Physical vs. Mental
Rape Used As A Weapon in DR Congo War - 22 Oct 09, Al Jazeera
Weapons can be described as a tool that inflicts damage to the opposition. This damage could be physical or even mental, and in some cases both. In the DRC psychological warfare is being used to inflict physical and mental damage. The UN has made long strenuous reports that M23 rebels are beginning to target civilians. Civilians who flee their village when M23 troops capture it and seek refuge in government areas only to later return are brutally punished (M23 rebels tie up a civilian who returned to his village in search of food).
These civilians are believed to be favoring the government over the rebels but in actuality they are fleeing because the rebels exploit all civilians the same. M23 rebels force villagers to give up all their food and worst of all their daughters.
The UN reports that rebels are now using rape as weapon. There are horrific stories of rebels gang raping girls as young 12. An older man was interviewed in the hospital, he says 4-5 M23 rebels raped his 80 year old wife and forced him to watch. He passed out and woke up in the hospital, he says "only animals can do what those men did". Another incident occurred where a woman was raped and gasoline was poured on her inner thighs afterwards and set on fire.
Statistics suggest that almost 400 rapes occur in one day. Evidence and interviews of rape victims conclude that almost 90% of rape cases are inflicted by M23 rebels. Rape is a sadistic act that inflicts mental trauma as well as physical damage. The rape victims in the DRC are shunned and are afraid to return to their village because their husbands and families are ashamed to take them back. Little is being done to help the victims.
A sanctuary was built for rape victims known as the City of Joy. The City of Joy admits all sexually abused women for 6 months but then the women are thrown back into the termoil of the conflict. The UN has stepped in to help women and rehabilitate them back into regular society.
By Jotham Anderson, BNett News
Davidson, Basil. "Pan-African News Wire." : Rape Used As Weapon in DRC War. Pan-African News Wire, 22 Oct. 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
http://panafricannews.blogspot.sg/2009/10/rape-used-as-weapon-in-drc-war.html