Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ongoing Conflict in the East and Increasing Gender-Based Sexual Violence

Current Projects: GC2S2 is developing a significant health and nutrition project for the Kampala, Uganda region. Our objectives are 1) focusing on establishing health clinics with traveling nurses and doctors to address the lack of access to medical care in rural or slum areas, 2) developing a nutrition plan for educational institutions for young students (children), and 3) providing family planning services and feminine hygiene products to women and young girls to assist with keeping young women in school, in addition to ensuring mothers have access to the care needed both pre and postpartum. You can learn more and contribute to our ongoing projects here.

Written by Meaghan Mackey

Background

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been entrenched in ongoing violence in the eastern part of the country since 1996, ultimately leading to approximately six million deaths.

Many armed groups operate in the region, including the most prominent factions, the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). M23 is a Congolese rebel militia made up of ethnic Tutsis. The UN, as well as multiple countries, claim that Rwanda is backing M23, but Rwanda denies such allegations. The ADF is a militant group with ISIS affiliation.

These armed groups aim to control the region’s vast natural resources and use current mining operations to fund further aggression. Since 2022, fighting between these armed groups and security forces, such as The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and allied international forces, has intensified. Most conflict occurs in the North Kivu, Ituri, and South Kivu provinces.

Increased violence in the region has exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis that the eastern part of the DRC faces. Since March 2022, 2.8 million people have been displaced throughout the area, and the situation only seems to be getting worse as M23 rebels advance towards Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province.

The Current Situation

Since M23’s resurgence in 2022, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern region has not only seen a worsening humanitarian situation but has also seen a significant increase in gender-based violence (GBV). The M23, also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, is a relentless group of rebels that has caused the displacement of hundreds of civilians in the DRC (among many other affairs).

Increasing attacks carried out by armed factions have only escalated pre-existing gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, in the region, with around 46,000 cases reported between January and August 2023 alone.

Following M23’s resurgence, gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen a 91% increase in reported cases from 2021 to 2022 in the North Kivu province. As the current humanitarian crisis that the region faces only intensifies, gender-based violence is going to increase, with women and even young girls being targeted in particular.

There are many factors that play a role in the recent increase of GBV in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including limited resources and increased internal displacement in the region. Many recent reports state that due to the decreasing essential resources needed for survival, women have been forced into prostitution in exchange for the resources they need to feed their families.

Sexual-based violence (SBV) increased as women and children were forced to search for food and water in dangerous areas. Displacement camps in the DRC are becoming grossly overpopulated, causing the number of GBV (gender-based violence) and SBV (sexual-based violence) incidents to increase.

Women and children in particular, especially those attempting to find refuge or safe havens in refugee camps and communities, are oftentimes forced into unsavory living situations in shared spaces, which only serves to make them easier targets for those with ill-intent.

Violence against women is not only exacerbated by the DRC’s humanitarian crisis, but armed groups also tend to use SBV and GBV as war tactics to harm populations, create dysfunctional communities, and dismantle family dynamics; this creates a never-ending feedback loop of conflict and suffering that many never see the end of.

By carrying out these targeted attacks on innocent civilians, rebel groups can delude and control thousands of families and even entire communities through mass humiliation and long-term psychological warfare. It is common for rebel militias to conduct these attacks after they have taken control of territory to intimidate and punish the population and further subjugate them.

Solutions

Safe Spaces:

GC2S2 can significantly combat gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by setting up safe spaces in refugee camps throughout the region. Setting up safe spaces specifically for women could help combat the increasing cases of GBV and sexual violence by giving victimized groups safe places to sleep and attend to personal needs.

GC2S2 could also help foster long-term preventative measures in refugee camps by providing the necessary supplies, such as food and water assistance, to decrease women’s exposure to dangerous situations while foraging. This would allow women and families to avoid precarious situations and instances where they would need to sacrifice their safety for essential resources.

Additional Displacement Camps:

GC2S2 can also provide IDPs with alternative displacement camp options specific to women and children. This will prevent those populations from being harmed by malicious actors and allow them to thrive separately and freely. Additional displacement camps would also cater to women’s and children’s needs on top of giving them a safe environment, which would mitigate the increase of GBV and sexual violence in the region.

GC2S2 can provide these refugees with the necessary care and resources within these camps, such as medical services and supplies. Educational lectures can also help protect and inform the population about preventative measures and what resources are available following any attack.

Medical Care Services:

GC2S2 can also help distribute critical healthcare supplies and set up accessible clinics to provide displaced people in the eastern DRC region with the necessary care—specifically, medical supplies to help with the physical and mental effects of GBV and sexual violence. GC2S2 can also help provide psychological services to combat the long-term impact of these attacks.

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Bibliography

Bredenkamp, C; Palermo, T; & Peterman, A. “Estimates and Determinants of Sexual Violence Against Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo.” National Library of Medicine, Jun. 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3093289/

“CRISIS in DRC: Alarming rates of sexual violence in North Kivu.” Relief Web, 30 Jun. 2023, https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/crisis-drc-alarming-rates-sexual-violence-north-kivu-advocacy-brief

“Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.” Council on Foreign Relations, 15 May 2024, https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violence-democratic-republic-congo

“DR Congo: Atrocities by Rwanda-Backed M23 Rebels.” Human Rights Watch, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/06/dr-congo-atrocities-rwanda-backed-m23-rebels

Mendes, B. “In eastern DRC, women and girls pay a high price in ongoing conflict.” World Food Programme, 28 Nov. 2023, https://www.wfp.org/stories/eastern-drc-women-and-girls-pay-high-price-ongoing-conflict#:~:text=Gender%2Dbased%20violence%20is%20surging,North%20and%20South%20Kivu%20provinces

“Standing up against gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, 13 Dec. 2023, https://kvinnatillkvinna.org/2023/12/13/standing-up-against-gender-based-violence-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo/

“UNHCR warns of mounting violence against women and girls in eastern DRC.” The UN Refugee Agency, 14 July 2023, https://www.unhcr.org/us/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-warns-mounting-violence-against-women-and-girls-eastern-drc