Rape in the Congo

[Ladyhawk]

WARNING! Graphic descriptions of violence and hatred attached in link , "Postcards from the Edge" Be warned that reading some of these testimonies will be very difficult!

There has been a lot of discussion around the film "Hotel Rwanda" and how accurately it depicted the mass maimings that took place there. Heartless, inhumane and cruel are words that barely describe the torture those innocents endured.

I naively thought that I'd heard or read about every shameful act that man was capable of. Until I read last month's "O" magazine:

http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/200502/omag_200502_congo.jhtml

I have always been a 'humanist', believing that we innately know what is best for us as individuals and as a society. I realize that some of us deviate from what we know to be true either out of greed, some misdirected notion of justice or as the result of a crippled childhood.

Yet, how can any society, anywhere in the world, produce men (or women) who have such callous disrespect, such hatred, of other human beings. How can one impose such violence and cruelty, without conscience, upon an innocent person? How can one just shoot small children whose only crime is that they tried to protect their mothers?

Rape only begins the drawn out torture process for these women who are often abandoned by their husbands or treated as criminals themselves.

What religion, what political structure could possibly warrant behavior such as this?

I am truly confounded and disgusted. But, I am also resolved and committed now to see if there is anything I can do to help.

 

[geni]

Yet, how can any society, anywhere in the world, produce men (or women) who have such callous disrespect, such hatred, of other human beings. How can one impose such violence and cruelty, without conscience, upon an innocent person?

By dehumanising them. It is a pretty common trait

How can one just shoot small children whose only crime is that they tried to protect their mothers?

Because you are thinking long term. Today the child is a minor nusence. Long term he going to be trying to kill your children

Rape only begins the drawn out torture process for these women who are often abandoned by their husbands or treated as criminals themselves.

What religion, what political structure could possibly warrant behavior such as this?

One that wants to destory another group but doesn't have massive militry dominance and gas chambers.

This is only one reason. The GIA did some simular stuff (only worse) I think they just wanted to win control of Algeria. Then of course we get on to the situations where the leadership and probably a fair number of the fighters involved were quite clearly insane.

I am truly confounded and disgusted. But, I am also resolved and committed now to see if there is anything I can do to help.

Help who? Which side? This isn't an army killing civillians. this is two armies trying to wipe out the other side ( rather more than two but there are two main side).

In the DRC there is only one group who don't use these tactis. The pygmies. They made an appeal to the UN about a year back. They are being hunted down and eaten.

 

[Ladyhawk]

Re: Re: Rape in the Congo

Help who? Which side? This isn't an army killing civillians. this is two armies trying to wipe out the other side ( rather more than two but there are two main side).

With a matter such as this, I never presumed to have to pick sides. There are aid agencies that help the victims on each side of this rebellion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3953747.stm

Medical support and help is greatly needed along with shelter and protection for these women and their children.

 

[geni]

Re: Re: Re: Rape in the Congo

With a matter such as this, I never presumed to have to pick sides. There are aid agencies that help the victims on each side of this rebellion.

The Fighting in the DRC isn't a rebellion. If it had happened in europe we would have called it a world war

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3953747.stm

Medical support and help is greatly needed along with shelter and protection for these women and their children. [/B]

Stability is urgently needed until that appears you are mearly increaseing the strength of the sides.

 

[aerocontrols]

I was very pleased to see this.

Good for the UN. I only wish they had sufficient firepower to actually enforce the peace. US soldiers with US airpower would be just fine with me.

MattJ

 

[geni]

I was very pleased to see this.

Good for the UN. I only wish they had sufficient firepower to actually enforce the peace. US soldiers with US airpower would be just fine with me.

MattJ

Except the terain in the DRC is simular to vietnam only bigger (pluss you have more sourounding countries tying to feed the conflict.

 

[aerocontrols]

Except the terain in the DRC is simular to vietnam only bigger (pluss you have more sourounding countries tying to feed the conflict.

Ok.

I still wish they had sufficient firepower to enforce the peace, and it would still be fine with me if US soldiers and the US airforce were there.

 

[geni]

Ok.

I still wish they had sufficient firepower to enforce the peace, and it would still be fine with me if US soldiers and the US airforce were there.

Enforcing the peace doen't work out in the long run. You need to make sure that everyone on the region wants peace. I wish I knew a way to do that.

 

[aerocontrols]

Enforcing the peace doen't work out in the long run. You need to make sure that everyone on the region wants peace. I wish I knew a way to do that.

I submit that enforcing the peace can work in the long run.

You make it work by raising the costs of continuing the war, and carving out a region where the peace truly is kept by overwhelming numbers. Make the people outside the region desire the peace inside the region.

 

[Ladyhawk]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Rape in the Congo

Stability is urgently needed until that appears you are mearly increaseing the strength of the sides.

I'm sorry if I'm being dense but am I understanding you to say that no action is the best action? I fail to see why trying to lend support for medical aid and relief to the women who have suffered through these heinous crimes constitutes some effort to increase the strength of the sides . I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'd just really appreciate it if you would elaborate.

 

[aerocontrols]

I'm sorry if I'm being dense but am I understanding you to say that no action is the best action?

It seems so. Geni's not sure what will work, but definitely what you or I propose is wrong.

 

[Ladyhawk]

It seems so. Geni's not sure what will work, but definitely what you or I propose is wrong.

And here I was, afraid that I was jumping to conclusions...

 

[crimresearch]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...&e=10&u=/ap/20050307/ap_on_re_af/congo_rape_3

More on the crisis.

 

[geni]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rape in the Congo

I'm sorry if I'm being dense but am I understanding you to say that no action is the best action? I fail to see why trying to lend support for medical aid and relief to the women who have suffered through these heinous crimes constitutes some effort to increase the strength of the sides . I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'd just really appreciate it if you would elaborate.

Sure both side are fighting a war of attrition. The side that hangs on longest wins send in aid they can hang on longer.

 

[Jocko]

Just checking to see what AUP, Fool and demon have to say about this non-US-related horror.

Nothing at all. Hmmph. Go figure.

If asked to lend air and logistical support, I'm sure we'd manage to scrounge up some forces. Scrounging up public support would be another matter altogether, but I, for one, would support it. Anything's better than sitting back in silence.

Right, guys?

 

[geni]

I submit that enforcing the peace can work in the long run.

You make it work by raising the costs of continuing the war, and carving out a region where the peace truly is kept by overwhelming numbers. Make the people outside the region desire the peace inside the region.

The people outside include the centeral african republic and sudan. However what the US could probably do is get the countries around the DRC to leave the place alone. Whether they want peace is irrelvant we know from expearence that the involvment they have with the DRC tends to have rather negative results. Remove the sourding countries from the equation and you reduce the problem a lot since the local groups don't have the reasources to moun large scale attacks.

 

[geni]

Just checking to see what AUP, Fool and demon have to say about this non-US-related horror.

Nothing at all. Hmmph. Go figure.

If asked to lend air and logistical support, I'm sure we'd manage to scrounge up some forces. Scrounging up public support would be another matter altogether, but I, for one, would support it. Anything's better than sitting back in silence.

Right, guys?

I suspect that it would not be that hard to get public support for sending a large number of spy planes to the area (because having a better idea of what is going on would be handy).

 

[geni]

double post

 

[Jocko]

I suspect that it would not be that hard to get public support for sending a large number of spy planes to the area (because having a better idea of what is going on would be handy).

I'd be just fine if they didn't ask the public at all, to be honest with you. If the rules are gonna get bent, I prefer they get bent for the right reasons.

 

[Ladyhawk]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...&e=10&u=/ap/20050307/ap_on_re_af/congo_rape_3

More on the crisis.

Thanks for this update, Crim....

Kippenberg said many young girls are also too afraid or embarrassed to report rape to their parents, or to military authorities in the region. Many die from lack of medical attention after being raped, and some commit suicide rather than seek help.

The article goes on to say that rape of 2-3 year old children is not uncommon; both boys and girls...

These are not 'militia' or 'rebels' committing these crimes against humanity. These are sick and cowardly animals and they should be promptly shot and put out of the world's misery.