Livewire - Amnesty International blogging for human rights

Dani Valls, Amnesty International campaigner, blogging about international action on DRC

DRC demo in London ©Amnesty International

I came back from the demonstration in front of Mr. Brown’s office, at 10 Downing Street in London, in a good mood and with a utopian sense of hope.

There was a mix of powerful energy, clear demands, clocks, banners and a crowd of around 150 people backing up the demands that heads of the different organizations present and a Congolese youth activist made to the Prime Minister.

Chants of “Mr. Brown, act now!” and “Protect people of the DRC NOW!”, raising clocks of all sizes and shapes, reminded the PM that time is running out, and every day people keep dying, suffering rape, abduction and other human rights abuses, fleeing and not receiving the humanitarian assistance they need.

It is crucial that the UK and other governments urgently contribute to the protection of civilians in Eastern DRC through the reinforcement of the peacekeeping forces. The challenge was set clearly: the UN needs to be reinforced within weeks and not months, and the UK needs to actively contribute to it, now.