I frequently think of the Congo and the plague of war that has entombed the country for more than a decade. The conflict has been one of the most violent and deadly, its brutality taking countless men, women and children. I seem to have somewhat found my answer as recently the CNN reported the the discovery of at least 321 civilian deaths and some 250 abductions, including at least 80 children in December. For three full days the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led a campaign of terror in northeastern Congo, however the deadly rampage went unreported till now.
Rape has scourged the country, as one of the most horrific crimes against humanity has taken victim to women and girls across the country. However as I sit here in contemplation of the violence it continues to take its daily feed of victims as the hunger of war rages on and I ask myself, have we forgotten the Congo? And then I question myself again and think maybe we haven’t actually forgotten, but simply given up hope that the war will ever come to an end. Regardless the Congo needs more of our attention, for as long as we turn a blind eye we are unwittingly letting those who perpetrate such heinous crimes to continue with wreck-less abandon.
The use of rape to terrorize and punish those who are in support of the “wrong side” has continued throughout the Congo’s long and bloody war-torn history. Fear has become a daily emotion for women and girls, as the numbers of rape victims continue to rise, since the end of the Second Congo War, becoming a common feature of Congolese daily life.
Why does rape in the Congo continue? The increase in sexual violence is directly linked to the increase in rebel activity, and is only compounded by both national and international impunity of the crime. While in 2006 the government did pass stronger laws to punish offenders of sex crimes, the effect of these laws has been minimal, as women and girls continue to be raped and assaulted in mass and impunity continues to reign for the perpetrators.
As the violence in the Congo continues the lives of the countries women and girls continue to be plagued with fear. As long as impunity continues rapes will remain the weapon of choice for all too many combatants, for its effectiveness far outweighs the price of a bullet.
For more information please see my previous post on the use of rape as a weapon of war here. However while rape warfare has been a huge blight of the conflict, it is not the only that the country toils with daily. Please see my previous posts on the situation in the Congo such as; The Children of Congo’s Streets and The Smallest Victims of the Congolese War.
