Title: Displaced Women in Eastern DRC Continue to Suffer from Rampant Sexual Violence
In the midst of the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crisis, displaced women face a terrifying reality of rampant sexual violence. Patricia, a 15-year-old girl who was displaced by the conflict, fell victim to armed men when she left her displacement camp in search of food near the city of Goma. Sadly, her experience is not unique, as thousands of women and girls endure similar atrocities in overcrowded and miserable displacement camps.
The humanitarian crisis in North Kivu province has been triggered by the M23 rebels, who have captured significant parts of the region since launching an offensive in late 2021. Although Rwanda denies backing the Tutsi-led M23, several Western countries, including the United States and France, believe otherwise. The majority of displaced camp residents fled with nothing, and despite humanitarian efforts, food remains scarce, leading women like Patricia to venture out in search of survival.
Patricia’s mother, recounting her daughter’s ordeal with tears in her eyes, explained that she sent her to fetch potatoes due to hunger, only to think she was dead when Patricia disappeared. To their relief and misery, Patricia returned in late September, pregnant. She revealed that Hutu fighters had captured her and subjected her to weeks of rape. However, she managed to escape one morning by pretending to fetch water.
The plague of sexual violence has plagued eastern DRC for three decades, with armed groups causing chaos in the region. According to Sandra Kavira, a Congolese social worker with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the situation at the Rusayo camp near Goma is dire. Kavira stated that they receive approximately 10 new sexual assault cases per day, involving victims as young as four years old and even elderly grandmothers over 80.
The bleak reality extends beyond the stories told at the camp. MSF emergency coordinator Brian Moller emphasized that the figures only represent cases in areas where the organization works. In Goma alone, approximately 70 victims seek treatment every day, accounting for about 2,000 women and girls in need of assistance each month.
Charmante, an 18-year-old mother, shared her harrowing experience where a man in army uniform raped her when she left Rusayo to gather wood for selling and feeding her siblings. She returned to the camp unable to walk, while two of her friends and her 19-year-old sister also fell victim to rape outside the camp. Charmante discovered her pregnancy a week after the assault at an MSF clinic, and her baby, Queen, was born a few months later, adding another challenge to the struggle for survival.
All of the women interviewed by AFP at Rusayo camp revealed that they faced a heartbreaking choice between hunger and the risk of rape whenever they left the camp. Unfortunately, Rose, a 43-year-old survivor of multiple gang rapes, experienced this firsthand. Forced to leave the camp with three friends, they were all raped by four men donning military attire. Upon her return, Rose faced further trauma as her husband blamed and beat her for getting raped before disappearing.
Sexual violence continues to be a prevalent issue inflicting great suffering upon displaced women in eastern DRC. Despite efforts to provide aid and support, the scale of these assaults in and around Goma remains astronomical. It is crucial for organizations and governments to confront this crisis, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure survivors receive the necessary care and justice they deserve.
