Human Rigths Watch-Informe 2009-Congo atrocidades

Atrocidades en Congo-


Atrocities Continue in DR Congo >>

“They killed my husband with a machete and two of them raped me,” said a woman who was abducted by a Rwandan militia operating in eastern Congo. “They also killed my father and raped my mother and sister before killing them as well, all with machete. They abducted me and brought me to their camp where I was made the ‘wife’ of Captain Jean Claude. He raped me every day.”
In eastern Congo, more than 1,400 civilians – mainly women, children and the elderly -- have been killed this year, deliberately targeted by a Rwandan militia called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), UN-backed Congolese army forces, and in some instances the Rwandan army. The violence continues, and the number of rape cases is surging.
Rebels and soldiers accuse villagers of collaborating with the enemy, then “punish” them by attacking them with machetes or hoes. Both sides killed those trying to flee and burned families to death in their homes.
UN peacekeepers have tried to protect civilians. But by providing support to abusive Congolese army operations, the United Nations is compromising this goal.
Read what we learned from 600 interviews with victims, witnesses, and family members...




US Senate Addresses Rape Kit Backlog >>
The US Senate has made a move to address the tens of thousands of rape kits containing DNA evidence that languish, untested, in storage facilities.
On Tuesday, senators from the judiciary committee made public commitments to eliminate the rape kit backlog, advocating a national protocol for rape kit testing and incentives for states to test the kits -- two actions Human Rights Watch has also called for.
Over the past year, Human Rights Watch compiled ground-breaking evidence on the rape kit backlog. Testing the kits offers massive benefits – from the exoneration of innocent suspects to the identification of a perpetrator. As arrests are made in only about 25% of US rape cases, this DNA evidence can help bring rapists to justice.
Read more …








Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo

Guinea: "Bloody Monday"

The Yemeni Government’s Brutal Response to Southern Movement Protests

Human Rights Developments in Libya Amid Institutional Obstacles




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