Uganda, April 21 -- When the Democratic Republic of Congo bleeds, the world rushes to the language of ceasefires, summits, and emergency diplomacy. It should also reach for a mirror. The war in eastern Congo is not only a story of rebels, borders, and failed agreements. It is also a story of how Africa is still trapped in power relations that look different from colonial rule, but often work in the same direction. Neo-colonialism remains one of the biggest obstacles to peace-building in Africa because it keeps African conflicts useful to people who do not have to live with their consequences. In the DRC, that truth is impossible to ignore. The most painful part is that Congo has become almost normalised as a permanent crisis. Yet the numb...