Women raped in mass attack in Congo

[Jenn! 918]

(CNN) -- Dozens of women were raped in a coordinated attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo on New Year's Day, Doctors Without Borders said Thursday.

The humanitarian agency said 33 women were raped in Fizi, South Kivu, in the eastern part of the war-torn country.

"Women had been restrained with ropes or beaten unconscious with the butt of a gun before being attacked, some in front of their children," said Annemarie Loof, an official with the agency, commonly known by its French name, Medecins Sans Frontieres.

"Up to four armed men were involved at a time and homes and shops were looted," she said in a statement.

Rape is a frequent weapon of war in Congo, the United Nations says.

It has named the Democratic Republic of Congo the "rape capital of the world," with 15,000 women raped in eastern Congo in 2009. The attacks occurred in parts of the country where armed rebel groups moved into areas considered to be pro-government but lacking in army or police protection, according to the United Nations.

Many rape survivors took to the streets in October to speak out against sexual violence.

"My heart is in pain. Why are you raping me?" sang the rape victims, many of whom left hospital beds to join the march in eastern Congo.

A U.N. report in September slammed Congo's security forces for failing prevent a wave of mass rapes over several days last summer.

The preliminary report confirmed the rape of at least 303 civilians between July 30 and August 2 in the Walikale region of Congo's North Kivu province.

And the rapes have clearly not stopped, Medecins Sans Frontieres said.

"MSF is extremely concerned about the current situation in and around Fizi," Loof said Thursday. "People are fleeing the area fearing further violent attacks."

The agency provided medical and psychosocial care for 5,600 rape victims in North and South Kivu in 2009, it said.

Source

[sandinista! 1,816]

dr congo is so bad that even its notoriety as the rape capital of the world takes a back seat when you look at the death counts coming out of there. 5 and a half million people have been killed since the civil war started. both stats are astounding and incomprehensible, at least to me anyways. outside of groups like doctors without borders though, the place barely registers a blip of awareness. thanks for posting this jenn!

[^_^ 5,021]

isn't this really common in sub saharan africa?

[sandinista! 1,816]

there's an amnesty international report on war rape that specifically mentions colombia, iraq, sudan, chechnya, nepal and afghanistan currently. i don't think it's a far stretch to wager that it probably happens in a fair amount of other places at war as well. where there's conflict, you'll find war rape. it featured prominently in conflicts in bosnia, bangladesh, rwanda, and all over the place in wwII.

[luckytxn 2,263]

isn't this really common in sub saharan africa?

Seems to be common where ever war conditions are. It wasn't that long ago that the U.N. troops did the same thing. It is like the U.N. calling the kettle black. Such a shame too. Not sure what to do there. How would they plan to stop it? Have the U.N. troops come in? Then it would be like asking them who they would rather be raped by more.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Pretty sad story. Humans can seriously suck at times.

[Danno 1,228]

there's an amnesty international report on war rape that specifically mentions colombia, iraq, sudan, chechnya, nepal and afghanistan currently. i don't think it's a far stretch to wager that it probably happens in a fair amount of other places at war as well. where there's conflict, you'll find war rape. it featured prominently in conflicts in bosnia, bangladesh, rwanda, and all over the place in wwII.

Haiti is not at war.

The gang rapes going on there are widespread.

[sandinista! 1,816]

Haiti is not at war.

The gang rapes going on there are widespread.

where exactly did i say it only happened in places where there's war?

[Ban Hammer 12,837]

arm the women.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

this has gone on for a very very long time.

It's hardly even news anymore....

I was one of the first people when 9/11 happened to come out and say "who the hell cares?" because of the ####### that's been going on in Africa for the past couple of decades...

We sit by blind as a bat to the atrocities taking place all around the world, and then we get up in arms when 3,000 of our citizens get killed? Please... It's peanuts in comparison.

[tmma 467]

arm the women.

[R&W 5]

this has gone on for a very very long time.

It's hardly even news anymore....

I was one of the first people when 9/11 happened to come out and say "who the hell cares?" because of the ####### that's been going on in Africa for the past couple of decades...

We sit by blind as a bat to the atrocities taking place all around the world, and then we get up in arms when 3,000 of our citizens get killed? Please... It's peanuts in comparison.

Was it bad for the government to fight for it's Citizens? Is it US's fault why other countries can't control their own problem? It just happens that Yahoo! is US based. So is Google and not to mention the NASA satellite roaming around the Earth. So people see everything what the US does.

I have seen enough anti-Americans in my whole life and I don't get bothered. It's their choice. But what I hate is that they come here to have their surgeries done and then go home and tell how pathetic Americans are.

It's sad what's happening around the globe. I hope for hope and love for their own country and countrymen.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Who cares about 9/11? Yeah... i bet you were first to say that.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Who cares about 9/11? Yeah... i bet you were first to say that.

I 'cared' that it happened here, BUT at the same time felt the average American was so ignorant of what's going on in the world around them... I told everyone I felt we deserved the attack to wake us the hell up to what was going on out there... Granted it didn't wake us up at all and just turned people into little war mongers who want to kill everything in the middle east.

[R&W 5]

We deserve the attack? Why? Because we're too busy taking care of our families? Working our butts off so we become an asset to the society? When we go home after work, is it wrong to not watch news and be updated on what's going on but instead read and sing and play with our kids? I personally try. I'm an average citizen... and trying to be a good mom, wife, and a citizen. How much is the world asking for an average American, then?