Breaking the Silence: New Approaches to the Consequences of Rape in Some African Conflicts, 1994–2008

Abstract

The transition from war to peace cannot be achieved without reconciliation between the various groups within society who have been fighting each other — a reconciliation that also takes place through the acknowledgement of sexual assaults on women. Too often the law of silence condemns these women to remain on the periphery of their society, withdrawn inside their own suffering, unable to grieve for a violent past. In March 2009 the international community hailed the peace agreement between the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the rebellion of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP). This agreement provided for Kinshasa’s promulgation of a law of amnesty for former rebels. The part played in acts of sexual assaults on women by rebels of the CNDP has been very fully documented in various reports by organisations for the defence of human rights. Despite the advances in international human law which recognise sexual assault as a serious crime of violence, it is clear that impunity continues to prevail for violators of the rights of women.