August 2 2003 marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While international attention focuses on the installation of a new transitional government in the capital Kinshasa and the supposed end to the war, the atrocities in the east of the country continue. Following a three-week research mission to eastern DRC and neighbouring Uganda, Amnesty International concludes that the need for effective intervention by the international community remains as urgent as ever.