The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a central African country that was ruled by one of the world's fiercest dictators, Seseseko Mobutu, for 40 years. In 1997 he fled the country when the international community backed an armed group to overthrow him. The junta leader was assassinated in 2001 and replaced by his son, who barely knew DRC or its people, but who is still in power today.

Since his self-appointment, the country has been crippled with corruption, intimidation, human rights abuses and lawlessness. In 2007 the governor of Katanga helped himself to $500,000.00 US from the state's coffers, yet when people of Katanga complained, he was given a ministerial post! Women are raped with impunity, even recently a visiting diplomat (http://afrique.kongotimes.info/rdc/adolphe-lumanu-a-tente-de-violer-sigrid-anna-johnson.html); the perpetrator in this case has also just this week (20th February) been rewarded with a ministerial post!

In December 2009, the interior minister announced a decree that all existing Congolese passports are now invalid, as of January 2010, and that only new passports issued from January can be used. No transitional plan or risk assessment was in place for such barbaric action. There are no available passports for Congolese nationals anywhere in the world, apart from a few 'new issue' passports in France and through the blackmarket trade carried out by the very same minister who issued this decree.

I would like to ask you to sign this petition, in whichever country and of whatever nationality you are, to call for intervention once more from the international community in order to rescue DR Congo from falling even deeper into the position of a "Failed State".

Your petition will be sent to representatives of your government to request that pressure is put on the government of DR Congo.

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