Donate NowThe conflict in Congo is too complicated to explain in a five-minute video, so we've left most of the context out in order to focus on Pascal's story. For more background on the recent fighting, check out my Q&A on history, rebels and crisis in eastern Congo.
I've been reporting on DRC for five years now, and there's nothing that frustrates me more than the dismissive comments I often get about how conflict in Africa is endemic.
Violence is rarely irrational — it almost always has root causes that can be addressed. We're often just too busy or lazy to learn enough about a situation to figure out how.
Given the extent of the outside world's involvement in Congo over the last century, I am of the school that says we owe it to Pascal, Vestine, their two children and the millions who are suffering in Congo to try.