The Democratic Republic of the Congo, simply known as DRC Congo and formerly Zaire, has been plagued by civil war for the last five years now. This war has cost the country more lives than any other country going through the civil war in the recent past. The three most used weapons of war in the country are starvation, mutilation and rape. The country has, however, attracted massive international concern in the recent past over mass rapes that have been taking place, especially in remote villages. The Rwandan rebels FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) attacked and occupied a Congolese town for four days in late July and gang-raped more than150 women and children (Lorentsson).
Rape is considered one of the most terrible forms of abuse of human rights. Rape is having sex with another person without their consent and is more about power than it is about sex (United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality 5). According to a survey conducted in 2009 by the United Nations, rape is a major problem in all the sub-Saharan African countries. In South Africa, 97% of the population considers it is a problem. The statistics show that in African countries it is worse and in countries such as Congo going through a civil war, approximately 250,000 children and women are raped every year (United Nations Department of Public Information 3). So far, Congo’s case has been considered the worst in the world. This is perhaps because of the country’s high levels of impunity, the sheer number of victims, and the fact that these sadistic acts are committed by killers who were responsible for the unforgettable Rwanda genocide.
The first possible solution to the problem is setting up educational and health centers focused on assault awareness and education. Education should include specific counseling and training for girls on what to do if they find themselves in threatening situations. It should also include training parents on lines of communication between them and their children about sexuality. This way, children know when someone is not behaving right towards them.
The second possible solution is fighting the culture of impunity. Perhaps the biggest problem in Congo and most sub-Saharan African countries is the culture of impunity (Lorentsson). DRC Congo has been in the spotlight for rape cases for a long time now. Surprisingly, very few people have been charged or even punished because most of the violators enjoy protection from high-ranking politicians taking advantage of the situation to gain power. It is time to implement the law because most countries including Congo have very good laws against rapes, murder and violence. The country should implement the law without favoritism because the crime rates seem to be reaching explosive proportions. Actually, its weakness as a solution is the fact that some countries do not uphold equal justice; people can easily buy their way out.
The third possible solution to the problem is improved levels of literacy and socioeconomic status. Most men commit rape because it gives them a sense of power. Poverty, unemployment, low socioeconomic status, and lack of skills make men frustrated and leave most of them feeling intimidated. Some of them will therefore get involved in such activities to vent their frustrations and achieve a sense of power. By improving the socioeconomic status of countries such as Congo and improving literacy levels, it will help men keep busy, be able to reason rationally, and improve their levels of self-esteem by being able to provide for themselves and their families. Availability of jobs will reduce the number of young people joining militia groups. The solutions have the potential to not only minimize rape cases but also help the country develop its economy and improve its living conditions.
In my opinion, the most effective solution to the problem in Congo is setting up educational and health centers focused on assault awareness and education. Education should include specific counseling and training for girls on what to do if they find themselves in threatening situations. It should also include training parents on how to educate children about sexuality. This way, children know when in risky situations. Training and awareness is the best solution since it addresses the problem more comprehensively. It deals with prevention, education, helping victims recover psychologically, and building support systems for them and their families. However, on its own, it might not be able to solve all the problems. The concerned authorities should therefore focus on it but ensure the other suggested solutions are in place to support it.
Rape as an abuse of human rights is reaching explosive proportions as the number of victims increases every day in different countries. It is increasingly ruining many lives, regardless of their age, sex or background. The recent mass rapes in the DRC Congo is a tragedy that has elicited fresh debates about the world’s commitment towards fighting the issue and calls for more measures to prevent any other country from going through such an ordeal. The United Nations especially is under fire for having peace soldiers a few miles away from the town at the time and not coming to the villager’s aid. Rape is used as a weapon of war in the Congo and the situation seems to get more and more horrible. Establishing educational and preventive measures all over the world should be encouraged to sensitize and society as a whole.
Works Cited
Lorentsson, Jennie. There is Almost Total Impunity for Rape in Congo. 2010. Web.
United Nations Department of Public Information. Women and Violence. 2010. Web.
United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE). Violence Against Women a Global Phenomenon. 2010. Web.