DRC: Rebels Must be Prosecuted for DRCongo Mass Rape: UN Expert

A UN expert pushed Monday for the prosecution of rebel leaders for the mass rape of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, saying urgent action was needed "before the trail goes cold."

Margot Wallstrom, UN special representative on the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, singled out the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Mai-Mai militia.

"The FDLR has time and again been responsible for grave human rights violations in the DRC. Accountability must begin with the commanders of these and other groups," she said.

"We already have some names, such as Colonel Mayele, the Mai-Mai Cheka chief of staff, and Colonel Serafim of FDLR," she told an informal meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.

"These names are starting points and constitute leads by which we may also identify some of the other participants in the mass rapes," she added.

The political and military leadership of the FDLR may also be responsible for failing to prevent subordinates from committing the mass rape, she said.

"This is the international crime that lets women walk in shame and perpetrators walk free," Wallstrom later told journalists, as she criticised impunity for rapists.

A UN human rights report last week on the incidents, which took place in August, said some 303 civilians -- men, women and children -- in 13 villages in the Walikale region in Nord-Kivu province were raped.

However, Wallstrom said that the number had effectively gone up to about 500 in those villages as more victims came forward.
"We have a narrow window of opportunity before the trail grows cold and media attention fades," Wallstrom told the rights council, after earlier saying that the leaders of militia would face war crimes charges.

The UN envoy, who is travelling to DR Congo on Tuesday, said a key objective of her trip is to train the focus on the perpetrators.

During her week-long visit, the UN envoy will interview survivors and ensure that they get help in recovering from their ordeal. She will also look at ways to break the cycle of impunity in the country.

Wallstrom also pointed to failings at the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) in the country.

"The problem is that they did not take the early warning signals seriously enough," she told journalists.

Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay revealed that a panel of experts led by the deputy high commissioner is also convening in the country this week, and will hold hearings with survivors of sexual violence.

Wallstrom also pointed out that more attention needed to be put on the root cause of conflict in the region -- the battle for minerals.

Rebel groups have been drawn to Walikale by its abundance of minerals, which they are mining illegally and using to finance their movements.

"We must examine this nexus more closely as one of the root causes of the recent atrocities and the protracted conflict in the DRC," said Wallstrom.

"I call on all governments to enact due diligence to track the flow of conflict minerals," she said.
"A global regime along the lines of the Kimberley Process... is needed for all the minerals.

Established in 2003, the Kimberley Process certifies the origins of rough diamonds in order to ensure that they are not funding conflict in the world's hot spots.

Wallstrom's call echoed that of another UN expert on DR Congo, who told a precious metals conference in Berlin on Monday that "blood gold" threatened the industry with a "moral and public relations disaster."

"There is a high risk that any artisanally-mined gold coming out of the country is 'blood gold,'" Gregory Mthembu-Salter, a member of the UN Group of Experts on the conflict-riven but resource-rich African country, said.

The expert also called on the industry to create a certification system on the origin of gold.