I believe that the Democratic Republic of Congo, with our help and the help of other donors, have to significantly and quickly accelerate this.

Well, this is, of course, one of the complicated aspects of these kinds of armed groups where often the families and the kids are with them in the camps.

I remember you coming to me and talking to me about this unbelievably tragic treatment of women.

It may be necessary to have an intervention brigade like this that is skilled at taking tough action but protecting civilians at the same time.

Well, Mr. Chairman, this is where the process that is a little more promising is the key, and that is that the justice system of the DRC has to move forward in an effective way to be able to prosecute these individuals.

These were not easy conversations, but they were direct and I think they were helpful in making it clear that the United States certainly does not overlook that sort of thing in this context.

We will want to see even more support in this regard and guarding against any reduction.

I think we need to continue to support an extension which will be decided in March.

I think there has been some of that, but I think, based on my actual observation of what is happening over there, less than I would have expected based on those comments.

What it means to me is just coming up with another agreement, signing a piece of paper, and saying, okay, now everybody is going to behave, that is not going to do it.

We visited directly with each of the Presidents. We spoke directly about the fact that we believe that in some instances support was being given and that that was not tolerable.

Sadly the answer was no, maybe some downturn in some places but this is still going on.

It is not just a political solution. It is a complex relationship between the peoples in that region.

We made it very clear to them that we thought that was a violation of the framework and something that should not happen.

Action against the FDLR and the ADF has to happen I think relatively soon to make sure that the diplomatic commitments that we made are fulfilled.

The Congolese reform agenda, which Special Envoy Feingold discussed at length, clearly needs to move forward.

U.S. companies must now disclose the origin of minerals purchased from the DRC.

We have seen with the M23 it is possible, with a combination of military and diplomatic pressure, to persuade people maybe it is a good idea for them to abandon these people.