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On my recent trip to eastern DR Congo with my colleague Camilla Olson, we overlapped with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she visited Goma. The visit of such a senior U.S. official to a place people often say the world has forgotten about was encouraging. For those of us working on Congo issues, it was a rare source of hope that greater attention would be paid to the never-ending cycle of violence that has led to the deaths of millions of civilians and exhausted donors and aid workers.

On the morning of Secretary Clinton’s visit, there was a flurry of activity in Goma. Roads that had been badly potholed were suddenly being repaired. I saw a number of Congolese people wearing Obama t-shirts. Although we did not meet Clinton while she was there, I could not help being somewhat swept up in the moment.

Watching the local TV news footage later, I saw the Secretary go to the Heal Africa hospital which treats survivors of rape and sexual violence. The hospital is known for its strong reputation and I’m glad Clinton got to see people doing positive things rather than only seeing conflict and destruction. But I could not help feeling that she should also see how people live outside main centers like Goma, where even the most basic essentials are non-existent. I’ve seen hospitals in rural areas where there weren’t even any sheets or mattresses, where sick people slept on bedsprings.

During her visit, Clinton announced $17 million in U.S. funding to prevent sexual violence and treat its survivors, through medical and legal assistance, training police officers and working on ways to document abuses. Clinton also committed a team of civilian experts, medical personnel and military engineers to assess what more the U.S. can do.

While this is an important boost to U.S. engagement in Congo, it is equally important for the Obama administration to tackle the politically-sensitive problems underlying many of these crimes, especially violence committed by the Congolese army. This money must not be seen as a substitute for robust political engagement with the Congolese government on ending impunity and strengthening an independent judicial system, free from political interference. Although police training is important, the impact of this will be weak in the absence of equal efforts to strengthen the overall judicial system. New programs on sexual violence will also need to be coordinated with the complex web of actors already working on this issue in eastern Congo, and any efforts must support the UN’s Comprehensive Strategy Combating Sexual Violence in the DRC.

I do hope the U.S. government’s attention to the DRC does not peak with Clinton’s visit, only to fade away as more pressing problems crop up elsewhere. One thing that always stands out during my visits to Congo is that people there believe the U.S. government is incredibly powerful and could significantly improve their situation if it wanted to. Although I don’t believe the U.S. holds the key to resolving Congo’s problems, I do believe that a revitalized, long-term U.S. engagement will help. It will also ultimately strengthen America’s credibility in the eyes of the Congolese people.