ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the historical background of the conflict, human rights violations as causes and consequences, the international humanitarian law and international human rights law applicable to the abuses committed, and prospects for accountability. The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which began in 1996, has been among the bloodiest in recent history. It is also a particularly complex one, comprising several African countries, numerous rebel armed groups, and the pursuit of important economic interests by every party involved. The history of the DRC has been affected by the exploitation, trade, and plundering of its resource wealth, and has strong roots in the dynamics established during colonial rule. Anticolonial, national sentiment in the Congo emerged in the mid-1950s and led to the formation of several political parties that channelled claims for independence. The conflict in the DRC is complex including foreign governments, national and multinational corporations, which might have had a role in aggravating and perpetuating the conflict.
