Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo: Violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues six months after the signing of a peace agreement, a new coalition of 64 aid agencies and human rights groups reported this week.

The Congo Advocacy Coalition was created this July to focus attention on the protection of civilians as part of the peace process in eastern Congo. The first report from the coalition reveals that at least 150,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes due to ongoing fighting since the Goma peace agreement was signed on January 23, 2008. United Nations officials have reported at least 200 ceasefire violations between January and July.

Three Advocacy Project (AP) partners in the DRC – Initiative Congolaise pour la Justice et la Paix (ICJP), Centre de Recherche sur l’Environnement, la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (CREDDHO), and Solidarité pour la Promotion Sociale et la Paix (SOPROP) – are members of the coalition.

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Read the report.