:
Democratic
Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)
January
27, 2007: Congo's most pressing problem is successfully integrating former
rebel militias into the Congolese Army. The Congolese Army has severe problems
with corrupt commanders who "inflate troop numbers" and pocket the fake troops'
pay. This happens in many places in the developing world and is also known as
having "ghost soldiers" on the troop rolls. An additional problem is that
many former militia commanders who have been given senior positions in the
Congolese Army are under indictment for war crimes. There is no indication that
substantial progress is being made in creating a dependable army. Without such
a force, the country will continue to be dependent on foreign
peacekeepers.
January
26, 2007: Prisoners rioted in a prison near Bunia (Ituri province, eastern
Congo). Two prisoners were killed and 25 wounded when 100 police officers and
25 soldiers arrived to quell the riot. Eighteen Congolese policemen were
reportedly hurt in the operation.
January
23, 2007: The Congolese government said that UN peacekeepers must stay in the
Congo because the Congo's democracy remains "fragile." The Congolese statement
said that Ituri, North and South Kivu, and Katanga provinces were the most
unstable.