"Give me a gun," he said, "and I will go get rid of them myself."

In Congo, Trolling Through the Lives of Those Too Wretched to Merit Aid
By HELENE COOPER
Published: May 22, 2005, New York Times

WALUNGU, Congo

The July summit meeting of rich nations in Scotland will dwell on ways to help African countries, especially those that have shown themselves capable of good governance. And President Bush will promote his Millennium Challenge Account, which is supposed to channel money to poor countries that promise to use it to promote development and lift people out of poverty, instead of lining the pockets of corrupt officials.

But what about the millions of people who, through no fault of their own, live under bad governments? This village of Walungu, about 30 miles from Bukavu near the borders of Rwanda and Burundi, is a sad case in point, one of the most wretched places in one of the world's most wretched countries. Its people suffer under not one but several warring governments and armed groups, every one of which - but especially the Rwandan Hutus who have fled their own country - preys on the local population.

Especially the women. Last September, Rwandan Hutus kidnapped a 25-year-old mother of three, dragged her out of her house as her husband stood watching, and took her into the forest, where she was raped, again and again and again. After a month, she escaped when the rebels turned their backs as she was washing their clothes in the river, but when she returned home her husband threw her out.
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