At the same time, the Secretary-General's report (S/2010/604) gives cause for...

At the same time, the Secretary-General's report (S/2010/604) gives cause for alarm. Sexual violence continues to be used as a weapon of war by parties to conflicts in a number of regions worldwide. We all recall the mass rapes committed in Walikale this past summer, and we expect the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to inform the Security Council about measures taken to assist the victims and to combat impunity. Beyond that tragic situation, no one can remain impassive to the violence perpetrated in the Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Burma against women belonging to minority ethnic groups, or in Côte d'Ivoire, where recent developments have caused increased concern. We expect that procedures carried out in Guinea following the crimes perpetrated in the Conakry stadium in September 2009 will be rapidly completed. However, we welcome the development of a strategy to combat sexual violence in Chad and the establishment of a special tribunal in Liberia.