Congo War: Rape as a Weapon – 4 Key Facts

KONGO – When the M23 rebels advanced to Openvu during January and February, several villages along the Kivu Lake turned into a battlefield. Although the fighters of all parties have carried out cruelty, civil society groups and activists have identified the military Kongo and Wazalendo militias who are allied from North Kivu Province as those who rape women and children.

4 Rape Facts Become a Weapon in War in Congo

1. Rape becomes normal

Riziki (not his real name) told DW that he survived the attack.

“Three soldiers entered my house to loot,” Riziki said. “One of them entered my bedroom to rape me, but I resisted.”

“The others shouted at him to leave, but he refused,” said Riziki. “Luckily, my child came to save me and they left after they destroyed everything.”

The crime occurred in February in the village of Kavumu, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) in the north open. After that, Riziki, a mother of five children, has found a shelter in open.

He hopes to get justice in open during the planned trial. But then, the M23 fighters controlled the city. The judges, lawyers, defendants, prisoners, and even some survivors, escaped.