Disturbing but true: in some conflict situations, the systematic rape of women is used as a weapon of war. CAS volunteer Imogen Davies headed down to a talk at Oxford University to learn more about this socially destructive phenomenon in the DRCongo…

It’s always quite nerve-racking, waiting for people to show up to a talk you’ve organised; seeing if all those people who confirmed on the Facebook event were telling the truth or just lazily clicking yes. But as more and more people pile into the basement lecture room at Oxford's Exeter College, I can see that tonight’s topic – Rape as a Weapon of War in the DR Congo – is one which will drag students out of their rooms even on a night as dreary as this one.

Among the speakers this evening is Ally Carnwath, Christian Aid Communications Officer for Francophone Africa, who has just returned from a trip visiting partner NGOs in the DRC. As we settle into our seats and the shuffling and murmurs die down, Ally tells us that 80% of the Congolese population is undernourished and living on less than £0.20 a day, despite the country's huge agricultural potential. Experts predict that if properly farmed, the DRC’s land could feed the whole of Africa. The DRC is also home to 80% of the world’s coltan reserves, the material used to make mobile phones and laptops, meaning most of us carry a bit of the DRC around with us every day.

The wealth of resources in the DRC has been responsible for the atrocities which we are here to learn about at this evening’s talk. Armed groups have been at war for the past decade and a half, and despite a peace deal being agreed in 2002, fighting for control of mineral deposits continues in the mineral-rich East of the country. This is also the region where the use of rape as a weapon of war has been particularly prevalent.

“Rape breaks down relations and social cohesion in communities. It humiliates people. Women are often ostracised within their villages; abandoned by their husbands and families"

The effectiveness of raping of women as a ‘strategy’ during conflict is due to the impact it has on wider society. “Rape breaks down relations and social cohesion in communities. It humiliates people. Women are often ostracised within their villages; abandoned by their husbands and families. There are intense cultural pressures on husbands to reject their wives.”

Ally shows us a photo of two Congolese women, one of whom was abducted by local militia and raped repeatedly over a three-month period. Originally shunned by her husband on her return, Afua now has a normal marital life once again thanks to support groups and counselling provided by Christian Aid partner UMAMA.

However, it is only by tackling the causes of rape that any lasting difference can be made. The panellists agree that a large part of the problem is the culture of impunity – there is widespread corruption within the judiciary and prison services, and the vast majority of soldiers who commit rape will get away with it.

'80% of the Congolese population is undernourished and living on less than £0.20 a day, despite the country's huge agricultural potential. Experts predict that if properly farmed, the DRC’s land could feed the whole of Africa'

Christian Aid partner CBCA is trying to tackle this problem by working with local authorities and village chiefs to advocate a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence, while giving human rights training to high ranking officers to  ensure they know about the penalties for rape. Engaging with the army is a controversial approach considering its reputation for indiscriminate rape, killing and mining of resources, and Ally acknowledges that few people in the DRC have a good word to say about them. At the same time, he claims that as long as the army and civilian population are sworn enemies, the culture of rape is likely to continue.

All the panellists were keen to stress that the use of rape as a weapon of war is nothing new, especially not in the DR Congo. As each speaker outlines the history and deep-rooted complications surrounding the practice, it’s hard not to feel despairing about the situation.

What is fairly new, however, is the extent of international media coverage around the subject of rape as a weapon of war, and indeed rape in general. What stays with me on the cycle home through the cold and the rain is the courage of the women who are telling their stories in the hope that these atrocities can be brought to an end. We, as British voters and as consumers of mobile phones and laptops, now have a role to play to make sure that the voices of Congolese women are heard, and the issue remains at the top of the political agenda.

Words and bottom photo: Imogen Davies

Top photo: flickr user Woody Collins