The Foreign Service Journal, April 2011

A P R I L 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 25 equate basic services to the civilian population is due to continued spo- radic conflict and a lack of invest- ment in the state apparatus. But resource exploitation must be seen as both a consequence and modus operandi of violent conflict, rather than merely its cause. When state actors use the same oppressive methods as non-state actors to en- rich themselves outside the scope of accountability and public benefit, the result is a breakdown of the rule of law. And the breakdown of infrastructure within the state — weak governance, poor judicial and health-care systems, and a severe need for security sector reform, as well as the general lack of political will — is an even larger problem than the buried treasure. In fact, the biggest crime in Congo’s history is the de- terioration of the community as a result of both violent and permissive acts of rape and sexual abuse, and the wide- spread abuse of human rights. This is the true “curse of the Congo.” The wealth being stolen from the country is not so much the miner- als as the humanity and dignity of the survivors of gender-based vio- lence. Rebuilding the Fabric of a Society As in many societies, women are the core and fabric of Congolese society. Damage that fab- ric and the foundation starts to fall apart. The obstacles to eliminating rape and sexual violence in the DRC are daunting, but progress is being made. Among a number of efforts, the International Rescue Committee’s gender-based violence program is the longest-standing and broadest of its kind in the country. IRC seeks to promote the well-being of women and girls, while mitigating the urgent and long-term effects of GBV. F O C U S The International Rescue Committee estimates that from 1998 to 2007 alone, the war took more than 5.4 million lives.