Amnesty International is issuing this report to highlight the vital importance of placing human rights protection squarely at the heart of all attempts to resolve the crisis in eastern Zaire. It is calling on all parties to the conflicts and on the international community to act now to stop the bloodshed. The Zairian authorities and armed group leaders should publicly condemn human rights abuses by their forces and take immediate measures to prevent the abuses. They should also issue public instructions to the forces to strictly respect international humanitarian law.