By Amy Lieberman
WeNews correspondent
Thursday, March 10, 2011
A U.N. rapid-response team for mass outbreaks of sexual violence is pulling together. Here, its leader describes his first assignment to the DRC and warns that the four-person unit, which works by government invitation, can only do so much.
UNITED NATIONS (WOMENSENEWS)--Innocent Zahinda recently started his new job here as the last of six members to be appointed to the staff of Margot Wallstrom, the U.N. special representative for sexual violence in conflict.
His January arrival marked the partial implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1888. Approved in September 2009, it calls for the creation of a ready-to-deploy team of experts to aid consenting governments with response to sexual violence.
But given the scale of conflict-zone sex assaults, Zahinda warns that his four-person unit --with two positions yet to be filled--can't possibly respond to every incident of mass rape.
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