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Academy award-winner Affleck draws attention to Congo, cautiously optimistic after strife

WASHINGTON – Academy award-winning actor Ben Affleck sees a window of hope in the Congo after years of strife and he is urging the U.S. Congress not to let the opportunity for progress slip away.

Affleck is the founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, a 4-year-old advocacy organization dedicated to peace and prosperity in the region. The actor and director was meeting with senators and testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Affleck and former Sen. Russell Feingold, the special envoy for the region, spoke about the changes in the former Belgian colony of about 68 million.

Congo is one of the most volatile countries in Africa with an estimated 5 million people killed since a regional war that began in 1997.

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