A Crisis of Belonging: Rwanda's Ethnic Nationalism and the Kivu Conflict (World IN REVIEW‪)‬

The recent outbreak of conflict in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has elicited numerous calls for reconciliation both within Africa and in the West. The consensus seems to be that peace must be reestablished urgently. Such a convergence of opinion seems rare for an African conflict; however, the DRC clashes have acquired a special significance due to their long and violent history. The breakdown of peacekeeping efforts in the eastern DRC is particularly troubling given the country's heralded return to democracy following the much-anticipated 2006 national and regional elections. The elections were depicted as a pivotal moment by many observers, closing the page to what was, with over five million deaths, the world's deadliest war since World War II.