This year, Africa got a new country: the Republic of South Sudan. After decades of fighting for independence, southern Sudan seceded on July 9th. Co-founder of The Enough Project, John Prendergast, was in the country to observe the volatile split, where the predominantly Muslim north still disagrees with the predominantly Christian south on how to divide their oil-rich border. One of our favorite shows on foreign events, Prendergast describes what he saw, the history of the conflict, and why war crimes are still feared.
Then the conflict in the Eastern Congo is one of the worst in history, where more than 5.5 million have perished and the U.N. has named it the most dangerous place in the world for women. While “blood diamonds” were infamous in other parts of Africa, in the eastern part of Congo, it’s “conflict minerals” which are mined to be used in cell phones and laptops. That fuels the need for child soldiers and the violence against local women. Actress Robin Wright is an advocate for the victims in the region. She joins Fidel Bafilemba of the Enough Project to discuss the complicated war that has endured since the late 1990’s and what outsiders can do to help.
Learn more about the conflict here: http://www.enoughproject.org/conflict_areas/eastern_congo.
Find out how you can help here: http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/content/take-action.
Other resources: Read news stories about the dangers for journalists, watch the “Unwatchable,” and learn how prevalent rape is in the Eastern Congo.