The current crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo vividly illustrates how marginal our part of Africa is in terms of world politics. Note that in a period of only four years, since 1998, more than four million people, mainly Congolese and Rwandese nationals, the latter having fled to Congo after the Rwanda Patriotic Forces took over power in Kigali in 1994, have been killed. Unfortunately, the attention that the West and the broader international community have focused on this area, in terms of resources and the commitment to resolve this conflict, has been dismal at best, says this commentary.