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War 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: 346 Rating:
Bogoro 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: 394 Rating:
Hutu 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: 398 Rating:
ICC 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: 680 Rating:
Rebel 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: 574 Rating:
In 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: 945 Rating:
Death'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: 787 Rating:
Hidden Gorilla Population a Good Sign for Species
Region: Congo
Posted by Sarah Amandolare to findingDulcinea More than 125,000 endangered gorillas were found in northern Congo, an unusual example of wildlife thriving. The Western lowland gorillas were found in the northern Congo Republic, despite being listed as critically endangered just last year. International wildlife organizations have been concerned as illegal hunting, war and the Ebola virus have decimated the species&rsq... more
Views: 630 Rating:
Congo Peace Deal Unraveling
Region: Congo
A ceasefire signed by more than 20 militia groups earlier this year is being broken repeatedly. By Peter Eichstaedt in Goma The fragile peace that has restored some calm in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, is in danger of collapsing, say key militia groups. “They attacked our positions. It is now war,” said Sendugu Museveni, the former president and now chief negotia... more
Views: 525 Rating:
Nkunda Faces ICC Dilemma
Region: Congo
By IWPR reporters in The Hague and Goma AR No. 169, 1-May-08) Congolese militia leader Laurent Nkunda may face a crisis in the ranks of his rebel force, following an announcement this week from the International Criminal Court, ICC, that it has issued an arrest warrant for his second-in-command. Human rights groups are calling on Nkunda to immediately hand over Bosco Ntaganda – chief of staff of his militia, the... more
Views: 911 Rating:
