The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the east of the country in particular, have been described as the “Rape Capital of the World”. Rape in Congo has frequently been described as a “weapon of war”; and the United Nations officially declared rape, a weapon of war in 2008.
It includes rape, public rapes, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, gang rape, and forced incest, sexual mutilation, genital mutilation, deliberate spread of HIV/AIDS, and forced sterilization as other forms of sexual violence that occur in Congo that are used as techniques in war against the civilian population.
Other forms of sexual savagery reported includes: forcing of crude objects such as tree branches and bottles into the vagina, public rape in front of the family and community, forced rape between victims, the introduction of objects into the victims’ cavity, pouring melted rubber into women’s vagina, shooting women in the vagina and inducing abortions using sharp objects.
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