The announcement that the UN Security Council has authorised the deployment of 3,000 extra troops to reinforce those already on the ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a good first step, but it is the implementation of these troops that matters.

The people of the DRC have waited a long time for this small grain of hope – they now urgently need to see those troops on the ground, protecting them from attack.

Amnesty International is still receiving reports of killings, rape, and abduction of children – and we will continue to get those reports until there is effective protection of civilians in practice.

We have also welcomed the news that the Australian Federal Government will contribute an additional $4 million worth of humanitarian aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This boosts Australia's total contribution to $5 million. Read the letter (PDF 45kb) our national director Claire Mallinson has written to the Foreign Minister Stephen Smith thanking the government for its "strong and timely contribution" to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the Congo.

You can also read our earlier letter to the government calling on it to do all it can - including increasing its financial contribution and supporting the reinforcement of UN troops - to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the country.

Thanks to all our members and supporters who added their names to the letter to the Minister.

The situation in DRC remains highly volatile. An Amnesty International research mission is headed to the region shortly, to gather testimonies from refugees and assess the severity of the situation.