Following pressure from the United Nations a dozen senior Congolese army officers have been arrested and charged with the responsibility of mass rapes committed in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo in November last year, according to Congolese Justice Minister Wivine Mumba.
Rape is a prevalent crime in the Congo, and offenders don’t often fear persecution as the Congolese government has a track record of turning a blind eye to crimes of sexual violence, particularly when perpetrated by the military, according to the Associated Press. After several weeks of pressure from the UN, and a looming threat of a terminated peacekeeping mission in the Congo however, the government has finally take action, arresting 12 men on Saturday.
The rapes occurred in November last year after the Congolese army were defeated and commanders lost control of their troops. As rebels captured and seized control of the capital, soldiers retreated and fled to the small town of Minova where they are alleged to have “raped, looted and killed, apparently in revenge of their defeat”.
Roger Meece, the U.N special envoy to Congo, told authorities on March 25 they had seven days to take action on the perpetrators before the U.N peacekeeping mission was terminated, after earlier demands by the U.N. went unheeded. A special undercover government team was soon sent to investigate the allegtions.
“It was difficult to carry out an investigation at a time of war and to know what units committed the crimes,” Justice Minister Mumba told the AP.
An estimated 126 women were raped during that period by army soldiers according to a report by Human Rights Watch. However, the government investigation estimates the number is probably higher.
“There are women who, because of our traditions that push aside raped women, did not dare to come forward to tell their story,” said Mumba.