Despite a peace agreement, the presence of the national army and UN Peacekeeping forces, violence is widespread. Women in particular are living in fear with many sleeping outside their homes at night to avoid raids by armed men.
However, on International Women’s Day, thousands of women marched through the streets of Bukavu demanding their rights and calling for peace.
Armed groups continue to vie for control of specific areas. These groups terrorise and exploit the local population, occupying, pillaging and destroying entire villages – forcing people to flee, leaving their homes and possessions at the mercy of the militias.
Violence, rape, torture, kidnapping and murder has become commonplace. Violence against women is being used as a weapon of war. Christian Aid partner Centre Olame states that women are often seen as a means through which armed groups can ‘hurt, punish and humiliate the Congolese people’.
UN Peacekeepers blamed
Members of practically all the armed groups and armed forces that operate in eastern DRC have committed crimes against women. Recently victims all say that the perpetrators speak in Kinyarwanda, a Rwandan language. They also say that the groups are ‘Hutu’ ‘Interahamwe’.
However, Congolese girls and women have been sexually exploited by UN peacekeepers. This sexual exploitation and abuse mostly involves the exchange of sex for money at a cost of between $1 and $3, or for food or jobs.
Members of the former government army and the new national army known as FARDC are also guilty of sexual abuses.
Women fight back
On International Women’s Day, the women of Bukavu marched through the town singing songs denouncing the abuses which the women in particular have suffered.
The procession ended in Independence Square where the women made a statement calling for the demobilisation and repatriation of armed groups so as to bring peace and security, for fair elections and for respect for women’s rights.
In August 2005, I travelled to Bukavu and met a little girl who had been brutally raped.
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