By Soleil-Chandni Mousseau*
OAKLAND, California | 2 October 2024 (IDN) — With the largest population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa—nearly 7 million people—the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is ravaged by decades of conflict. Since late 2023, the security situation has deteriorated drastically resulting in widespread displacement with almost one million IDPs in and around Goma—the capital and the largest city of the North Kivu Province—who reside in makeshift camps with limited access to essential services like water, shelter, sanitation and food.
Sexual Violence – A Weapon of War
One of the most distinct elements of the conflict is the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. From 2021 to 2022, there was a 91 percent rise in reports of gender-based violence (GBV) in North Kivu. Between January and March 2024 more than 12,600 cases of sexual violence were recorded.
These numbers are only the tip of the iceberg given many survivors are unable to access life-saving GBV services or report abuse out of fear of stigmatization by their communities or retaliation by perpetrators. It is, however, an agreed upon fact by human rights groups to humanitarian relief organizations that tens of thousands of women and girls have been victims of systemic sexual violence, including rape, sexual slavery, and forced prostitution.
These acts have profound and lasting health consequences for the victims, ranging from physical injuries and psychological trauma to the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies.
Reports indicate that the majority of sexual violence cases involve armed combatants and militias, with a notable increase in such incidents in 2024 compared to the previous year. The majority of the victims are women and girls—some as young as three years old, and some as old as 80. Displacement has exacerbated the vulnerability of individuals to sexual violence.
Victims are often attacked in vulnerable situations, such as when they venture outside the IDP camps to gather firewood or seek food. The disruption of humanitarian aid due to insecurity has compounded the challenges. As access to healthcare and support services becomes more limited, especially at night, dangers and risks spike, and women and girls are being driven to take greater risks to meet critical needs.
Food insecurity and the lack of livelihood opportunities have also led to women being forced to resort to harmful coping mechanisms, including transactional sex in the spontaneous settlements around Goma.
Despite the challenging circumstances, organizations like Medecins Sans Frontières continue to provide critical support to survivors of sexual violence. Efforts include medical treatment, psychological support, and long-term follow-up care. Rapid medical intervention is crucial, which is essential for the effective administration of treatments like HIV post-exposure prophylaxis and emergency contraception.
However, there remains a substantial portion of victims who do not receive timely medical care, highlighting the need for enhanced security to facilitate access to these services.
Need for International Action
The situation in Goma is a reminder of the devastating human toll of armed conflicts and the importance of international action. With 25.4 million affected, DRC has the highest number of people in need of humanitarian aid in the world and yet remains one of the most underfunded crises. The United Nations $2.6 billion Humanitarian Response Plan, which aims to assist 8.7 million people in 2024, is only 16% funded.
The ongoing conflict and its impacts necessitate strengthened protection measures for civilian populations and increased funding for the Humanitarian Response Plan, especially for programs addressing GBV. Beyond sustained humanitarian support to address the dire needs of the displaced and the vulnerable population, concrete political action is imperative.
The conflict which has ravaged DRC is largely for the control of the country’s important raw materials—tin, tungsten, coltan and gold, collectively known as 3T or 3TG. Electronic products from cell phones, laptops to the surge in electric cars have boosted the demand and competition for DRC’s mineral wealth.
The 2018 Nobel Prize winner, Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor, condemned the global demand for these minerals for fueling conflict and consequently, rape in his country. International community and the multinational corporations who benefit from Congo’s mineral wealth have a responsibility in ensuring the return of peace.
Rwanda and Uganda involved in illegal exploitation of mineral resources
Two neighboring countries, Rwanda and Uganda are extensively involved in illegal exploitation of DRC’s mineral resources and the violence that has plagued the eastern region in the past three decades. The Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 has intensified its activities in recent years, resulting in the resurgence of widespread violence and massive displacement of people.
For years, the United Nations has sounded the alarm over Rwanda’s continued assistance to the M23, putting forward solid evidence of the “direct involvement” of Rwandan Defense Forces in the conflict in eastern Congo-Kinshasa, as well as Rwanda’s provision of “weapons, ammunitions, and uniforms” to the M23 rebels. The United Nations has also implicated Uganda, which has allowed M23 “unhindered” access to its territory during its operations.
Despite this evidence, Western countries, especially the United States, have continued to provide support to the two countries, including military aid. This is happening despite the legal restrictions that are supposed to prohibit the US from releasing International Military Education & Training (IMET) funds to countries in the African Great Lakes region that “facilitate or otherwise participate in destabilizing activities in a neighboring country, including aiding and abetting armed groups.”
It was only in October 2023 that the US State Department placed Rwanda on a blacklist for violating the Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) due to Rwandan support for M23, which recruits child soldiers. Support to Uganda continues.
The price of war and conflict in DRC is being paid by women and children, who bear the brunt of the violence and suffer deeply from what has been labeled as the “resource curse.” It is imperative that the global community prevents these atrocities and provides support to those affected, ensuring that their rights and dignity are upheld amidst the corporate greed for blood minerals. [IDN-InDepthNews]
*Soleil-Chandni Mousseau, a Senior at Head-Royce High School in Oakland, is an Intern Scholar at the Oakland Institute. She was a summer 2024 intern at Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, France, working with Emergency Department and Disaster Epidemiology Team to analyze data on sexual violence cases in Goma to measure effectiveness of MSF programs. Opinions expressed here are those of the author herself.
Photo: Through support from the Trust Fund for Victims assistance programme in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dorika became part of a collective of women, all survivors of sexual violence, receiving micro-credit loans to start their own businesses. © Finbarr O’Reilly
