http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0827/p12s01-woaf.html

By Alex Halperin and Jina Moore| Correspondents of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the August 27, 2008 edition

Warring militias are stealing cows to perpetuate a conflict sparked by spillover from the 1994 Rwandan genocide.By Alex Halperin and Jina Moore| Correspondents of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the August 27, 2008 edition

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo - For years, African militias have used proceeds from precious natural resources to fund conflicts - a practice dramatized in the 2006 Hollywood film "Blood Diamond." Now, there's a new twist: blood cows.

Warring rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo are stealing and selling livestock to finance a conflict sparked by spillover from the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which 800,000 were killed.

Vast and volatile, the Democratic Republic of Congo has long suffered from conflicts fought over its reserves of gold, copper, uranium, and coltan, a mineral needed in cellphones and other electronics. For years, armed groups have sought control over mines and forests, their acquisitions of wealth fueling cycles of violence. Cattle may sound less glamorous than precious metals, but they're accessible.

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In January, the Congolese Army and two major rebel factions agreed to a cease-fire and opened peace talks. As MONUC redeployed to help pave the way for peace, both factions moved quickly to establish or strengthen their grip on territories across North Kivu province. Fighting resumed and cattle thievery soared.

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In the past year, the price of beef has doubled, fueled in part by the black-market trade in cattle. "PARECO has stolen all of the cows," says Antoine Nzovu, a manager at a slaughterhouse on the shores of Lake Kivu. "The thieves go with the cows to Walikale," a market in rebel-controlled territory to the west.

While the trade in blood cows finances rebel activity here, but it's also a form of psychological warfare. Another major rebel group in the region, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), is a predominantly Tutsi movement which sees itself as protecting its people. It also defends their traditional livelihood; For centuries, the pastoral Tutsi have measured a man's wealth by counting his cattle.