Hope Glimmering as War Retreats From Congo
After a calamitous war, Congo is at a fragile point of healing, with a whiff of hope now detectable in the humid air here. Rebels who had been trying to overthrow President Joseph Kabila’s government have traded their military uniforms for designer suits and their jungle barracks for corner offices with prime river views. The Congolese flag is now flying nationwide, and tentative steps have begun to merge rival armies into one. Mr. Kabila, who succeeded his father, Laurent Kabila, who was assassinated in 2001, now has four vice presidents, two of whom were trying to oust him by force until July, when they were sworn in. Under the peace deal that brought this unity about, the men are required to meet at least once every two weeks. Full Story