OneWorld.net (U.S.)

OneWorld.net's take: Hundreds of Congolese women dressed in all black gathered Friday in Goma to protest sexual violence -- more than 3,000 cases have been reported since January -- and demand peace as fighting rages on in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Mama Jeanne runs an orphanage that houses and cares for about one hundred children. She also heads a project that supports women who have experienced sexual violence due to the ongoing war in eastern DRC. © cyclopsr (Flickr)According to the International Rescue Committee, sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been labeled "the worst in the world." Nonetheless, Justine Masika Bihamba, who has been working to support women in the country since 1990, has never faltered in her drive to promote peace and human rights from the grassroots level. In 2007, Bihamba worked around the clock organizing community workshops and listening centers, granting loans, and helping victims of sexual violence attain psychological, social, medical, and legal support. Bihamba also runs a grassroots collective, Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violence Sexuelle, that has assisted more than 1,800 women and girls, and that continues to sustain 100 victims of sexual violence. Bihamba was a finalist in OneWorld.net's People of 2007 contest.

• In one part of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where conflict has subsided and people are beginning to return home, a community-driven reconstruction project is fostering democracy, rebuilding social services, and creating new economic opportunities. The International Rescue Committee reports.

• A fragile ceasefire between rebel groups and the Congolese government was declared upon the signing of the Goma peace agreement this January. Since Aug. 28, however, "fighting has resumed between the Congolese army and the forces of renegade general Laurent Nkunda, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), as well as other armed groups," explains Human Rights Watch (HRW). Now, with UN peacekeeping forces stretched thin, HRW is calling for increased military capacity to keep the people of the DRC safe.

“The protest signifies the bravery and commitment of women to speak out against rape and assault. The event will include speeches and silent contemplation, and SAUTI have asked attendees to wear black in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion.”

Since January, more than 3,000 cases of sexual violence – mostly by rebels and soldiers - have been reported.  The number is not an adequate reflection of the scale of the trauma, as many women and children are afraid to come forward.

The increase in violence against women has galvanised the women of Goma into action in an effort to make their voice heard. In February this year, ActionAid set up SAUTI (Sauti ya Mwanamke Mkongomani) which means Voices of the Women of Congo, to bring together the various women’s groups based in Goma.

Last week a delegation of 25 women from SAUTI met with the Rwandan government officials in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, to highlight the plight of women in the conflict.

The delegation has since issued a declaration condemning the atrocities against civilians and calling on the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to fulfil its mandate to protect civilians. 

For more information about the ongoing conflict in Congo, visit ActionAid.