WUNRN
SR243Kelly.pdf (PDF/448.02 KB)
May 2010 | Special Report by Jocelyn Kelly
·
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1820 signals a new
movement in the international community to recognize widespread sexual violence
against women in conflict as a threat to international peace and security.
·
Research on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has
predominantly focused on victims and survivors of rape. A better
understanding of the roots of SGBV in conflict, however, can only be gained by
examining the experiences and motivations of perpetrators.
·
SGBV has been a pervasive and highly destructive feature of the
conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Soldiers from
the Mai Mai militia group, one of many armed groups operating in this conflict,
describe a number of factors that promote sexual violence in the ranks of this
group.
·
Soldiers have a complex and sometimes contradictory relationship
with civilians. Interviewees express a desire to reintegrate into
civilian life and return to pre-war norms, and they see themselves as
protectors of civilians. However, civilians are also seen as a resource
that can be exploited for money, food, and other needs.
·
For the Mai Mai, sexual violence against women by other armed
groups, particularly foreign groups, is seen as a motivation to fight.
Nevertheless, at least some soldiers justify sexual violence perpetrated by
members of their own group.
·
Some commanders explicitly support rape by treating women as a
spoil of war. Men also describe rape as a result of individual motives,
such as the desire of a particular woman.
·
The most effective interventions to address SGBV are tailored to
the motivations and decision-making structures of each armed group. An
understanding of militia group attitudes is especially important as these
groups are currently being integrated into the national army.
·
Mai Mai commanders should be held responsible for the violence
perpetrated by themselves and the men under their command. High levels of
concern about contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections
pose an opportunity to discourage combatants from engaging in sexual violence.
·
The DRC government should use the integration of Mai Mai troops
into the national army as an opportunity to retrain troops, with a focus on
sensitizing soldiers about human rights and the need to protect
civilians. Trust between civilians and the military could be built
through regular meetings among leaders as well as effective prosecution of rape
crimes.
·
The international and humanitarian communities can provide
mental health counseling to demobilized soldiers as well as employment
opportunities to assist in reintegration.
This report reflects a
key goal of USIP's Gender and Peace Initiative, which seeks to
inform policy through analytical and practitioner work. The report
presents the results of qualitative research conducted with combatants from the
Mai Mai militia in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as part of a
project by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI). Interviews
conducted at three field sites provide insight into soldiers' motivations and
their attitudes toward sexual violence in their group. However, soldiers'
responses also reveal potential areas for intervention.
This research was funded
through a grant from the Open Society Institute (OSI) and was made possible
through collaboration with the Centre d'Assistance Medico-Psychosociale
(CAMPS). The author gratefully acknowledges the CAMPS field team for
their remarkable dedication and courage in undertaking this project: Justin
Kabanga, Deogratsias Bisimwa Bulungu, and Dieudonné Bagalwa Cherubala.
She would also like to thank the team at HHI for their continuing support and
for sharing their knowledge and expertise to help make this project possible:
Michael Vanrooyen, Jennifer Leaning, Vincenzo Bollettino, Sasha Chriss, Gregg
Greenough, and Margeaux Fischer.
Jocelyn Kelly is the
sexual and gender-based violence research coordinator for the HHI, where she
designs and implements research projects to examine how different groups
experience and perceive conflict in the DRC. She received her master's in
public health from the Harvard School of Public Health.
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