After a recent, tenuous cease-fire was broken, fighting between the Congolese army and a rebel minority has resumed with intensity. The violence has garnered a fair amount of attention from the mainstream media, but how long will that coverage last?
Probably not long considering that foreign affairs, especially those not directly related to the United States, make up only a fraction of what Americans read, see, and hear: 8 percent of network news, 13 percent of newspaper coverage, 4 percent of cable news. The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting pleads with its readers to stay interested in the issue, as continued attention will encourage editors to offer more extensive coverage.
But if and when the conflict fades from America’s consciousness, here are some sites from around the world with thoughtful reports on the situation and its implications:
OneWorld.net focuses particularly on the human rights aspect of the conflict.
EuropeanVoice has several articles and opinion pieces, like this column: a call to arms, both literally and figuratively, for the UN (registration required).
Al-Jazeera presents both news and multimedia features.
All Africa.com is a one-stop resource for African news and perspectives from around the continent.
Der Spiegel‘s international edition not only presents information and opinion, but has also managed to snag an interview with a Congolese rebel.
UPDATE (11/17/2008): Ushahidi, an African citizen-reporting platform, has launched an interactive map monitoring the DRC conflict.
Image by hdptcar, licensed under Creative Commons.