High Number of Sexual Violence Cases in DR Congo Camps - MSF

In just two weeks, more than 670 victims of sexual violence have been treated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in camps for displaced people around Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This represents 48 new victims per day.

Despite various humanitarian and relief organisations' increasing activities in recent weeks, the living conditions in camps around Goma remain disastrous and the people living there experience a lack of the most basic necessities such as food, latrines, water and shelter.

VOA asked DRC officials for comment, including Major Guillaume Djike, DRC Goma Military spokesperson. Djike said authorities were looking into it, but did not elaborate.

This week, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi threatened to end the mandate of the East African Community Regional Force, whom he accused of working with M23 rebels, a group that claims to represent the interests of the minority Tutsis in eastern DRC. East African forces have been deployed in the eastern part of the country to help fight M23 and other armed groups there.