Congo Police Move to Combat Violence Against Women
Region: CongoThere are signs of positive action to counter the culture of gender-based violence in Katanga province in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC. Perhaps the most significant step taken in recent months has been the creation of a new police unit to protect young women and girls, which was officially inaugurated in the provincial capital Lubumbashi on April 21. The initiative is being wholly funde... more
Views: 2791Congolese Lawmakers Face Voter Intimidation
Region: CongoLegislators in southern province claim that fiery young activists preventing them from voting freely. In the public gallery of Katanga's provincial assembly, a group of youths gather. Dressed in tracksuits and loudly beating drums, they sing animated songs to venerate the speaker of the provincial parliament, Gabriel Kyungu. They jeer his opponents during plenary sessions. Opposition politicians report that... more
Views: 1675Congolese Children Born of Rape Face Dismal Future
Region: CongoOften rejected by family and society, they end up fending for themselves on the street. By Nsimire Sara in Goma (AR No 240, 22-Dec-09) Mwinja has known little but rejection in her seven years of life. Her mother Julienne became pregnant after being raped by soldiers who held her captive in the bush for 14 days. She still struggles to accept her daughter, and often uses her as a scapegoat when things go wrong. ... more
Views: 2607War and Tribal Tradition Feed Sexual Violence Against Women
Region: CongoTribal customs and the legacy of conflict put women at risk of violence and abuse. By Heritier Maila in Lubumbashi (AR No 231, 1-Oct-09) Simone Maganga still feels deep shame when she recalls how, after her husband died, she was obliged to have sex with his younger brother in order to lay the spirit of the deceased to rest. “In order to remove your husband's dead body from your body, you must sleep with hi... more
Views: 2456Bogoro Victims Finally Laid to Rest
Region: CongoVillagers refrained from burying murdered relatives believing ICC required bones as evidence against perpetrators. By Jacques Kahorha in Bogoro (AR No. 225, 13-Aug-09) Villagers in Bogoro, in the north-eastern province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, have been told that they can finally bury the remains of those who died in the 2003 massacre in the town, since they are unlikely to be needed in u... more
Views: 1110Hutu Militia Rampages Across North Kivu
Region: CongoFDLR launch wave of violence in what appears to be revenge for bid to turf them out of Congo. By Taylor Toeka Kakala in Luofu and Jacques Kahorha in Goma (AR No. 212, 11-May-09) A Hutu militia group is terrorising civilians in eastern Congo, apparently in retaliation for the recent military campaign intended to drive them back to their native Rwanda. While some of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwan... more
Views: 1097ICC Urges Congo to Hand Over Ntaganda
Region: Congo
By Jacques Kahorha in Goma and Lisa Clifford in The Hague (AR No. 199, 29-Jan-09) ICC indictee Bosco Ntaganda shakes hands with Congo's interior minister Celestin Mbuyu. © Jacques Kahorha/Goma “We are very, very, very happy,” said Yves Jean Bosco Batechi from the North Kivu village of Ma... more
Views: 2265Rebel Withdrawal Offers Hope for Congo Peace
Region: Congo
Hundreds of Congolese rebels have pulled back from the frontlines, and a spokesman has said that they are willing to talk with the army. Rebels pull back United Nations peacekeepers were overseeing the situation on Wednesday, as hundreds of Tutsi rebels led by General Laurent Nkunda withdrew from their position north of the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern North Kivu province. “Since ye... more
Views: 1205In the Congo, Fighting Continues
Region: Congo
by Elia Varela Serra As the world celebrates Barack Obama's victory as the next president of the United States, AfroSpear reminds us that the conflict in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo hasn't stopped: In this era where a man of African descent has secured the throne of the most powerful nation of the world, a tragedy of enormous proportions continues to be pl... more
Views: 2156Death's Niche in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Region: Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a country about the size of western Europe that can boast abundant natural resources including lavish gemstones and precious metals. Despite its apparent size and natural wealth, the country has an "acute lack of medical care" (Doyle, 8/2008). According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) there have been an estimated 5.4 million Congolese deaths from curable... more
Views: 1537
