New Atrocities in the Congo: Male Rape "Rising Sharply"

The eastern Congo has been described as a "reservoir of atrocities" and the "rape capital of the world." Now, as joint military operations escalate between Rwanda and Congo to stamp out the warring militias along the border, the New York Times reports armed and murderous militias are raping male villagers.

Mitima Mohigirwa is seen above. He was gang raped by five soldiers in 2004 and says his father was "so ashamed" that he left him after the assault.

According to Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, United Nations officials and several Congolese aid organizations, the number of men who have been raped has risen sharply in recent months, a consequence of joint Congo-Rwanda military operations against rebels that have uncapped an appalling level of violence against civilians.

Aid workers struggle to explain the sudden spike in male rape cases. The best answer, they say, is that the sexual violence against men is yet another way for armed groups to humiliate and demoralize Congolese communities into submission.

The United Nations already considers eastern Congo the rape capital of the world, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to hear from survivors on her visit to the country next week. Hundreds of thousands of women have been sexually assaulted by the various warring militias haunting these hills, and right now this area is going through one of its bloodiest periods in years.

The male rape cases "span several hundred miles and possibly include hundreds of victims" but no one knows the exact number. In this part of the world where homosexuality is taboo—nearby Burundi has attempted to legislate homosexuality out of existence—the rapes carry an extra dose of shame. 

Kazungu Ziwa says armed men burst into his hut, put a machete to his throat, yanked down his pants and beat him down. "Then they raped me," he said. "It was horrible, physically. I was dizzy. My thoughts just left me."

Many raped men in Congo, like those across the world, are reluctant to come forward. Several who did said they instantly became castaways in their villages and ridiculed as "bush wives."

An excellent report by the Times. And how courageous of these men and women to come forward and tell their stories.

Thanks RAVENBACK

Symbol of Unhealed Congo [NYT]

Comments

[Talarico]

Wow. This story is just so numbing on so many levels.

Prayers to all of the victims.

[Corey]

Rod. I'd heard about this, and I'm told too, that this was a tactic used by warring factions in the biblical days ~ that is was less about sexuality and more about RULE, DEHUMANIZING, and creating the very same atmosphere of REJECTION and DEJECTION among the men in the villages. But this is not biblical times, and how do you rape a man or a child if you do not already have the INCLINATION to do so. It's also time for me to admit my ignorance; I might have a working knowledge of our GLORIOUS AFRICAN PAST (and all THAT), but I must confess I JUST DON'T GET THE FOLK THAT WE DESCEND FROM. Maybe I need a good working knowledge of BRUTALITY and BACKWARDNESS, too! I know I'm putting myself OUT THERE, and I might be bordering on offence, but why should any of this be surprising when we consider the wide-range of ATROCITIES that come from this area. Remember a month or two ago, I believe it was in Brooklyn, perhaps, where the little African girl was raped in her neighborhood, and the PARENTS SHUNNED AND DISOWNED HER because of the DISGRACE SHE brought THEM?

UNBELIEVABLE!

[FREELEO]

Very sad. I've always felt that rape is just about the worst thing that can happen to a person.

[Dante]

rape is an awful crime and rape is an awful warful tactic. i am so sorry for these people. it is so sad that they are being rejected and shunned.

why are the victims of rape always treated more harshly than the rapists?

why are male rape victims (such as in prison) treated like less than men?

[Derrick from Philly]

More awful news out of Africa. And the sad thing is (from recent news reporting) you'd never know that most African people abhor violence and cruelty as much as anybody else.

Yes, COREY, the people we are descended from are committing atrocities in Africa. But also, the OTHER people we are descended from committed atrocities in Africa, the Americas, Asia and their own Western Europe.

[FREELEO]

@Corey

I believe a lot of us are guilty of romanticizing an Africa that never existed. We want the place of our origin to be so much better than the place we were brought to in shackles. The truth of the matter is it probably wasn't better, it was probably just different. I've heard to many things about different African traditions that have given me pause. I stopped romanticizing Africa awhile back.

[Diva1961]

This is horrible. It was indeed a tactic used from biblical times. The villagers wanted to rape the angel visitor in the Sodom and Gomorrah story. This is why some religious people who never did their research on the bible say that this town was destroyed because of homosexuality. Like this story, that was about power. It, like this story, has nothing to do about sexuality.

[Greg G]

@ Corey:

For centuries, rape has been a wartime tactic of humiliation and submission. However, in modern times it is not limited to Africa.

Wartime rape is a serious human rights issue in the Georgia-Chechnya conflict. It also gained international coverage in the civil war in the former Yugoslavia, in Bosnia and Macedonia, and in the Kosovo conflict. That was in the 1990s.

[Ravenback]

When I first read this story, I was completely outraged and disgusted. But then I thought about all the many more women and girls who get raped as a consequence of war and strife. Rape is not about sexual gratification. It's about domination and humiliation. And let's not forget about how hundreds of thousands of male children who are forced to pick up weapons and kill people. Rape and drugs are often used to breakdown these kids and control them.

But the question is what is the world going to do about it. There is never a concerted effort to stop these atrocities from occurring. Whether it's famine, genocide, or oppression, the band just plays on -- especially when it comes to Africa. It seems no one ever has the time when it comes to Africa. So in the end, it comes down to the African peoples. When peace becomes more important than power and corruption, then we will begin to see wholesale changes. Until then, be prepared for many more stories like the one above.

[SouLKid]

Some people talk about Africa as if its one country.Africa is HUGE and some african countries only hear about some of these atrocities like the rest of the world.I do however have to admit Africa does not treat its gays well, but this kinda violence(or any kind of violence at all) is unheard of in countries like Botswana.
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Needless to say, this is just awful and sad in so many levels. As if its not enough, these victims have no one to turn to. *sigh*

[Kevin Perez]

When Afocentric scholars, Rastas, Black Liberation thelogians and wannabe Black militiants boast about the motherland, are they talking about this? Do they realize the people of the motherland are just as oppressive as Western society was (and is) 500 years ago? Do people of the African disapora really believe in such a romanticizing?

[Mel Smith]

Rod, THANK YOU for sharing this story. Yes, this case is very similar to what happended in Sodom and Gomarrah. They are raping these men to humiliate and bring shame to them. These acts have absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality, a gay person, or being heterosexual. History teaches us that soldiers raped defeated armies. Now, why are ministers condemning gay people for what took place in Sodom and Gomarrah? Raping to humiliate someone and being gay are not related. Also, heterosexual men say sexual comments to humiliate one another.

[TheRevKev]

Rod, THIS IS WHY I LOVE YOU!!!!

As much as we appreciate your presence in news issues of the day, BUT THE LENGTHS OF YOUR RESEARCH FOR INVESTIGATIVE MATTERS ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL IS AMAZING!

I am sooooooooooo proud of you for this story and your commitment to US, around the world!

MY GOD, we are going to have to start REALLY looking at HOW WE SHOW UP IN THE MOTHERLAND FOR OUR BROTHERS! This is about power and violence and abuse and ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!

MEL SMITH...BLESS YOU! This is Sodom and Gomorrah. When people realize that that story about was humiliation and shame and not homosexuality, we will begin to have some REAL and NEW conversations!

IN THE MEANTIME, I am going to post this story everywhere! ENOUGH!

[Dallas Cowboy]

This story is incredible, outrageous and tragic on so many levels. It always hurt to be violated but in that part of the world there is so much stigma and shame associated with homosexuality ... even more than in our black communities in the States.

Winning a war through shame and humiliation...So tragic.

And let me echo the sentiments...thanks for the find Rod, you always do so much for our community and almost never get your "props." I never realized Burundi and Rwanda arre right next door.

[Anthony in Nashville]

My sister sent me this story yesterday and it's so ugly that I can't bring myself to forward it to other people or comment on it.

Some folks are just heartless and crazy.

[Chaz]

There are so many things running through my mind after reading this: What is the Congolese church's stance on power rape? Is it acceptable as a means of inflicting psychological and physical war? Are these male rapists Christian, Roman Catholic, Muslim, or animist? Why is it that most times anything tragic happens in any part of the world, men are the ones inflicting the tragedy?

This is another reason why I am a feminist. Masculinity needs to stop being revered at the cost of death and humiliation. Most men have such a need to prove their manhood through the most barbaric of ways. There will NEVER be peace in any country where men are at power.

[Mel Smith]

Thank you Rev. Kev. I also believe this is a huge story.

[FREELEO]

Before we all go wagging a finger at Africa, we may want to take a look at what's going on here in the states and the Caribbean. If we asked our friends how many of them had been raped, we may be surprised. I've known too many brothers who have been raped and their stories always leave me numb.

[Ravenback]

Also, many of Africa's problems are being fueled and exacerbated by the religious war between Muslims and Christians. It is literally ripping the continent of Africa apart.

[Rowan]

To ALL:

As an african who has lived most of his life in England but also a bit Africa.

You don't know what you're talking about.

Do you know about or read some of the best African authors??

This gay bashing is f*cking religion!

They weren't like this!

Wangari Muta Maathai

This women is a god and her first book explains Africa truly. V similar to the native americans, it was about land, plants etc...the earth and then religion came and man, it ruined Africa. I feel like crying.

We shouldn't be Christians, it's not our background but more about the earth and the environment.

She won a Noble Peace for Environment work.

Guy, some Africans coming up with incredible things (sorry prob more Europe)

We're all one...

[FREELEO]

if one more haughty ass african who hasn't lived on the continent let alone his country of birth sense his parents discovered that there were planes and places where there is electricity 24 hours a day and paved roads decided to leave, tells me i don't know anything about africa, i'm going to scream.

"you don't know what you are talking about." i think you should carry your ass to the congo and take a survey so that we will all be better informed.

when i read things fall apart by chinua achebe, and found out that one of the customs was to kill twin babies because they were considered a bad omen, i began to take a more critical look of some african customs and traditions. you can't blame colonialism or christianity for that.

[Kevin Perez]

"i began to take a more critical look of some african customs and traditions. you can't blame colonialism or christianity for that."

You're right but some elements of Christianity and colonalisim can be seen as equally barberic, such as those willing to kill folks over their religious beliefs and those who cherry pick whats in the bible to validate their prejudice and bigotry.

Maybe there needs to be middle ground on African customs and religion as with Christianity. Too many romantisize (sp?) the following.

[FREELEO]

i agree kevin, i was in no way defending christianity.

[Chaz]

I have yet to truly study homosexuality in Africa, but I do know that in some ethnic groups within Africa boy-wives were normal. We all know that Christianity and Islam have been a part of Africa for centuries, I would go as far as saying those religions and their beliefs are ingrained within some Africans' DNA. Those religions have no doubt influenced some of the homophobia, but there hasn't been a lot of focus on what their attitudes were towards homosexuals before Christianity and other religions that aren't native to Africa became prominent forces. I read that some Native American tribes lived in unity with gays and transgender people, but was this the same in Africa?

[Ravenback]

@ Kevin Perez

It's not just Christianity but Islam as well. It is estimated that Islam is the largest religion in Africa with Christianity following a close second. Both religions have been quite hostile towards homosexuality. Whenever Sharia law is instituted, it means nothing but bad news for females and gays.