Project

Congo's Conflict: Profit and Loss

The war beginning in 1998 that pitted the armies of Congo, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola against those of Uganda and Rwanda induced the largest humanitarian disaster since World War II, with an estimated four million Congolese lives lost. Congo's first national elections since 1965 have taken place, but true peace and democracy remain elusive goals.

The population is continuously caught in a deadly whirlpool fueled by weapons transfers, infrastructure breakdown, ineffective leadership and insecurity. Mvemba Phezo Dizolele traveled through Congo in June and July to cover one of the most under-reported conflicts in the world today. His reports on the elections, small arms trade and the role of Coltan in the ongoing conflict have appeared in The New York Times, The St. Louis Post Dispatch and on PBS.

September 05, 2006 | Pulitzer Center

Kinshasa

Mvemba Phezo Dizolele

Kinshasa is Congo's capital and one of the country's largest cities.

September 05, 2006 | The New York Times

The Toll of Small Arms Op-Chart

Despite the presence of the world's largest peacekeeping mission, the Democratic Republic of Congo remains in the grip of civil war. The reason is clear. A flood of small arms and light weapons undermines the 17,000 United Nations troops' mandate to protect civilians.

September 03, 2006 | Pulitzer Center

Bukavu

Mvemba Phezo Dizolele

Bukavu in a city located east of the DRC and the capital of the South Kivu province.

September 02, 2006 | Pulitzer Center

Daily Life

Mvemba Phezo Dizolele

A series of photographs capturing the influence of cellular phones on the daily lives of people in DRC.