related hunger and disease, in a nation roughly the size of western Europe. Despite a 2003 peace deal, the resource-rich country has seen little economic progress and the government has failed to impose its authority over vast areas of the east, where armed gangs still pillage and kill with impunity. But the U.N. says Equateur province in the west, of which Mbandaka is the capital, has been "relatively stable" over the past two years. It is the only part of the vast country where the world body has started trying to help refugees return home. The capital Kinshasa was also hit by violence last week as frustrations boiled over at a delay to elections originally due by the end of June. Security forces shot dead at least two demonstrators in the dilapidated city on Thursday as thousands protested to demand the government's resignation over the delay.
