The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. With a population of nearly 71 million, the DRC is the eighteenth most populous nation in the world, and the fourth most populous nation in Africa. Citizens in the DRC are considered one of the poorest in the world, having the 2nd lowest GDP in the world.
In 1998 the 2nd Congo War began. It devastated the country, involved seven foreign armies and is sometimes referred to as the "African World War". The war is the world's deadliest conflict since World War II, killing 5.4 million people. 1,500 people die per day in DRC because of the conflict. The life-expectancy is 46 years old. Maleria kills over 400 children A DAY.
The United Nations estimates that between 40 percent and 60 percent of the soldiers fighting in Congo's civil war are children. There are believed to be tens of thousands of child soldiers. They are loyal, enthusiastic and cheap! If keeping the peace here means they have to kill children, many boys no older than 10-12 years old will die.
The prevalence and intensity of rape and other sexual violence is described as the worst in the world. The war has made the life of women more precarious. Violence against women seems to be perceived by large sectors of society to be normal.
Being an educator and huge advocator for literacy, this statistic struck me. In 2000, 65 percent of children ages 10-14 years were attending school. As a result of the 6-year civil war, over 5.3 million children in the country receive no education. .
Visit http://www.reporterfilm.com/trailer.html to see footage from The Congo.
