Military shake-ups could worsen Congo's mass rape problem
Shuffling and regrouping among Congo's troops is creating a volatile environment that encourages violence and potentially mass rape, as shown in the rape of at least 120 women in early June.
By Jason Stearns, Guest blogger / June 29, 2011
Over the past few days, information has come trickling in about yet another case of mass rape in the eastern Congo. According to Doctors Without Borders, local health centers, and the UN, anywhere between 121 and 170 women may have been raped on June 11 and 12 in Abala and Nyakiele, two villages in Fizi territory, South Kivu.
Why? In most reports on the incident, the essential context is missing. In this case, the context is the simultaneous integration of armed groups and the formation of new regiments out of existing brigades. This twin process – while probably necessary – has been rushed and has produced a volatile and often violent situation, of which this mass rape may be a symptom.
Read the full article on the Christian Science Monitor