DRC: UN Urges 'Zero Tolerance' Towards Sexual Violence In DR Congo

The United Nations has urged action to prevent wanton sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo where some 150 women and baby boys were recently raped by rebel soldiers belonging to Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), reports said on Thursday.

At an emergency session of the UN Security Council (UNSC), Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Congolese authorities to fully investigate the incidents so as to bring the guilty to book.

The UNSC observed that peacekeepers deployed in the region should have come to the aid of the victims, adding it was "of utmost importance that the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to pursue its efforts to fight impunity."

The UN said everything possible must be done to prevent atrocities like the recent rape of more than 150 women and children in the DR Congo.

Ban urged officials to re-dedicate themselves to ensuring peace and stability in the violence-ridden nation as well as to abjure violence.

Furthermore, the UN chief said the United Nations mission in DR Congo "does what it can within its mandate, working with limited resources in an exceptionally difficult environment. But, at such times, we should always ask if we could have done more," he added.

Vitaly Churkin, the President of the Security Council, said the world body planned to carry out its own investigation into the wanton violence.

"There was general feeling that things did not work the way they should have worked, and it is the intention of the Council to look into it very thoroughly. Everything is to be done in order to prevent such occurrences in the future," he said.

Meanwhile, a top FDLR functionary denied the outfit's involvement in the serial rapes in a statement issued from Paris.

"(FDLR is)in no way involved in these odious actions and takes umbrage at the baseless accusations launched against them by the secretary general of the United Nations," he affirmed.

Despite the conclusion of DR Congo's long-running civil war in 2003, the impoverished African nation, which is the size of Western Europe, is still plagued by an orgy of violence.

Even though UN peacekeepers are engaged in efforts to finish off the threat from FDLR rebels, its top leaders operate with impunity in DR Congo.