500 rapes in congo

 The United Nations reported Tuesday that more than 500 systematic rapes were...

committed by armed combatants in eastern Congo since late July. more than double the number previously reported and accepted partial responsibility for not protecting citizens. U.N assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Atul Khare told the UN Security Council that at least 267 more rapes occurred in another area of the country's east, in addition to 242 rapes earlier reported in and around Luvungi, a village of about 2,200 people located about 30 kilometers from a UN peace keepers camp. rape as a weapon of war has become shockingly commonplace in eastern Congo, where the government army and UN peace keepers have failed to defeat the few thousands rebels responsible for a protracted conflict fueled by vast mineral reserves.