Katanga is not on the political map, which is why such a massive humanitarian crisis can go ignored.

The governor is concerned with a crisis of affordability. He will target economic development efforts that are focused on building generations of opportunity.

The threats haven't worked and the U.N. and the Congolese army have failed to get rid of all these armed groups.

The population has grown weary of a transitional government that is more concerned with personal enrichment than lifting them out of misery, and they are counting on the ballot box to improve their lot. If the elections go awry, they will turn once again to violence.

There's a need for a neutral force to calm the population. The Congolese army is a nascent, fledgling force. MONUC fulfills the task.

There are many weapons that have been distributed to civilians and there are factions who don't want to lose power and who'd do anything including inciting ethnic violence to stop the electoral process. The only way to ensure stability during the elections is to actually have troops on the ground.