One in Three Women

PRESS RELEASE- 06.07.2006
Zero tolerance for rape in Congo: As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prepares for its first elections in 40 years next month, instability is on the rise in the volatile east of the country and the EU mission has a duty to protect women against all forms of abuse

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While European troops are being sent to Congo, medica mondiale and the European Women's Lobby urge the EU mission to take additional measures to guard against the sexual exploitation and abuse of Congolese women and girls by EU soldiers and humanitarian personnel. "Despite the NATO-policy of zero tolerance for sexual violence and rape by soldiers and peacekeepers, we now that these standards have still not been translated into practice during military trainings", said Dr. Monika Hauser, executive director of medica mondiale. "It is as if the rapes women suffered already through UN peace-keepers in 2003 and 2004 do not count at all for the decision-makers".

In 2004, NATO adopted a Zero Tolerance Policy and developed training for the sensitisation of military personnel regarding trafficking in human beings. However, until now this training modules have not been used within EU Member States. But NATO's ability to enforce standards of behaviour in its missions depends on Member States who are responsible for training, command and discipline of peacekeepers as they provide the troops. Prior training on matters of sexual conduct of these peacekeepers before joining NATO forces is vital. The EU must also impose harsher punishments on individual peacekeepers and on governments that fail to discipline offenders.

"Soldiers and peacekeepers must be trained and told in clear terms that rape and sexual exploitation will be swiftly investigated and severely punished", said Kirsti Kolthoff, President of the European Women's Lobby. "To ensure this, it is crucial that the EU Mission is accompanied by independent human rights observers who are gender-sensitive and could immediately report violations against women and girls' human rights to the relevant national disciplinary and administrative bodies and to the Secretary- General of the UN."

Congolese military and paramilitary are systematically raping women and girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo without getting punished. In a region ravaged by constant violence for much of the recent past, women have long feared for their lives but now face an alarming rise in brutal rapes that seem to defy humanity. With victims suffering the shock and pain of the initial violation, they are also traumatized by rejection and isolation, as their families often turn them out, due to the stigma and fear of reprisals from the usually armed and powerful perpetrators.
The sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls is gaining a foothold in this society and psychological and physical distress is poisoning the community just as much as the spread of the HIV virus.

The human rights organisation medica mondiale and the European Women's Lobby, demand shelter, professional support and justice for the women concerned and severe penalties for the perpetrators. Perpetrators should finally be brought to justice before both national and international courts - whether they are soldiers belonging to international troops or paramilitaries. Moreover, a code of conduct should be finally introduced as well as preparatory training entailing awareness raising about gender-specific violence.

Background information

Rape as a weapon of war in Congo
Sexual assault has been used as a weapon of war for years in the eastern DRC and in a report issued earlier this year, Amnesty International estimated that a minimum of at least "tens of thousands of women and girls have been systematically raped and tortured" since conflict erupted there in 1998.

But as July elections approach, the Synergy for Women Victims of Sexual Violence (SFVS) that provides support to rape victims at the GESOM (Groupe d'entraide et de solidarité médicale) in Goma says it has seen a dramatic rise in such attacks. In the first three months of 2006, some 750 cases were reported in North Kivu, six times higher than usual, according to Justine Masika who works with the centre in Goma, the capital of the province. She attributes this to an increase in fighting between the DRC army and dissident troops, as well as clashes between a plethora of militia, including rebel groups from Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. Many victims are shunned, unable to return home. This information is also confirmed by Immaculee Birhahekam, who is the coordinator of "Promotion et appui aux initiatives feminines (PAIF)", a women organisation working with survivors of gender based violence and located in Goma. Since 2004 PAIF is in cooperation with medica Mondiale and they are reporting about an increasing numbers of rape victims.

UN and EU soldiers are not trained on gender-specific crimes
During the past 3 years, soldiers belonging to UN peacekeeping missions have been among the perpetrators of gender violence. The internal UN investigation commission OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services) confirmed reports of Congolese human rights organisations according to which there were many cases where Congolese women and girls had been raped by UN peace keepers in "exchange" for a small sum of money or food. Men who have actually come to build up democratic structures in the country and to protect the human rights of all its citizens have become perpetrators themselves.

In spite of a policy of zero tolerance of sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers, there appears to be disparities between formal U.N. policies and peacekeepers' behaviour, as rape is still ongoing. Peacekeepers must be disciplined and punished by their own national courts upon their return- the national institutions of every member country are in charge of bringing perpetrators to justice. The demands of the UN Resolution 1325 should not only stand on paper - they finally should be implemented. When, if not now in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

For further information, please contact:

medica mondiale e.V. -
Isabella Stock (Public Relations)
istock@medicamondiale.org; http://www.medicamondiale.org
FON +49-(0)221-931898-25
FAX +49-(0)221-931898-1

European Women's Lobby
Colette De Troy
Centre-violence@womenlobby.org - http://www.womenlobby.org
Tel. +32 2 217 90 20
Fax +32 2 219 84 51
18, rue Hydraulique
B-1210 Brussels

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