DRC troops blamed for rapes, looting in Sud-Kivu

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government troops have been blamed for abuses, including rapes and looting, in the eastern province of Sud-Kivu during an operation to avenge the death of one of their colleagues, officials said on Wednesday.

The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said eight soldiers have been arrested in connection with the abuses allegedly perpetrated during a punitive night operation in the town of Fizi in early January.

The case involves three dozen rapes of women as well as looting of shops and 20 homes.

A spokesperson for the DRC army, Vianney Kazarama, confirmed “14 cases of rapes” and “17 houses set ablaze”. He added that eight soldiers, including a senior officer, were arrested and turned to military justice.

OCHA said 36 rape victims have been treated by Fizi’s general hospital and the French-based charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

The UN mission in the DRC meanwhile said it had launched an investigation, along with provincial authorities and the Congolese army, “to verify these allegations and take appropriate measures”.

The 20 000-strong UN force, previously known as Monuc but renamed Monusco last July, has been embroiled in a series of scandals involving sexual abuse, as well as gold and gun trafficking since it was first deployed in the vast, mineral-rich central African country in late 1999.

In 2005, the world body set a “zero tolerance” policy for its troops having sex with Congolese.—Sapa-AFP