The UN Security Council on Friday renewed a strong condemnation of the mass rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo, stressing in particular Kinshasa's primary responsibility in the provision of security and protection of its citizens. The UN had reported that more than 500 women and girls were sexually abused by rebel groups operating in late July in the Kibua area in eastern Congo. But the crimes, which reportedly lasted for four days, were not immediately detected by UN peacekeepers stationed 20 kilometres away, according to dpa. It said that those responsible for the rapes include the Mai Mai rebels and a force known as the Front for the Liberation of Rwanda in Congo. The Security Council had condemned the incident in early September. On Friday, it reiterated the condemnation and emphasized Kinshasa's responsibility to enforce the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law across the vast country. The council called on Kinshasa to "condemn the atrocities and to provide effective assistance to the victims of sexual abuse, and support efforts undertaken by all relevant stakeholders, including civil society, to protect and assist the victims and to prevent further violence." "The Security Council stresses that the fight against impunity is an integral part of the urgently needed reform of the security sector," it said in a statement. The UN peacekeeping department has recommended measures to protect civilians in conflict zone. Stung by criticism over the failure to intervene quickly and stop the rapes in the Kibua jungle, Margot Wallstrom, the UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict, had urged the 15- country Security Council to blacklist and enact sanctions against individuals who were leaders of rebel forces responsible for the sexual violence in eastern Congo. "At this moment, we are all compelled to look in the mirror and face our collective responsibility for our inability to prevent the mass rapes in Kibua," Wallstrom said in early September. Wallstrom and UN officials in Congo said a lack of communication facilities, including cell phones, prevented an immediate reaction. Wallstrom said the UN should now examine its response, including that of the peacekeepers on the ground, but in a spirit of improving protection of civilians in war zone. She said the rapes in Kibua showed a connection between the illicit exploitation of natural mineral resources, the continuing operations of illegal armed groups and the high levels of violence against civilians, in particular against women "in lucrative and strategic areas."
