United Nations Radio

Secretary-General says he is outraged by the rape and assault of at least 154 Congolese civilians during an attack by two armed groups in North Kivu Province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

women in DR Congo

The attackers belong to the Mai Mai and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, (FDLR) a grouping of Hutu militants linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

In a statement issued by his spokesman on Tuesday, the Secretary-General says this is another grave example of both the level of sexual violence and the insecurity that continue to plague the DRC.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky says the Secretary-General reiterates his call on all armed groups in the DRC to lay down their weapons and join the peace process.

"The Secretary-General further calls on the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate this incident and bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes and renew efforts to bring an end to insecurity in the eastern part of the country. The United Nations supports the efforts of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to fight impunity and ensure the protection of civilians from violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including all forms of sexual and gender-based violence."

The Secretary-General has decided to dispatch immediately Atul Khare, Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations to the Congo.

He has also instructed his Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström, to take charge of the United Nations' response and follow-up to this incident.

Ms. Wallstrom has added her voice to the condemnation of the rapes in the Congo, saying the incident represents a very extreme case in terms of its scale and the level of organization of the attacks.

Jocelyne Sambira, United Nations Radio.

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