Congo rapes in focus
Source: Agencies |
October 17, 2010, Sunday
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MORE than 15,000 people were raped in the volatile eastern region of Congo last year, according to the best data available, the top United Nations envoy in the African nation said on Friday.
Roger Meece, who heads the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, said the scale of the security problems in the east, including sexual attacks, is "enormous."
Meece told the UN Security Council that the "horrific" mass rapes in late July and early August by rebel militias in eastern Congo's mineral-rich Walikale region underscored the importance of protecting civilians.
But he told reporters after the briefing that it's impossible for 18,000 UN peacekeepers to protect all civilians in the area where armed groups are operating - an area larger than Afghanistan.
The UN force "cannot serve as the complete answer to the security problems of the east," Meece said. "The scale of the problem is enormous."
Somewhat different but equally troubling figures were provided by the UN Population Fund, which determined there were 17,507 sexual violence attacks throughout Congo in 2009 - including more than 9,000 in North and South Kivu which have been at the center of the conflict in the east.
The scale of rapes and sexual violence hasn't diminished much this year, according to the fund, known as UNFPA, which collects data in Congo.
There were 7,685 attacks in Congo between January and June, including more than 4,500 in the Kivus, according to the fund.
UNFPA spokesman Abubakar Dungus said 5,427 of the sexual attacks this year - about 70 percent - were perpetrated "by men in uniform." It was unclear if he was referring to soldiers, militiamen or others.
Roger Meece, who heads the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, said the scale of the security problems in the east, including sexual attacks, is "enormous."
Meece told the UN Security Council that the "horrific" mass rapes in late July and early August by rebel militias in eastern Congo's mineral-rich Walikale region underscored the importance of protecting civilians.
But he told reporters after the briefing that it's impossible for 18,000 UN peacekeepers to protect all civilians in the area where armed groups are operating - an area larger than Afghanistan.
The UN force "cannot serve as the complete answer to the security problems of the east," Meece said. "The scale of the problem is enormous."
Somewhat different but equally troubling figures were provided by the UN Population Fund, which determined there were 17,507 sexual violence attacks throughout Congo in 2009 - including more than 9,000 in North and South Kivu which have been at the center of the conflict in the east.
The scale of rapes and sexual violence hasn't diminished much this year, according to the fund, known as UNFPA, which collects data in Congo.
There were 7,685 attacks in Congo between January and June, including more than 4,500 in the Kivus, according to the fund.
UNFPA spokesman Abubakar Dungus said 5,427 of the sexual attacks this year - about 70 percent - were perpetrated "by men in uniform." It was unclear if he was referring to soldiers, militiamen or others.
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