Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
September 16, 2009
When the Rules No Longer Apply
Candice Knezevic, the RAISE Hope for Congo campaign manager, is currently traveling in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On our first day in Goma, we met with Justine Masika Bihamba, who founded Synergie de Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles. Synergie advocates for women’s rights and an end to impunity, works to sensitize armed groups and local populations about the consequences of sexual violence, and coordinates a network of women’s activists throughout North Kivu who act as a first line of defense for women in rural villages who have been raped.
I first met Justine over a year ago on my first visit to Goma. When I see Justine, she tells me things have only gotten worse since I was last here. She says that in the towns of Masisi and Rutshuru, the CNDP, a Rwanda-supported rebel group formerly led by Laurent Nkunda that has recently been integrated into the Congolese army, are more in control than ever before. They are specifically targeting Synergie’s activists with violence, rape and even death, and as a consequence, many have had to flee.
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