Kinshasa, August 15(HS): The war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) faces a harrowing crisis, as sexual violence has surged dramatically in the North Kivu province over the last year, according to a recent United Nations report. Healthcare providers treated more than 17,000 survivors of sexual violence in just the first five months of 2024, with a staggering total of 22,000 cases recorded throughout 2023 — more than double the previous year’s figures.
The conflict, intensifying between Congolese government forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, has unleashed widespread brutality, including rape, gang rape, and sexual slavery. The UN’s annual report, released by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, revealed on Thursday that many victims suffered violent attacks perpetrated by multiple assailants, including the use of objects in sexual assaults.
Despite a recent Qatar-mediated peace agreement aimed at establishing a ceasefire, violence continues to claim thousands of lives and displace millions. The report highlights systemic impunity, with some perpetrators identified as members of the Congolese army and others affiliated with the M23 rebels, who receive ongoing support from the Rwanda Defence Force.
Women and girls—accounting for 92 percent of the victims—often face sexual violence while foraging for food or living in overcrowded displacement camps, where insecurity has become the norm. Many displaced women have resorted to prostitution for survival, underscoring the grim nexus between food scarcity and gender-based violence.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege condemned the rampant impunity in the region, warning that unchecked sexual violence perpetuates a cycle of trauma and suffering. The UN identifies the DRC, alongside countries like the Central African Republic, Haiti, Somalia, and South Sudan, as hotspots for conflict-related sexual violence.
This persistent crisis demands urgent international focus not only on ending the conflict but also on providing comprehensive protection and care for survivors, as the toll of violence reshapes the lives of vulnerable communities across eastern Congo.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
