July 27, 2007: The situation in  North Kivu province is considered a humanitarian disaster, with  600,000 people in dire need of assistance. What makes the situation so desperate in North Kivu is that all these internally  displaced people (IDPs)  are  on the move at  once. Thus North Kivu is the  main focus of UN humanitarian concerns in the Congo.

July 26, 2007: While the army "demobilization  and reintegration" process in Ituri province has had some successes,  the program in North Kivu has faced several setbacks. The chaos in

North Kivu has increased the already numerous problems UN peacekeepers  confront when trying to integrate former rebels into Congolese Army units. Five new Congolese Army brigades are being formed from former  militia units in North Kivu.

The UN now demands a  "zero tolerance  policy" for crimes committed by international troops serving in UN peacekeeping operations. In the past, this mainly had to do with sexual  abuse and sexual exploitation. However, now the UN has to deal with allegations (supported by evidence)  that Pakistani peacekeepers sold weapons to rebels in  exchange for gold. The UN expects the governments  contributing peacekeeping troops to discipline the criminals. Though there are good  reasons to suspect some governments will be lax in prosecuting  miscreants, a number of nations will enforce the rules. UN duty is  looked upon as a "quality assignment" by many militaries. One reason is the pay is good. The international recognition also brings prestige  to senior officers.

July 23, 2007: The UN is being accused of "white-washing" an investigation into claims that UN peacekeepers sold guns to Congolese rebels in exchange for gold and cash.

July 17, 2007: The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) denied claims that it has been involved in smuggling deals with UN peacekeepers from India.