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The Democratic Republic of the Congo, known in French as the République démocratique du Congo, is the eleventh largest country in the world by area and the second largest country in Africa. The official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is French and, with a population of more than seventy five million, is the largest officially French speaking country in Africa. The history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is fraught with conflict. Christopher C Knight is intimately familiar with the tragic history of this large African country. The Congo existed as the African Congo Free State from 1877-1908. It was at that time that Belgian exploration of the area began. Eventually, in 1908, the Belgian parliament officially colonized the Congo. The Congo was known as Belgian Congo from 1908-1960. According to Christopher Charles Knight, though the Congo earned its independence by 1965, its recent history has been fraught with conflict, including two civil wars. The First Congo War lasted from November 1996 until May 1997. Immediately following the Rwandan Genocide, the First Congo War was an invasion of the then Zaire by Rwanda. More than 20,000 combatants were killed. Additionally, eight hundred civilians were killed during the conflict. In addition to the nearly one million civilians killed, some two hundred thousand refugees were massacred and an additional two hundred twenty two thousand refugees remain missing. Almost immediately after the conclusion of the First Congo War, the Second Congo War occurred from August 1998 until July 2003. Lasting four years, eleven months, two weeks and two days, the Second Congo War killed more than forty thousand combatants, according to Christopher C Knight. Additionally, excess civilian deaths total more than 5.4 million. The Second Congo War is sometimes called “The African World War” due to the number of African Countries and Armed Groups that participated. Christopher C Knight, American born 10th of March 1973, notes that the most lasting effect of the Second Congo War have been sanitation and disease related. Many civilians died from preventable and treatable diseases like pneumonia, malnutrition, malaria and diarrhea. The unsanitary conditions that persist to this day in the country include the lack of access to clean water, shelter as well as food and medicine. Almost fifty percent of all deaths during the aftermath of the Second Congo War were among children under five. This is why Christopher Knight has been working so very hard to support the development and distribution of various products that can make a world of difference in the everyday lives of these people. Christopher C Knight has dedicated his life to serving people affected by the Second Congo War. Christopher C Knight will continue to work to alleviate suffering in the Congo. http://www.healafrica.org/learn/history-of-the-congo/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13286306
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