Bad, Bad Times in Eastern Congo

by Michael Bear

category: Humanitarian Relief

Published July 16, 2009 @ 05:45AM PT

Traveling at the moment (Boston, how I love thee, at least in the summer - winter, not so much), so keeping this one rather short - following Tuesday's post about sexual violence in the Congo, more information below about the rather bleak overall situation in the eastern part of the country:

- Massive increase in attacks on civilians (Human Rights Watch):

"United Nations-backed Congolese armed forces conducting intensified military operations in eastern and northern Democratic Republic of Congo have failed to protect civilians from brutal rebel retaliatory attacks and instead are themselves attacking and raping Congolese civilians."

- Mounting concern as civilians' plight worsens (ICRC):

"According to a recent independent survey carried out for the ICRC in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 76% of the population has been affected in some way by the armed conflict, 58% have been displaced, 47% have lost a close relative and 28% know someone who has fallen victim to sexual violence."

- Kivu crisis worsens with 100,000 more displaced (IRIN):

"Humanitarian and security conditions in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Kivu provinces worsened in June, when almost 100,000 people were displaced, many of whom had fled violence previously, according to humanitarian officials."

- Rape, forced labour, reprisal attacks and torture surge in eastern Congo, says new Oxfam study (Oxfam):

• More than 80 percent of those surveyed said that security was worse now compared to a year ago.
• All communities said that they feared reprisal attacks from the FDLR due to the offensive
• Half of the communities spoke of forced labour
• A quarter of communities spoke of torture - including underground torture rooms run by the FDLR
• Three communities reported rape against men, including eight recent cases of male rape in one community in South Kivu.
• More than half the communities said that rape had increased since the start of the operations, and all said it was widespread.
• Half the communities reported sexual violence against children, with children as young as 4 among the recent cases.

- Civilians have paid high price in campaign to integrate Congolese armed groups, dismantle foreign ones, Special Representative tells Security Council (UN Security Council)

Rather self explanatory.

[Photo from MSF of the Kilimani IDP camp in North Kivu, DRC]