Congo Rebels Mass Rape Nearly 200 Women, This Year’s Worst Attack Yet
According to the latest reports, 170 women were raped and beaten by rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo earlier this month.
The news of the rapes surfaced when humanitarian aid groups began receiving increasing cases of injuries and reports of sexual violence in the small town of Fizi. Located in the South Kivu region of the country, the town was the location of what aid groups operating in the area say was a mass rapes attack conducted over a two-day period. Women and witness confirm that rebel groups attacked a pair of villages in the eastern part of the country.
Last week, Megan Hunter, head of Médecins Sans Frontières’ mission South Kivu said:
“We have seen at this point over 100 cases of people who reported being raped or suffering other incidents of physical trauma.”
The rebels accused of the attacks include over 200 former rebels men and boys. According to the UN-backed Radio Okapi, the men had previously been integrated in the Congolese army but deserted their unit. The unit has a notorious past using sexual violence as a weapon of war; in February, nine soldiers from the same unit were convicted for the rapes of 60 women in Fizi on New Years Day.
It remains to be seen what, if any, action the United Nations will take in investigating these rapes or where the peacekeeping force tasked to monitor the region was over the two-day period the rapes were taking place. Many are skeptical that the diplomatic community will be able to change the sad reality that exists for women in the DRC. Last August, more than 300 women, men and children were raped by a coalition of rebel groups in the town of Luvungi and smaller villages in the North Kivu province within miles of a UN peacekeeping base.
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I am more than willing to donate a few bucks in an effort to purchase uzis, dynamite, and the anti-rape device for the women of Africa. This is sickening and I’m damn tired of sitting back and doing nothing. Women all over the world need to come together and help these women.
Yes, yes, yes. This bothers me so much. I feel the need to do something.
Get your facts right don’t say the women of Africa, like its a general thing. This does not happen in a lot of places in Africa. Its mostly A South Africa and Congo problem.
This story breaks my heart. Awhile ago, HBO showed a documentary about the rape crisis in the Congo. One Congolese rape counselor basically told the film crew that if these rapes continue unabated, and women contract HIV/AIDS, and these “rebels” continue to destroy Congolese women, then in about 20-30 years time, Congolese society will simply cease to exist. It’s true…..how can any society function if you destroy the female population?
SMH
Each time we read and hear reports such as this, everytime we do absolutely NOTHING about it…we’re basically saying, “WE DON’T CARE!”.
This is heartbreaking. Something has to be done. We can no longer wait around for the US, UN or anyone else to take action cause the women & people in Congo will die waiting and continue to suffer in our lack of interest and stupor.
It is a sad story, this should not be happening in the year of 2011. I have so many questions and not enough answers. What is the reason that these”rebels” are doing this? Within a two day period, why are they doing this?
As much as I want to jump on the bandwagon and say ‘we’ need to do something, I need to know what can I do? What organization will stop this from happening? Can I fund the military to make sure they are armed to take care of it? How do I know that I am not funding the “rebels” once I do make a donation.
It is a sad situation, and at this point all I can do I pray about it.
wow, this confuses me so much. Its sad but if it were outsiders doing this to the women I’d be able to wrap my mind around it.
But these rebels are doing this to their own women! Just destroying their own people.
I wish the hatred would end over there. Where the hell does it all come from anyway.
(sigh)…..
This is horrible.
What psychosis exists within many men across the world, why do they desire to hurt and traumatise women in such an intimate way – I thought sexuality was about mutual pleasure and enjoyment – why do these men turn it into an instrument of hatred and pain?
My comment did not post, so here I go again:
CUT OFF THE RAPISTS PENISES SLOWLY! THEN THROW ACID ON THEIR BODIES!!!!!! MAKE SURE THEY DON’T DIE. THEY DESERVE TO FEEL EVERY INCH OF PAIN THAT THEY PUT MY SISTERS TO! THESE MOTHERFUCKERS DON’T EVEN CARE TO PUT ON CONDOMS, AND MASS RAPE WOMEN ALL DAY EVERYDAY AND INFECT THEM WITH HIV/AIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our Mission: Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. We’re changing the world one woman at a time.
http://www.womenforwomen.org is where you can donate
Women for Women, International is great organization I used to volunteer for. Also, if you ladies or fellas would like to donate to an phenomenal organization directly helping the rape victims of the DRC, check out the Panzi Hospital!
http://panzihospitalbukavu.org
@African Mami, I agree.