Gazing in the Congo (DRC): the dark heart of Africa (2006-2017)

[Stan]

A senior United Nations official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today decried the problem of sexual violence in the war-torn country, saying perpetrators are mostly police, military and militia members but civilians are increasingly involved, and calling for stronger response measures.

"This is an extraordinary large problem. It is not just an anecdotal problem but a massive one that demands we all combined try and make sure that essentially not only women who are victims of rape and abuse are treated but that sexual violence must stop," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Special Representative Ross Mountain.

He voiced particular concern about the conflict in North Kivu where since September, about 150,000 people have fled their homes, bringing the total in the province as a whole to about 800,000 displaced persons.

With the continuous tense situation in DRC's troubled eastern region triggering more sexual violence against women, he said that while statistics are hard to come by, "we are dealing literally with hundred of thousands of victims over the last couple of years."

[carl]

Stan:

on the road from the Bukavu airport to town i used to see the women toting the giant loads on their backs, all bent over and tramping, tramping, tramping. impossibly hard manual labor every day of their lives and to add an almost certain rape on top of it; everytime i saw one of those women my heart broke.

Carl

[Stan]

Hey Carl !
Glad to hear from you...wondered, what's that guy up to in Iraq these days ?

Stan:

on the road from the Bukavu airport to town i used to see the women toting the giant loads on their backs, all bent over and tramping, tramping, tramping. impossibly hard manual labor every day of their lives and to add an almost certain rape on top of it; everytime i saw one of those women my heart broke.

Carl

After nearly 10 years there, watching push carts (mostly males) and women with a case of beer on their heads, I had the same thoughts. I don't want to sound cruel herein, but rape in Zaire while I was there was not as horrific as we the West consider such an evil deed.

I recall the CDC folks explaining that a city of 5 million and 35% of the heterosexual community was HIV positive, and Russian roulette would be safer (we had one of those too at the embassy).

IMO, the number of rape victims back then were nearly the same. But, we were supporting Mobutu and his regime...we tended to look the other way so long as we could use Zaire to stage against Angola and the Russians. When Mo fell out of grace (read ran out of useful purpose) we really messed up his days of fortune and favors.

Honestly, nothing has changed other than our attention in that part of Africa.

Case in point. As Tom and I sat in the middle of a refugee crisis wondering what the folks in K-town were doing and why we weren't getting support, the embassy was planning a quiet way out, by explaining this would last but a week or two, tops

Rape victims were hardly worth reading (Tom reported those too).

Regards, Stan

[carl]

Stan:

do you really think there was as much rape in congo in before 94 as
there is now? there are more armed groups running around now than
there were then. i always read there is more now, but you and Tom are
the guys who should know. the sight of those women bent over carrying
those huge loads will always stay with me.

[Stan]

Hey Carl,
Per our e-mails, here are my observations and overall opinion.

First (forgive me for this reality check), the Zairians never considered or defined getting laid by force as rape. Whether or not the 'partner' was willing, is not relevant. We could call this 'date rape' but an entirely different set of customs, traditions and mind set.

Case in point: While in Gbadolite on an MTT (Tom was in fact in Zaire, but we never met) training on 113s and 114s, and M2HBs, one of the Special Presidential Division (DSP) officers told us (my team) we could have 'anything' we wanted tonite, and to point her out once we've decided. One of the team members decided he would go for it. The next morning he told us he could not go through with 'it' although she was extremely sexy and otherwise available. She was told by the DSP officer, that this Soldier wants you, and your President dictates that you perform. The women cried and begged, and finally our team member returned to the hotel 'no joy'. That was a rather friendly form of almost rape. Had that DSP officer wanted it for himself...well, far less conversation.

I doubt that the levels or rape being reported are that high, but I also doubt people reporting these instances have a clue as to what they think goes on each and every day in Zaire. The press and UN have brought the issue to the surface and created an otherwise typical Zairian day into a nightmare.

Carl, it's not right...it's sick. It however takes place from the top down to the very last individual, and not just in the bush. I met plenty of Belgians who did the very same (my twisted 55 year-old neighbor). I have no idea what the extent is, but conclude it's little more than normal for Zairians.

Regards, Stan

[Stan]

Yet another plan, blessed by the U.N. and full of political rhetoric. MONUC would be wise to view any agreements tied to physical movement (of Congolese soldiers) in the DRC with great care and skepticism.

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reached an agreement that will see the latter disarm and expel genocidal forces, grouped in what is known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

DRC agreed to prepare a detailed plan to disarm the militia, while the UN Mission in Congo (Monuc) agreed to 'provide support to the planning and subsequent implementation consistent with its mandate and capacities.'

The plan will be shared with the Rwandan government by December 1, the communiqué added.

[Stan]

Congo refugees flee after attack near camp, By Joe Bavier, KINSHASA (Reuters)

Thousands of refugees fled camps in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's violent North Kivu province on Tuesday after the army said Tutsi-dominated insurgents attacked its positions nearby.

Army officials said they repelled the dawn raid on their positions near the Mugunga camp 10 km (6 miles) from the provincial capital, Goma, killing 27 fighters loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda.

"There's a massive movement of displaced towards Goma. It's thousands of people. They're packed onto the road, carrying whatever they can," Aya Shneerson, director of the U.N.'s World Food Programme in Goma, told Reuters by telephone on the main road from the camps into the city.

Tuesday's fighting followed diplomatic pressure to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in North Kivu, which some fear could escalate to full-scale war. Both the U.N. and U.S. have sent high-level delegations to North Kivu this month.

On Saturday, Congo and Rwanda agreed to collaborate to rid eastern Congo of the Hutu-dominated rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), whose presence is a cause of the current crisis.