There were 9.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Central and Eastern Africa region as of December 2008.

The UN radio station Okapi in the central Democratic Republic of Congo reports that Ebola haemorrhagic fever has killed nine people and infected 21.The incurable, quick-killing, very infectious disease causes rapid bleeding from all bodily orifices.

AMSTERDAM - Dutch labour MP Martijn van Dam has asked the world's major cellphone manufacturers to stop using the Congolese mineral coltan - to stop child-slavery.

A British doctor volunteering in Congo sought the help of a fellow surgeon to do an emergency amputation to save a boy's life. Using text messaging, the doctor was able to perform the surgery successfully.

In Mozambique, rats are trained to locate hidden landmines in the fields. African countries initially mocked the idea but now they want to enlist the rodents as well.

Military-escorted aid convoys also risk blurring the line between humanitarian assistance and political-military action. MSF stresses the need to maintain this crucial distinction in the volatile Kivu region.

A joint operation between Interpol and the Kenya Wildlife Service has resulted in Africa's largest-ever international crackdown on wildlife crime.

The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is grim and the events there are not getting enough attention around the world, a group in Moncton NB took to the streets to raise awareness.

The violence in Congo-Kinshasa is growing and western diplomats are considering whether it will be necessary to send in more peacekeepers.

WHO and Italy will be sending 10 tonnes of medical supplies to help the tens of thousands of people affected by the ongoing insecurity in eastern DR Congo.