Peace 'in jeopardy' in DR Congo

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The gains of the Democratic Republic of Congo's peace process are at serious risk, the International Crisis Group has warned in a report.

"The national army is still the country's worst human rights abuser, while another crisis is looming in the east," the think tank said.

President Joseph Kabila's election a year ago helped unify the country and bring some security, it said.

But governing institutions remain weak, abusive or non-existent.

Last year's historic elections were supposed to mark the end of years of conflict and mismanagement in DR Congo.

The ICG said Mr Kabila's government should make good on promises to respect opposition rights and stop using repressive violence in the west of country, where support for the opposition was strongest.

Amongst its other recommendations were:

<ul class="bulletList"><li>Losing presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba's security be guaranteed so he can return from the exile</li><li>Parliament, courts and media be free to serve as checks against "a worrying authoritarian drift"</li><li>A peace initiative for the Kivu regions in the east</li><li>The findings and recommendations of the mining contracts review must be made public and illegal contracts cancelled.</li></ul>

"If the new government does not live up its own promises to build a different [DR] Congo, it is likely to continue being perceived more as a nuisance than a legitimate authority," ICG's Francois Grignon said.

"Without clear signs of improvement before year's end, donor support will start shifting to other post-conflict theatres, and [DR] Congo could lose the peace-building gains of the past five years."

A 2002 peace deal officially ended a conflict dubbed "Africa's first world war" after it drew in the armies and rebel groups from at least other eight other countries.

The mineral-rich country the size of western Europe has hardly any roads or railways.