Personal Blog of Zuzeeko Abeng

Showing posts with label DR. Congo. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Colonel Kibibi Mutware jailed for mass rape in DR Congo

Lieutenant Colonel Kibibi Mutware. Source: BBC.

Yesterday 21 February 2011, a mobile military court convicted and sentenced Lieutenant Colonel Kibibi Mutware and some of his comrades to jail for mass rape in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

According to UN News Centre, Lieutenant Colonel Kibibi Mutware was found guilty for crimes against humanity and jailed - for his role in mass rape that took place in Fizi on 1 January 2011 - when the Colonel deployed troops to loot, brutalize civilians and commit mass rape in the village of Fizi in eastern DR Congo.

The military Court sentenced Lieutenant Colonel Mutware to 20 years behind bars. Five other soldiers under Kibibi Mutware's command were also slammed with jail sentences in connection with the mass rape in Fizi.

This is good news, and of course - a victory for human rights and the rule of law.

The conviction of a commanding military officer for his role in mass rape and other atrocities against civilians sends an unequivocal message that crimes against civilians are unacceptable and perpetrators - irrespective of position of responsibility or rank - will have their day in court and bear the full weight of the law.

DR Congo has been termed the worst place to be a woman and "rape capital of the world" because of frequent systematic mass rapes and other forms of violence against women and girls. The imprisonment of Colonel Kibibi Mutware signals an end to decades of impunity for rape in DR Congo.

More than 60 women were raped during the military operation under the leadership of Colonel Kibibi Mutware on 1 January, and 49 women testified in court.

President Obama urged to help arrest Joseph Kony

Joseph Kony. Source: Voices [Education Project].

This weekend's THE WEEK IN RIGHTS, a weekly email from Human Rights Watch to all its supporters, contained many human rights-related articles including a compelling article by Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, urging President Obama to "get tough on human rights" and help arrest Joseph Kony.

Joseph Kony is the rebel leader and commander of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a ruthless rebel group that has committed well-documented carnage and untold atrocities in the DR Congo, Uganda, Sudan and Central African Republic.

In Congo, the LRA perpetrates atrocities such as mass rape and rape as a weapon of war - making the country arguably the worst place to be a woman. For decades, the rebels, under the leadership of Joseph Kony, have mutilated, slaughtered, kidnapped and raped civilians with impunity.

In 2005, arrest warrants were issued by the International Criminal Court for Joseph Kony and four other LRA commanders. They are wanted at the Hague on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Efforts have been made to bring the rebels to justice but they remain at large either due to inadequate resources or lack of political will to track them down.

Over the years, the United States has used force on "humanitarian grounds" in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, but it remains to be seen whether the super power will intervene and take action against the LRA - a rebel group that is responsible for one of the world's greatest humanitarian crisis. An intervention to help arrest Kony and protect civilians in the region would be justifiable on humanitarian grounds.

DR Congo: Worst Place to be a Woman

The Democratic Republic of Congo is arguably the worst place to be a woman. An armed conflict in the West African country has been described in the most harsh terms:

The deadliest conflict since World War II
Africa's First World War
The great war of Africa
The greatest humanitarian crisis on the planet

Words cannot aptly describe the conflict in DR Congo; words cannot aptly describe the suffering of the Congolese people who have faced unspeakable human rights violations - including rampant rape, forced labour and the worst forms of child labour - for more than a decade.

In DR Congo, both government troops and rebel groups use rape as a weapon of war. The casualties of the war are numerous and women and girls are the most vulnerable. More than 200,000 women and girls have been raped in DR Congo since 1998 and there is a growing need to protect civilians.

A video by Human Rights Watch paints a grim picture of DR Congo - the worst place to be a woman. WATCH...

Systematic mass rape and other forms of violence against women and girls in DR Congo have been documented and reported by Human Rights Watch and other rights groups and individuals for more than a decade, and the largest UN peacekeeping force - United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), formerly known as United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) - is on the ground in Congo, but it remains to be seen whether civilians would be protected from violence in a country that is so rich, yet so poor and unstable.

Ben Affleck Changing Congo

The DR Congo is home to millions of people who have been devastated by war since 1996. As I mentioned in an earlier article - Africa's First World War: The Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the conflict is one of the deadliest conflicts the world has ever seen. It has left more than 5 million (and counting...) people dead, over the past 12 years and analysts say it is the biggest humanitarian crisis on the planet. Unfortunately, the world is yet to understand the gravity of the conflict. It is with little doubt therefore that it took actor and activist - Ben Affleck many years and a couple of trips to the DR Congo to fully understand what the Congolese have to endure.

Do you have any idea about what's happening in the Congo? You probably don't care because you're not directly affected. Right?

The fundamental human rights of millions of people in the DRC (a country the size of Western Europe) are being violated with impunity, while the world quietly watches. A few months ago, everyone was talking about Haiti - Are the lives of Congolese people less important?

As one of my 10 favorite CNN anchors - Christiane Amanpour rightly pointed out - "it often takes high-profile people to remind the world of a massive injustice". Unfortunately, not many high-profile people have stood up for Congo, but Ben Affleck has refused to be silent. He is using his star power to shed light on the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in the Congo and is working to bring change to the region.

Now, let me be clear - prior to Ben Affleck's move to making a change in Congo, I was not a fan. I'm not a movie freak and therefore not impressed (with due respect) by big screen performances. However, when actors [individually] use their star power to do more than entertain, they win me over. No doubt, I became a fan of Isaiah Washington because of his role as chief of the Mende people of Sierra Leone; not his role as Dr. Preston Burke in Grey's Anatomy. In the same vein, Ben Affleck's commitment to help victims of rape in the DR. Congo just earned him one more fan.

On Monday, Ben Affleck launched the Eastern Congo initiative to help the Congolese people rebuild, after more than 14 years of armed conflict. His goal is to empower community-based organizations in Eastern Congo (the hotspot) - working to help victims of rape and to help child soldiers make a smooth transition to civilian life.

The human rights violations in the Congo are unprecedented - abductions, forced labour, sexual slavery, forced labour, the worst forms of child labour and the unspeakable war crime - rape as a weapon of war.

Talking to CNN's Amanpour, Affleck highlighted the story of a woman he met in Eastern Congo:

"They, in her words, treated her like an animal and a slave. She was a bush wife to six men who raped her. She became pregnant. She eventually escaped by asking basically permission to take a bath and making a mad run for it..."

According to Ben Affleck, a lot more can be done by the international community to help the Congolese people rise from the rubble.

For more on Ben Affleck's initiative for changing Congo, visit The Amanpour blog.

My Masters thesis - Forced Labour in Armed Conflicts: Special Case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, also dwells on the conflict in the DR Congo. You're welcome to read it and be inspired to take action. The people of Congo need your help.

Remember, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rape as a Weapon of War in the DR Congo

"There is an Epidermic of Rape in DR Congo that has Reached Epic Proportions." Between January and September 2009, the United Nations (UN) has recorded more than 7,500 cases of sexual violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). As if this is not enough, 1,400 civilians were killed during the same period. In an earlier post, "Africa's First World War: The Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo," I painted a picture of the conflict in the DRC. Research shows that the conflict is the "biggest humanitarian crisis on the planet." and it's the "world's deadliest war since World War II." The situation is degenerating. On 18 December, Human Rights Watch announced that the atrocities continue in the DR. Congo. Rape is used as a weapon of war in the region. Women and children are hardest hit.

"They killed my husband with a machete and two of them raped me." This is the story of a woman who was abducted by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), during an attack on Busheke village in late January 2009. "They killed my father and raped my mother and sister before killing them as well, with a machete. They abducted me and brought me to their camp where I was made the "wife" of Captain Jean Claude. He raped me everyday."

Another woman, who lost six members of her family when the Congolese army attacked Shalio hill on April 27, 2009, said, "They were all beaten to death by wooden clubs in front of me. Then four of the soldiers took me and raped me. They told me that I'm the wife of an FDLR and they can do whatever the want with me." Notice that the former woman was raped by rebels while the latter was raped by government armed forces. That's the plight of the Congolese women.

Civilians are caught in the cross-fire between rebel militia groups like the FDLR and the UN-backed Congolese army forces. The rebels and soldiers accuse villagers of supporting the enemy and "punish" them by attacking them with machetes, and not stopping short of raping women and girls. In some cases, the women and girls are abducted and forced into sexual slavery. Those trying to flee are killed.

The point of interest is the support provided by the UN peacekeepers. The peacekeepers are there to support the Congolese army. But, the Congolese army is turning against the civilians they were deployed to protect from the rebels. By providing support to the abusive Congolese army, the UN is compromising its goal of bringing peace to the region.

Anneke Van Woudenberg, Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch said, "continued killing and rape by all sides in eastern Congo, shows that the UN Security Council needs a new approach to protect civilians. The Security Council should send a group of experts to kick-start a serious civilian protection plan."

Human Rights Watch has made recommendations: All commanders with known records of human rights abuse should be removed from operational responsibilities. The procedures and conditions should be made public. Human Rights Watch urged the peacekeeping force to immediately cease all support to the current military operation until clear procedures are put in place to prevent violations of international humanitarian law.

For more shocking stories, read the 183-page Human Rights Watch report, "‘You Will Be Punished': Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo."

Africa's First World War: The Conflict in DR Congo

As we speak, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly known as Zaire is being tested in ways that we cannot imagine. Civilians are being abducted, women and girls are being raped and forced into sexual slavery, men and young boys are forcefully conscripted into the armed forces. The worst forms of child labour are in full manifestation in the DRC. People are dying in their numbers in the DRC while in other parts of the world, people quietly watch. A majority of people do not even know that there's a potentially rich country (as large as Western Europe) called the DRC, whose people live in peril.

There's an armed conflict raging across the DRC, with the highest number of casualties and human rights violations registerd in the Northeastern Ituri district. Some analysts have described the conflict as "Africa's First World War". There are as many reasons for the war as there's sand in the Sahara desert. But the reasons that stand out include, conflicts over basic resources such as water, access and control over rich mineral resources such as cobalt, coltan, cassiterite, copper, diamond and gold. It is no secret that countries rich in minerals are often marred by corruption, militarization, civil war and various political agendas. Unfortunately, the DRC is not different.

The DRC is geographically as large as Western Europe and is very attractive to both national and international Corporations. These corporations have an interest in the mineral potential of the country and have fueled the conflict in the region in one way or the other. An example of a company that has come under scrutiny for fueling the brutal conflict and human rights violations in eastern Congo is Afrimex (a United Kingdom (UK) company). See Global Witness Report.

Congo has been in some form of armed conflict since 1996 when the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (ADFL) led by Laurent Kabila launched a campaign to oust Mobutu Sese Seko. Since then, more than 5.4 million people have died and it has been the world's deadliest conflict since World War II. There're more than 1.5 million internally displaced people/refugees and 45,000 people continue to die each month from violent and non-violent causes such as malaria and other deseases. The figures are shocking!

Where is the international community?

There's a lot of international attention focused on ending wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, Pakistan and other hotspots in the world. Is the DRC less important?

Presently the largest number of "blue helmets" (UN peacekeeping forces) ever deployed to a conflict are on the ground in the Congo but they have failed to secure peace. Why? Is the conflict in the DRC a tailored conflict?

I will address some of the above tough questions in subsequent posts. We can't forget the people of the DRC. WATCH...