Congolese Rebel Leader Wants Political Position

Conflict in Eastern Congo continues despite a cease-fire agreement signed in January. Rebecca Feeley, a field researcher for the ENOUGH Project based in Goma, eastern Congo, says although the agreement was a "small victory" for diplomats, Congolese don't believe it will lead to peace. She points to continuing poor living conditions for civilians in eastern Congo, amid ongoing fighting and rearming by rebel groups in the area. Contributing to tensions, she says, is the quest by a rebel leader, Laurent Nkunda of the National Congress for People's Defense (CNDP), to attain political power. Nkunda signed the cease-fire, but insisted that the CNDP was identified in its text as a political organization, not a rebel group.... [read full story]