Congo (Kinshasa)

First the rebel soldiers told residents of the villages in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) not to worry. They were just there for a rest and would do no harm. But as dusk fell, the fighters encircled five villages simultaneously, and the gang rapes began.

Six or seven men lined up to take their turn. The victims ranged from a month-old baby boy to a 110-year-old great-great-grandmother.

United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are building detention facilities in the country's troubled east to ensure that female detainees are safely and securely housed while they await trial.

In the wake of mass rapes of civilians in the restive far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Security Council called on the country to take “swift and fair” action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Hundreds of people – including more than two dozen children – were raped by members of armed groups in July and August in the volatile North Kivu province.

In yet another grisly deja vu, the world has heard about hundreds of rapes in a small area of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, or Congo) in late July and early August, many of them in North Kivu, within a few miles of a United Nations encampment of peacekeepers charged with protecting civilians. The UN is not just negligent but complicit in these crimes.

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 Democratic Republic of Congo's justice minister pledged Monday to "spare no effort" in ending impunity for sexual violence, adding that results of probes into recent mass rapes would be published in coming days.

Rose Mapendo felt ready to die after being kept at a death camp for eight months in the Democratic Republic of Congo, her native country.

The UN Security Council strongly criticized the Democratic Republic of Congo government Friday for mass rapes in the country and demanded tougher action to catch those responsible.

Hundreds of women and children were raped by militia groups in eastern DR Congo in late July and early August, in acts that drew widespread international condemnation. UN peacekeepers were also criticized for their slow response to the sex assaults.

Victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo have begun telling a high-level UN panel about their experiences as part of efforts to improve treatment and support.

The hearings began on Thursday in the troubled eastern region of South Kivu.

The panel will travel to provinces throughout the DRC.

The risk of future mass rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be greatly reduced if the United Nations prioritizes civilian protection and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) writes strict regulations governing the use of conflict minerals, World Vision said today.