the region from an approved source. The BBC has a good one here.
Reports are that 50,000 people have become homeless in the past 2 days in the DRC and that Goma is just a few days from capture by Nkunda's troops.
The UN is asking for more troops to try to protect Goma.
UPDATE 2:
Nkunda's rebels have reached the outskirts of Goma. Nkunda has now ordered a cease-firedue to the chaos and instability in Goma. Its not clear whether this order is being followed and how long it will last. Congolese soldiers are reportedly commandeering all vehicles and flooding out of the city. There are rumors in Goma that the Rwandan army or Angolan mercenaries will invade, though no one really knows anything. The BBC reports that at least some gunfire has been seen coming from Rwanda. The UN will be meeting in an emergency session today.
Raw video from yesterday: