Amnesty International USA
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence 2012
All civilians must be protected,
Especially women and girls at heightened risk of sexual violence!
For the past 15 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), civilians have been caught in the
ongoing conflict and have suffered a range of abuses—women and girls in particular have been
targeted with rape and other forms of sexual violence being widely reported.
The situation in the DRC has only worsened as tens of thousands of civilians fled in fear this week as the
armed group M23 marched into the eastern Congolese city of Goma, worsening an already dire human
rights situation. Following the city’s fall to the M23 on Tuesday, 20 November, many more civilians are
fleeing and are left with no assistance in an area where they are at significant risk of being caught in
crossfire as hostilities intensify. Amnesty International has documented numerous crimes under
international law and other human rights violations committed in the course of fighting between M23
and the DRC’s army in recent months.
In a bid to end such gender-based violence in North Kivu, Amnesty International has called on the DRC
authorities to ensure its security forces are properly trained and fully vetted, especially in areas where
civilians are at heightened risk of attack from armed groups.
The United Nations Security Council has recognized the continued “widespread sexual and genderbased violence” in eastern DRC. But it is now being urged to do more to bring an end to such violence
against women and girls in the conflict in DRC, and in all conflicts.
As part of a global 16 Days of Activism campaign to end conflict-related sexual violence thousands of
Amnesty International supporters worldwide are sending letters to Security Council members. Among
the key demands is to a call to bolster the UN peacekeeping forces around IDP (internally displaced
people) camps and other areas in the DRC that lack the necessary security presence to ensure the
effective protection of civilians.
Militarism and gender violence
Sexual and gender-based violence of the kind evident in eastern DRC is widespread around the world,
occurring both in and out of conflict situations. Militarism fuels these violations, which have a
disproportionate and long-lasting effect on women and girls.
Beginning on 25 November, Amnesty International supporters worldwide will join the global 16 Days of
Activism against Gender Violence Campaign to challenge militarism, which heightens the risk of genderbased violence.
Besides being prevalent during an active armed conflict like that in eastern DRC, militarization and its
negative effects often precede fighting and continue to be felt as a legacy of war.
Since the beginning of yet another conflict, in April 2012, between the Congolese army and the M23
armed group, around 226,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in North Kivu province
while around 60,000 have crossed the border to seek refuge in Uganda and Rwanda. Many women and
girls have been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence by security forces and armed
groups since the uprising of this conflict.
In a recent mission, Amnesty International visited several internally-displaced person (IDP) and refugee
camps in DRC and Uganda. Some women and girls told Amnesty International that they feel more
vulnerable in the camps, as most of them are alone, without their husbands, who have fled fearing
forced recruitments by armed groups. Several of them revealed that they have been raped while leaving
the camp to look for food or to collect wood. Some said they had been harassed by local security forces.
It is not only women who are targeted every day in the ongoing, violent campaigns of rebel groups, but
now the advocates and allies who seek to protect them as well. On October 25th, 2012, Dr. Denis
Mukwege, renowned for his medical service to victims of sexual violence at the Panzi hospital in Bukavu,
nearly lost his life when assailants tried to assassinate him and his children. The attackers—who have
not been identified—managed to kill Dr. Mukwege’s guard. The Doctor had recently spoken to the UN
general Assembly regarding sexual violence in his country, entreating the body to end the violence and
bring justice to his country.
The plight of women and allies like Dr. Mukwege in eastern DRC is a chilling example of why an
international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is needed (see the United States issue brief to take action on the
Arms Trade Treaty). Since 2005, a UN resolution has banned the sale of weapons to armed groups in the
North and South Kivu provinces and the Ituri region, where the bulk of revolts (including the current
M23 rebellion) have taken place. However, Amnesty International has documented numerous
violations of this policy by the DRC government as well as by companies based in the US, the Ukraine,
China, and France. Unfortunately, the UN chose to weaken its restrictions on arms sales in 2008,
despite the fact that the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in the DRC
indicated that neighboring countries such as Rwanda and Uganda continued to supply factions in
eastern Congo with arms.
Similarly, the DRC government has allowed former rebel movements to integrate with the DRC armed
forces without turning in weapons, and the regime has been increasingly secretive about tracking the
whereabouts of weapons within its own military. DRC forces often sold weapons to rebel groups or progovernment militias. In 2012, the UN Board of Experts asserted that the Rwandan government was
providing aid to the M23 rebel movement linked to Basco Ntaganda, a warlord indicted by the
International Criminal Court for crimes that included violence against women. His CNDP militia
committed numerous rapes and killings of civilians in 2007 and 2008, and many of its members now
belong to the M23 rebel movement.
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(MONUSCO) was first mandated to launch peacekeeping operations in the DRC in 1999. In July 2010, the
UN Security Council passed Resolution 1925, which authorized the Mission to use all necessary means to
carry out its mandate relating, among other things, to the protection of civilians, humanitarian
personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence and support the
Government of the DRC in its stabilization and peace consolidation efforts. However, the Security
Council has recognized the continued “widespread sexual and gender-based violence” in the east of the
DRC in its latest resolution renewing MONUSCO’s mandate (S/RES/2053(2012).
Despite a significant presence in the country, MONUSCO has so far failed to protect civilians in IDP
camps, including women and girls targeted for sexual violence. Despite promises to protect by
numerous international actors including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, who made an
unprecedented diplomatic visit with rape survivors three years ago, not enough is being done. Congo’s
war is still waged on the bodies of its women. The United States must take leadership at the Security
Council must now take further firm action to halt such crimes, to strengthen the protection of civilians
and to ensure that the perpetrators of serious human rights violations are brought to justice.
The situations continues to worsen in the DRC because of shifting conditions in the country, particularly
the recent news from Goma that rebels had taken control of the city. Amnesty is monitoring these
conditions day-to-day, and you can stay updated by visiting our page on the DRC here.
No matter what the conditions, we must ensure that women and girls are protected from sexual and
other forms of violence
Call for Action:
Write a letter calling on US State Department to take leadership at the Security Council in ensuring both
the Government of the DRC and MONUSCO provide protection for civilians, especially women and girls
at heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence, in areas where insufficient security forces are
present, including IDP camps, and to ensure survivors of violence have access to a full range of health,
psychosocial, livelihoods and justice mechanisms and services. There is a sample letter below.
Published by AIUSA’s Women’s Human Rights Coordination Group
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SAMPLE LETTER:
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA
Dear Secretary Clinton,
I join with Amnesty International and am deeply concerned that the human rights and
humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sharply worsened in recent
months. The civilian population has suffered at the hands of armed groups who have expanded their
operations, first during the restructuring of the Congolese army (FARDC) in 2011 and then during recent
fighting between the M23 armed group and the FARDC. An increase in serious violations of human
rights and international humanitarian law, including attacks against civilians committed by various
armed groups, as well as by the FARDC, has forced hundred of thousands to leave their homes in North
Kivu province, while around 60,000 have crossed the border to seek refuge in Uganda and Rwanda.
Amnesty International has documented numerous crimes under international law committed by
the M23 armed group that controls most of Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province, including forced
recruitment of children, unlawful killings, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and forced labour.
Other armed groups, such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Raia
Mutomboki, Nyatura and Mayi Mayi groups, have also committed crimes under international law,
notably ethnically motivated attacks against civilians, including unlawful killings and looting.
While the United Nations peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) has taken steps to protect civilians,
its focus on the defence of Goma and on the M23 armed group has limited its ability to deploy resources
in other areas where civilians face greater threat.
Our organization is particularly concerned by the numerous acts of sexual violence committed
against women and girls in the context of this deteriorating security situation. Amnesty International has
documented several cases of rape against women who were then forced to flee their homes, placing
them at heightened risk of further attacks of sexual and gender based violence. Women and girls who
are forced to flee without adult male relatives are at even greater risk of attack. Several women have
also told Amnesty International that they were raped when they left the IDP camp to look for food or to
collect wood, including by civilians. Some also reported sexual harassment from local security forces.
In a context where many civilians displaced by recent fighting and attacks have been forced to
flee more than once over the last four years, Amnesty International deplores the failure by the
Congolese government and the international community to address the underlying causes of the current
crisis, especially the widespread impunity for crimes under international law and the lack of
professionalism and accountability of the security forces.
As Secretary of State, you took the unprecedented step three years ago of visiting with survivors
of sexual violence in Congo’s Eastern provinces, and promised to do your utmost to prevent and
respond to such violence in the future. As a Permanent member of the Security Council, you know that
the Council has recognized the continued “widespread sexual and gender-based violence” in the east of
the DRC, most recently in its latest resolution renewing MONUSCO’s mandate (S/RES/2053(2012). The
Security Council must now take further firm action to halt such crimes, to strengthen the protection of
civilians and to ensure that the perpetrators of serious human rights violations are brought to justice.
Therefore, we urge the Security Council to adopt the following measures:

Ensure that the DRC government deploys properly trained and fully vetted professional
security forces in areas where the civilian population face particular threat from armed
groups, notably Masisi and Walikale terrirories of North Kivu province.

Urgently review and reinforce MONUSCO’s resources to ensure that troops are
deployed, in coordination with the DRC authorities, in areas left without a security
presence to ensure effective civilian protection.

Assist the DRC government in ensuring that more effective action is taken to end sexual
violence, including necessary legal reforms.

Exert pressure on the DRC authorities and strengthen programmes to ensure that
women and girls who have suffered sexual and gender based violence have full and
equal access to justice, prompt and effective reparations, medical and psychological
care, as well as legal and social services.

Exert pressure on the DRC government to adopt measures, in coordination with
MONUSCO, to ensure the support and protection of civilians in the IDP camps, in
particular women and girls and others targeted for human rights violations.
Yours sincerely,
CC:
Ambassador Susan Rice
United States Mission to the United Nations
799 United Nations Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10017
Mr. Johnnie Carson
Assistant Secretary of State for Africa
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520 USA