3.000.000

[lyot]

that's the total number of people that has been killed in the central Kongo region conflict, since 1998...Yet, ask yourself, when do you hear about these atrocities in the Western media..It's outrageaous.

[Ken1015]

Even taking into account the bias and prejudice of Western media and governments I don't believe we'd three million deaths in one region in five years time would go undocumented. Our governments did nothing as 500,000 Tutsis were slaughtered in Rwanda but the cameras were rolling while it happened. What are your sources?

[lyot]

Originally posted by Soulful1015:
Even taking into account the bias and prejudice of Western media and governments I don't believe we'd three million deaths in one region in five years time would go undocumented. Our governments did nothing as 500,000 Tutsis were slaughtered in Rwanda but the cameras were rolling while it happened. What are your sources? check this out please .. :

link to UNCHR website (http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/+DwwBme8+sTKwwwwQwwwwwwwhFqnN0bItFqnDni5AFqnN0bIcF qtqdDtdaMzmwwwwwwwwDzmxwwwwwwwdFqidGmnGaxOa-uPPyER0ay0Ig/opendoc.htm)

World News
EU condemns Congo massacre

ATHENS, GREECE - AP World News via NewsEdge Corporation : The European Union expressed serious concern Monday over a massacre of civilians in northeastern Congo earlier this month.

"The European Union strongly condemns the recent acts of military aggression ... which culminated in the massacre of hundreds of civilians and expresses serious concern about the grave humanitarian consequences for the Congolese population,'' a statement said.

"It asks all parties to facilitate humanitarian access to the population affected by the conflict, and to bring the perpetrators of those crimes immediately to justice.''

The statement was issued in Greece, which holds the EU presidency.

United Nations officials believe nearly a thousand people may have been slaughtered during the killings in Congo's troubled Ituri province.

The massacre is considered among the worst acts of ethnic violence in the African country's 4 1/2-year civil war. An estimated 3.3 million people have died in the war in Africa's third-largest nation, most from war-induced malnutrition and disease, the International Rescue Committee says.

The EU also calls upon all other states in the region to contribute equally to peace and stability in this area and to cease all support to the parties engaged in the conflict,'' the statement said.

<< Copyright ©2003 The Associated Press >>

[Koffy Brown]

Originally posted by Soulful1015:
Even taking into account the bias and prejudice of Western media and governments I don't believe we'd three million deaths in one region in five years time would go undocumented. Our governments did nothing as 500,000 Tutsis were slaughtered in Rwanda but the cameras were rolling while it happened. What are your sources? I believe it's definitely possible for the number to be 3,000,000 and to go undocumented...

[lyot]

even if it would be only 1/10 of the estimated number of deaths (i.e 300.000) it would still be an incredible amount..(not included in this number are the 500.000+ deads of the Rwanda massacre, remember)..just horrible

[RX]

why do we still buy diamonds?

[lola desire]

Originally posted by Ashaki:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Soulful1015:
Even taking into account the bias and prejudice of Western media and governments I don't believe we'd three million deaths in one region in five years time would go undocumented. Our governments did nothing as 500,000 Tutsis were slaughtered in Rwanda but the cameras were rolling while it happened. What are your sources? I believe it's definitely possible for the number to be 3,000,000 and to go undocumented... </font>[/QUOTE]i don't think the point is that it's "undocumented"... instead i think the point being emphasized is the fact that international atrocities don't get airplay in the states unless the u.s. has financial / military intrests in the region AND they want the u.s. public to support their involvement / activities.

[lyot]

Originally posted by lola desire:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Ashaki:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Soulful1015:
Even taking into account the bias and prejudice of Western media and governments I don't believe we'd three million deaths in one region in five years time would go undocumented. Our governments did nothing as 500,000 Tutsis were slaughtered in Rwanda but the cameras were rolling while it happened. What are your sources? I believe it's definitely possible for the number to be 3,000,000 and to go undocumented... </font>[/QUOTE]i don't think the point is that it's "undocumented"... instead i think the point being emphasized is the fact that international atrocities don't get airplay in the states unless the u.s. has financial / military intrests in the region AND they want the u.s. public to support their involvement / activities. </font>[/QUOTE]but it's not only the US government who is turning a blind eye to the most grave human rights violations of the last decade..Also the European Union is doing way too little..A lot of European states have a historical (read : colonial) responsability in the region, yet this issue is largely ignored;.Also in the European media.

[liL Ray]

Originally posted by lyot:
that's the total number of people that has been killed in the central Kongo region conflict, since 1998...Yet, ask yourself, when do you hear about these atrocities in the Western media..It's outrageaous. ...and what should be done? Are you saying "the coalition" should go in and take care of business?

just asking....

[lola desire]

Originally posted by Ms Rickey X:
why do we still buy diamonds? marketing and hype... speaking of which: diamonds aren't even that rare. the price is artificially inflated and the supply is artificially diminished (certain entities stockpile diamonds in vaults). the high price enforces the idea that these "precious stones" are valuable.

but i digress.

p.s. see my signature (below)

[lola desire]

Originally posted by lyot:
but it's not only the US government who is turning a blind eye to the most grave human rights violations of the last decade..Also the European Union is doing way too little..A lot of European states have a historical (read : colonial) responsability in the region, yet this issue is largely ignored;.Also in the European media. just goes to show that the major players (big money) who call the shots aren't interested in human rights, nor are they interested in basic humanity. with that being the basis, none of this should come as a surprize.

those of us who do care must bring these issues to light. thanks for posting lyot.

[lyot]

Originally posted by lola desire:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Ms Rickey X:
why do we still buy diamonds? marketing and hype... speaking of which: diamonds aren't even that rare. the price is artificially inflated and the supply is artificially diminished (certain entities stockpile diamonds in vaults). the high price enforces the idea that these "precious stones" are valuable.

but i digress.

p.s. see my signature (below) </font>[/QUOTE]good points..Diamond trade has a lot of blood on its hands..I'm not really sure about the exact situation in Congo, but like in other parts of Africa where war is/was raging (like Liberia & Sierra Leone), I think a lot of the weapons are being bought with ressources like diamonds. It's only in recent years that countries like Belgium have tried to get rid of so called 'blood-diamonds'..yet, there's still a lot of shady business being done ..The European Union should take more steps on the EU level to counter it, I think

[lyot]

Originally posted by liL Ray:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by lyot:
that's the total number of people that has been killed in the central Kongo region conflict, since 1998...Yet, ask yourself, when do you hear about these atrocities in the Western media..It's outrageaous. ...and what should be done? Are you saying "the coalition" should go in and take care of business?

just asking.... </font>[/QUOTE]smile.gif

i'm not saying we need a unilateral initiative to stop the war..War is always the last solution (i'm listening to Lil'Louis War Games on this very moment.. "Let the Games begin" ..! ) ..
I reckon the best thing to solve this problem is through putting the issue on the international agenda. The UN system is the best way, imo. Putting more pressure on the countries involved (I think in particular of Rwanda who bears huge responsabilities in keeping the region in tension) would be a first step..On the political level, there have already been taken quite some steps, also by the countries involved.Yet, in the field, these agreements are not respected and can not be enforced.Why not just sent in a huge peace keeping/enforcement force, to stop the most grave human rights violations and to keep the warrying parties out of each others way. I guess it all bears down to this : a lack of interest. If the US & the European Union really want to tackle the issue, I think progress is possible.

[ April 17, 2003, 11:54 AM: Message edited by: lyot ]

[djmarbll]

Originally posted by lola desire:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Ms Rickey X:
why do we still buy diamonds? marketing and hype... speaking of which: diamonds aren't even that rare. the price is artificially inflated and the supply is artificially diminished (certain entities stockpile diamonds in vaults). the high price enforces the idea that these "precious stones" are valuable.

but i digress.

p.s. see my signature (below) </font>[/QUOTE]I'm glad you pointed this out. Cecil Rhodes helped to create the false impression that diamonds are rare, when they're really not.

[lola desire]

Originally posted by lyot:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by liL Ray:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by lyot:
that's the total number of people that has been killed in the central Kongo region conflict, since 1998...Yet, ask yourself, when do you hear about these atrocities in the Western media..It's outrageaous. ...and what should be done? Are you saying "the coalition" should go in and take care of business?

just asking.... </font>[/QUOTE]smile.gif

(i'm listening to Lil'Louis War Games on this very moment.. "Let the Games begin" ..! ) </font>[/QUOTE]"...nobody wins..."