United Nations Radio

Military and political leaders who fail to prevent sexual violence by their subordinates cannot escape responsibility for such crimes whether they are directly involved or not.

Margot Wallström

The warning comes from the United Nations Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström.

She says the recent "horrific spree of rape, looting and pillage" in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo affirm that sexual violence should never again be dismissed as random, cultural or inevitable.

Ms. Wallström reminds the political leadership of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and the Mai Mai that the rapes their members allegedly committed are war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"And crimes of this calibre attract command responsibility on the part of leaders who fail to prevent or punish for violations by their subordinates whether or not they were directly involved. And I would remind that at the moment Jean Pierre Bemba is facing trial at the ICC in The Hague on charges of command responsibility for similar alleged acts of pillage and rape. "

Jean-Pierre Bemba is former Deputy President of the DR Congo who is standing trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes committed in the Central African Republic by fighters of his Movement for the Liberation of Congo.

On the United Nations response to sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Margot Wallström says the United Nations and Congolese government have a comprehensive strategy to combat the scourge.

Donn Bobb, United Nations Radio
(duration: 1'33")