(AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is at yet another dangerous crossroads. The unexpected cooperation between the governments of Congo and Rwanda has resulted in the arrest of Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, as well as the deployment of an estimated 4,000 Rwandan soldiers into eastern Congo for military operations against the FDLR, the Hutu rebel group with links to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

On one hand, this unusual collaboration could be a catalyst for fundamentally changing the dynamic of the war and ending the deadliest conflict since World War II. On the other hand, it is obvious to all involved that Congolese citizens face grave new dangers ahead. Indeed, a poorly planned and executed military operation against the FDLR carries severe consequences for civilians and could propel this crisis in unpredictable and dangerous new directions.

In its present form, this new joint military operation is far more likely to lead to atrocities against civilians than to successfully dismantle the FDLR rebel group. Immediate action is required to increase the transparency and efficacy of the operation, ensure accountability, and more effectively focus the international community on a shared core objective: the elimination of the FDLR as a security threat to the region.

Click here to read the Enough Project's full statement on this new development.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Call or write your Representative and Senators and ask them to urge the Obama administration to take immediate action.  Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your senators and representative's office.

Sample Call Script:

Hello, my name is ______, and I am calling about the urgent crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Civilians, particularly women, continue to be caught in the deadly crossfire of this escalating conflict. A new joint military operation by Congolese and Rwandan forces against the FDLR rebel group poses severe risks and consequences for civilians and could propel this crisis in unpredictable and dangerous new directions.

I urge you to call on President Obama and his administration to:
1. Immediately appoint a special envoy to lead U.S. engagement in a sustained multilateral effort to achieve stability in the Great Lakes region;
2. Protect civilians in FDLR areas by immediately enhancing the capacity of the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as MONUC, and by pressuring Congo and Rwanda to minimize collateral damage;
3. Increase the desertion rate of rank-and-file FDLR through more effective and transparent disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement, and repatriation, or DDRRR, programs;
4. Demand international military observation of the operations and a more clearly defined role for MONUC; and,

5. Halt the impunity that fuels rampant atrocities by securing the arrest of Bosco Ntaganda and supporting the swift expansion of the ICC's investigations into the North and South Kivu Provinces.

If, and only if, those conditions are met, the United States and the international community should consider assisting the operations in targeting FDLR commanders by providing intelligence and tactical support.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this crisis.

Sample Letter:

Today's Date

Dear Representative/Senator ____________:

As a constituent, I would like to draw your attention to the urgent situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A new and unusual collaboration between the governments of Congo and Rwanda has resulted in the arrest of Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda and the deployment of an estimated 4,000 Rwandan soldiers into eastern Congo in recent weeks. In its present form, this new joint military operation is far more likely to lead to atrocities against civilians than to successfully dismantle the FDLR rebel group. Immediate action is required to increase the transparency and efficacy of the operation, ensure accountability, and more effectively focus the international community on a shared core objective: the elimination of the FDLR as a security threat to the region.

I urge you to call on President Obama and his administration to immediately appoint a special envoy to lead U.S. engagement in a sustained multilateral effort to achieve stability in the Great Lakes region, paying immediate attention to the threat posed by the FDLR. The U.S. envoy should be based in the region, have appropriate staff and logistical support, and work to accomplish the following goals in North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces:

1. Protect civilians in FDLR areas by immediately enhancing the capacity of the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as MONUC, and by pressuring Congo and Rwanda to minimize collateral damage;
2. Increase the desertion rate of rank-and-file FDLR through more effective and transparent disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement, and repatriation, or DDRRR, programs;
3. Demand international military observation of the operations and a more clearly defined role for MONUC; and,
4. Halt the impunity that fuels rampant atrocities by securing the arrest of Bosco Ntaganda and supporting the swift expansion of the ICC's investigations into the North and South Kivu Provinces.

If, and only if, those conditions are met, the United States and the international community should consider assisting the operations in targeting FDLR commanders by providing intelligence and tactical support.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this crisis.

Respectfully,
Your Name