Below is the full text of Mairead Maguire's account of her Visit to Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) with Ann Patterson for launch of Anti-Rape in Conflict (War) Campaign:
Mairead Maguire, Nobel
Peace Laureate, Nobel Women’s Initiative.
(8th May – 14th May, 2012)
“WE PEOPLE OF THE DRC MUST STOP RAPE OURSELVES”
(Julienne Lusange,
Sofepadi, at launch of Stop Rape in conflict Campaign, Kinshasa, DRC.
11th May, 2012).
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Invitation and Visit to Kinshasa
On 8th May,
2012, Ann Patterson and I travelled to the Kinshasa, in DRC, to join
Yee Htun, Co-ordinator of the Nobel Womens Initiative International
Campaign to Stop Rape in Conflict, and help launch the International
campaign, to ‘Stop rape in Conflict’. This was being launched
simultaneously in four Countries: Colombia, Kenya, Burma and the DRC
in May, 2012.
We had been invited to
DRC by Julienne Lusenge of SOFEPADI, an NGO Organization working to
support survivors of Rape in conflict, to be present at the
International Launch of DRC Campaign in Kinshasa on 11th
May, 2012. (Julienne is also a member of the Advisory Board of the
International Campaign and we had the pleasure of meeting her several
times in Europe).
Meetings with President and Others
During the week we met
in the Parliament, with the President of the DRC Parliament. Also
the Ministry of Justice officials, the Minister of Gender, and
Several other Government officials. We also had meetings with the
Canadian Ambassador, and in MONUSCO (UN) headquarters we met with the
Heads of the UN’s campaign to Stop Rape and gender violence. We
were accompanied to these meetings by several Congolese women, who
were themselves survivors of Rape in conflict and also by Julienne
Lusenge of SOFEPADI and Josee Ngalula of Fods Pour Les Femmes
Congolaises (FFC) who facilitated the meetings.
President visibly Moved by Women's Stories of Rape
The meeting with the
President of the DRC Parliament was very moving. The President
listened closely whilst the two survivors of rape (Mawa and Leoni)
told their stories. He was visibly moved when the women said they
were raped by armed Government soldiers, and one of the womens
daughters (14) was also raped. They asked for compensation and
protection from the armed soldiers. The President promised to
appoint a lawyer to follow up their cases. The President said war
has is roots in conflict in East Congo in mining and minerals, where
armed gangs, rebels, foreign groups, are all in conflict, so the
problem is deeply complex. However, he said, the Government is
looking at ways of how to stop all kinds of violence and bring peace
to DRC.
The Campaign ‘Stop
Rape in Conflict’ was officially launched at the Carter Centre, in
Kinshasa, on 11th May, 2012. Several women from the
survivors group, who travelled a very long distance to be present
attended, together with many local grass roots activists (at least
50% of attendees were men); foreign diplomats, the Secretary General of the Ministry
of Women and Family Affairs, and the head of MONUSCO, etc.,
Julienne Lusenge's passionate appeal to stop rape
The launch was
televised and received excellent press coverage from every news outlet in the DRC.
Julienne Lusenge spoke passionately about the need to end rape and sexual
violence, about an end to impunity, and she appealed to men to get involved in
this important campaign as men are raped too. Julienne said ‘we
people of the DRC must stop rape ourselves’. I made an appeal for
an end to War, Rape, and all violence, more support for the survivors
of Rape, and also more support for the grass roots organizations
whose nonviolent work is so necessary. The stories of the two women
survivors, who had been raped, moved many of the People in the room
to tears. However, it was their dignity and courage which gave hope
to us all that this horrific crime of
rape can be stopped when enough people speak out and act to put an
end to it and Government legislate again this and act on their
responsibility to protect their women
(and men) against such horrific and criminal abuse by their own
Government soldiers, and others.
The problem with DNA
One of the problems is that when
women get pregnant after rape by DRC soldiers, they have no
redress. They could be helped if the DRC Government and MONUSCO (UN) made
their military, security, etc., accountable for their crime of rape,
and this could be done if they held a DNA base for all security
personnel. We were advised that MONUSCO do have a DNA base but
currently it is not compulsory for their soldiers to comply with
this. We believe this should be made compulsory and it would be one
important step in protecting the women of DRC and other countries
such as Haiti, where reports of rape by UN soldiers in refugee camps
have taken place.
Breaking the Silence Taboo
Change can come
when people have the courage to break the taboo and silence around
this crime of rape. Telling their story helps survivors survive, but
also helps others become aware that this is happening and act to stop
it.
One woman survivor,
with great courage and dignity told her story: She said that on lst
January, 2010, army soldiers came into their village. They raped her
and 50 women and brutalized a further 25 with sticks and weapons.
They burned the village and left. She said the women got no medical
care. Three days later Soldiers were brought to a Mobile Court and
found guilty but they were released after only a few days to rejoin
their military units. The soldier who had raped her, who had been charged
and released, returned to the village and raped her 14 year old
daughter.
Rape victims deserted and stigmatised
At a Mobile Court, the women got Judgement in their
favour but received no papers and as they cannot afford to pay for
these papers, then they cannot apply for compensation. However, if
they can get the paper stating the Judgement was in their favour they
can get Government compensation and go back to their families in the
village. They are often abandoned by their husbands after rape, and
young unmarried girls are stigmatized and abandoned by their families.
A Promise from Justice Ministry
Another woman survivor, who works with a group of 200 survivors, said
that none of the group, who had received judgement in their favour,
ever got papers. Earlier that week when our delegation met with the
Justice Ministry official, he promised they would take up these cases
and provide papers for them and that in future papers would be
provided free of charge. We considered this a very important
commitment by the Justice Ministry and hope they will meet this
commitment as soon as possible for the sake of the Survivors.
Dangers of Walking in Open Spaces
One of the women
survivors said they have no transport and the villages are completely
cut off and if, after rape and abuse women try to walk through the
forests they can be attacked and raped again by Soldiers. The woman
survivors told us that their villages are often a long way from a
hospital, and as they have no one to look after their children they
cannot leave them unprotected to go to hospital. She explained women
and children suffer extreme trauma and there are few people trained
to help them deal with this.
Men often expel Raped Women from Family Home
After being raped by Government soldiers, men
often put the women out of their homes so they have to go to
shelters. There are few shelters available and homeless women and
children in villages is an increasing daily problem. When asked what
the Churches were doing to help, one of the survivors replied ‘they
just tell us to pray’. Some people said that they feel the
Churches should speak out on issues such as Rape and Sexual violence,
but they are silent on the matter.
The Government promised by Law
retribution but because they cannot get paper of Judgement they
cannot get retribution (the money would help get them back into
family). While some women have started up small business
enterprises, sadly many women cannot work because of abuse and
several of the survivors appealed for Gynaecologists and
Psychologists to come to their villages to help them in their healing
and recovery.
Small glimmer of hope
One of the most hopeful
things is that as one man explained ‘ten years ago no one spoke of rape of women
(and men) by Government soldiers and others, today it is being
acknowledged and legislation and action being put in place to stop
this crime of rape and sexual violence'.
There is no doubt that the
three pillars of the International campaign
to stop rape, - Prevention, Protection and Prosecution - are urgent and vital in the
DRC. But it will take a strong determination and real leadership to
eradicate these problems, and also for the International community to
see that much more funding is put in place to help DRC get to grips
with the roots of this terrible suffering of their people.
Depressed State of Kinshasa
The UN, amongst others,
are working in DRC to help stabilize a very volatile and dangerous
situation as poverty, violence and war threaten the country. Ten
million people live in Kinshasa. Families are suffering as the
Government has little money and most families can only afford one
meal every other day! There is no money for teachers and for those
lucky enough to attend school, their families have to find the money
to pay the teachers.
Downtown Kinshasa has dirt tracks for roads,
and many burnout buildings testify to the violence and fear in these
areas. With so many people unemployed and with a currently weak
Government, this situation, unless helped, has the potential for
more violence. Some people expressed their frustration at MONUSCO
(UN) and felt they are not doing enough to help people on the ground,
and that so much more could be done by them.
Frustration
Several people
expressed their frustration as they believed that not enough of the
International Aid from both UN Foreign Governments and others, gets to
the grass-roots and to the people who are trying to deal with the
problems on the ground. Activists also felt there was not enough
communication and dialogue between Government/people, national and
international NGO. etc., However, we felt we were able to open a
very important channel of communication between the national and
international NGO and more importantly give the survivors a voice
during our presence in the DRC.
Need for Peace
More than anything, the
DRC needs peace and an end to war, violence and poverty, the roots of
many problems. I hope the International Community will increase its
Development Aid to DRC (an important Country in Africa) and
particularly focus on supporting local communities many of whom
continue to non-violently solve their problems.
Elegance and Grace of Congolese Women
I left the DRC full of
hope and inspiration which I got from its people. In spite of facing
great challenges they are friendly and welcoming to the stranger and
maintain a sense of community and love. My abiding and strongest
image is of the elegance and beauty of the Congolese women. Their
strong spirits and strength of character even in the face of great
hardship, came shining through. I was amazed at the grace with
which they moved - tall, unhurried and elegant, their long coloured
dresses clinging to their slim bodies. I saw a gentleness and
patience, seldom seen in the West where we are often impatient and
always in a hurry!.
Men and Boys are Hard Working
In the sweltering heat
of the hot sun, the men worked very hard, digging down the deep holes
to lay the pipes and build the roads, and the young boys dug up
stones to sell to the men, who come along to fill in the pot-holes.
Buildings were going up and on the outskirts of Kinshasa, where we
stayed, the Palm trees and tropical flowers reminded us of the beauty
of the DRC and its people, and its great possibility and potential
in this amazingly mineral-rich country on the Equator.
Conclusion
When Ann and I left, we
took the people of the DRC in our hearts, and we look forward to returning
someday when all violence and war ends, nonviolence has taken deep
roots and it amazing people, like Julienne and her family and
friends, see their dreams for a peaceful and just DRC comes true.
Mairead Maguire
Contact in DRC:
Julienne Lusenge: Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises:
www.ffcrdc.org
