Attackers rape more than 170 women in raids on Congo villages

The villages in the far East of Democratic Republic of Congo were robbed by the attackers. The medicines from the local health center, goats from the farmers, cell phones, motorcycles and other properties from residents.

Also, they raped and beat more than 170 women before they escaped from the spot.

The attacks took place in the villages of Nakyele and Abala.

It was reported by an official of United Nations that, those women who were raped were as young as 17 and as old as 90. The official did not reveal his name as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

It was stated by the humanitarian group Medicines San Frontiers on Thursday that, its medical terms in Fizi area of Sud Kivu province had treated about 100 women for rape, abuse and trauma. This was the most recent among many incidents that had taken place here and earned Congo the embarrassing title of “rape capital” of the world.

A spokes man for U.N. Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon, Martin Nesirky, said that the global body has received several worrying reports about the incidents of an unknown number of alleged rapes and looting.

In order to make an investigation on the incident the United Nations mission in Congo dispatched peacekeepers to Fizi.

From the nearest U.N. base, Fizi is eight hours by foot and is difficult to access like other town and villages in Congo, because of the harsh terrain and lack of infrastructure.

It was said by Amnesty International that, the Government’s horrific failure of justice was the main reason for the happening of these latest rapes and also supplemented that the members of the same armed group were previously implicated in rapes in the same area in the month of January.

Also Amnesty mentioned about the local sources saying that a senior officer of the Congolese army, Col. Kifaru, Niragiye, had recently learned that he was to be demoted and left a military training center on June 9^th with 150 soldiers.

Amnesty said that the group went on to raid the two villages near Fizi.

For the crimes against humanity for the rape of at least 60 women in the January attack in Fizi, the military court convicted Kifaru’s deputy and eight other men.

An extensive study conducted between 2006 and 2007 found that more than 400,000 girls and women were raped during a 12^th month period.

The United Nations documented 7,500 cases of sexual violence against women and girls in North and South Kivu over the first nine months of 2009.