Each year, hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers flee from conflict, violence or persecution in their homeland. The Democratic Republic of Congo, rich in natural resources and beauty, has been the setting for a deadly war in the past 12 years, with rape as a common occurrence. Rape itself is not a new phenomenon when used in times of war and conflict, but in more recent years it has become strategically important, and sometimes even institutionalized by military and militia groups. But there is something unique about the brutality of rape in the DRC, where gang rape, genital mutilation, sexual slavery and murder of woman and girls of all ages are disturbingly common, with the goal of maximally scarring and humiliating the victims, which sometimes involves the forced participation of family members. No official estimates can truly capture the numbers of women and girls, and even men, who have suffered this form of sexual violence, due to the stigma and shame of rape and fear of repercussions for reporting it, but estimates state that in some parts of eastern DRC, 3 out of 4 women and girls have been raped. This can leave them with severe psychological distress and ongoing medical problems, such as infection with HIV, fistulas and broken bones, and can significantly hinder their caregiving role. Rape can also deeply affect whole communities and families and be culturally and economically devastating. Rape victims in the DRC are often shunned by their families and communities, further increasing their risk of more violence and poverty.
Currently, woman and girls in the DRC have few legal options for fleeing this scene and so must often cross borders illegally. Those fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do this are at risk of further sexual abuse on their journey, by being forced to exchange sex for passage or for food and water in refugee camps, and with increasingly stricter border controls to reduce immigration, it is becoming more difficult for victims of rape to flee their own country for protection by another. Upon arrival, the victims of rape must convince the decision makers that that their case falls under one of the five grounds outlined in the 1951 Refugee Convention which include race, religion, nationality, political opinion or being a member of a social group, and it is often difficult for the traumatized victim to convince the decision makers that their case of rape was motivated by any of those 5 conditions. Although gender specific guidelines have improved this process for women presenting rape as a refugee claim, many decision makers still may consider rape to be the fault of the individual perpetrator and not a matter of collective punishment for political opinion, religion, and ethnicity, nationality or due to membership in a social group, as would be required for obtaining refugee status. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that more than ½ of all female asylum seekers have experienced rape, witnessed rape or are at a high risk of rape if returned to their homeland. As General Patrick Cammaert, the former UN Military Advisor and Deputy Force Commander, states;
“It is more dangerous to be a woman than to be a soldier right now in DRC.”
“Male rape victim in DR Congo speaks out”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/9230126.stm
