Democratic Republic of the Congo on verge of breakdown

Spiralling violence following Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down could lead to a vast humanitarian crisis

DR Congo refugee
A young refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo waits for food to be distributed at the Kagoma reception centre in Kyangwali, Uganda
(Image credit: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a humanitarian crisis comparable to that seen in Syria, aid agencies warn.

The central African nation, home to 83 million people, “has been hit by waves of violence, rebellions, protests and political turmoil in recent months, leading to worries about a new civil war like that which killed five million people between 1997 and 2003”, says The Guardian.

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