어디든 민초들만......

Congolese refugees

“…굶주린 아들 딸애들의/ 그, 흰 죽사발 같은/ 눈동자를,/ 죄지은 사람처럼/ 기껏 속으로나 눈물 흘리며/ 바라본 적이 있은/ 사람은 알리라.// 뼈를,/ 깎아 먹일 수 있다면/ 천 개의 뼈라도 깎아 먹여주고/ 싶은,/ 그 아픔을/ 맛본 사람은 알리라.// ….”

신동엽 시인의 장편 서사시 <금강>의 일부다.

Democratic Republic of Congo Internally Displaced People march into the provincial capital of Goma

Refugees march into the provincial capital of Goma. The 1998-2003 conflict sucked in Rwanda and neighbouring African countries. Up to 5 million people are thought to have died

Displaced people walk to an improvised camp in Kibati. The area is already deemed the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. Millions of lives could be at risk as the region looks to be spiralling into a deeper crisis

The UN peacekeeping force is however stretched to it’s limit with an upsurge in fighting in the volatile east and needs more troops quickly

The streets of the eastern capital of Goma are chaotic, filled with troops retreating from the battlefront, and refugees trying to escape from the fighting

Rebel forces led by ethnic Tutsi guerrilla leader General Laurent Nkunda are advancing towards Goma, pushing civilians and government forces out of the city

The area is already deemed the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. Between 1998 and 2003 an estimated 3.8 million people lost their lives in the Second Congo War, and the region looks to be spiralling back into similar crisis