‘Civilians raped on massive scale in Congo’
10.13AM, Mon Mar 7 2005
Tens of thousands of women and children have been raped by Government soldiers in eastern Congo, a human rights organisation has said.
According to Human Rights Watch, civilians have been raped on a massive scale since the conflict broke out in 1998 but few have been tried for their crimes.
Sheltering in a UN refugee camp, Therese Yeda, 32, described how a militia group gang raped her last week as she walked between two villages.
“Ten of them had guns, the other two had machetes. All 12 of them raped me…I am eight months pregnant but the baby doesn’t seem to be moving any more.”
Her five children were also beaten by the gunmen.
Medecins San Frontieres has treated over 2,500 rape victims, from four-months old to 80 years since June 2003.
The real number may be 50 times higher as victims are afraid to speak out.
One woman told HRW how she watched her 13-year old niece being raped by fighters loyal to renegade general Laurent Nkunda.
The youngster was brought to hospital but died two days later.
From: ITN News
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