Secretary-General's press encounter after visiting the Healing Africa - Clinic for victims of sexual violence

Mesdames et messieurs des medias,

I am humbled and sad and shocked by what I have just seen. I am so sad and I am angry. Sexual violence is prevalent throughout the DRC and must stop. I was told that just this past Monday there were 10 cases of rape admitted at this clinic. It is shocking and I am angry at what has happened [to these women and girls]. The worst problem and the main challenge remain a culture of impunity. There must be a commitment to punish perpetrators of sexual violence. This total impunity is just unacceptable.

MONUC (UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) peacekeepers and the UN country team in the DRC are intensifying their efforts to improve protection of women and girls, to aid victims and to help Congolese institutions and NGOs deal with this horrific plague.

I extend my deepest admiration and respect to all the people, and particularly the doctors and the nurses and the social workers who treat them and help them to overcome this very tragic personal suffering. I would like to see many more medical institutions like Heal Africa established in the DRC and elsewhere where there are victims of sexual crimes. We will do our best to prevent such occurring. But peacekeepers cannot prevent all the sexual violence alone or everywhere they are deployed. This requires the effort of the government of the DRC and the community working together.

High level political commitment will be crucial to end sexual violence. Government and military authorities must make good on their commitment to hold accountable those in the chain of command in all armed groups and security forces if they fail to take measures to prevent or punish sexual violence committed by personnel under their command. Alleged perpetrators of rapes that belong to armed groups or forces should not be promoted or integrated into the FARDC or national police.

I have raised this issue when I met with President Kabila this morning in Kisangani. I called on him to take all necessary measures within his power to end such impunity and prevent sexual violence. Examples must be set. Codes of conduct must be enforced. I wish to repeat, violence against women is a crime. Organized rape is a crime against humanity. Those guilty of such crime must be brought to justice and punished.

At this time I would like to appeal to community leaders and community members in this regard. Community attitudes toward victims of sexual violence must change. Women who have been sexually abused or raped should not be ostracized. We need to invest more in community based work. We must take a holistic measure in helping those victims. We must help them in getting proper medical care, cure and later support for their ordinary life as members of their communities. That requires a political will of the leaders. I have asked that President Kabila, as the leader of this country and I, as the leader of the United Nations, should work together to prevent and to stop sexual violence. We need all your support, ladies and gentlemen, your participation and active commitment too.

Merci beaucoup, thank you.

Q: Vous venez de voir le chef de l'Etat, M. Kabila comme vous l'avez dit. Mais je ne crois pas que dans vos entretiens il n'a pas été seulement question de violence sexuelle. Certainement que vous avez parlé d'autres problèmes actuelles au Congo : la fin de la guerre au Congo, le retour des forces rwandaises, etc. Est-ce que l'on peut savoir de quoi vous avez parlé avec le président Kabila ?

SG: Of course, the purpose of my visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and my meeting with President Kabila is to discuss all the security and peace issues at this time. We have evaluated the current situation and the encouraging recent developments and I told him that while I would welcome the recent progress the process need to be nurtured because it is still very fragile.

I welcome the rapprochement between President Kabila and President Kagame. I asked the President to continue to solidify this rapprochement and he assured me that he will try to improve the relation between the two countries. Solidifying the peace and stability in this region could be also one of the fundamental ways to address and stop sexual violence.

Q: Nous voudrions savoir parce que, actuellement la seule menace (inaudible) aux nos enfants c'est la présence des FDLR à l'est de la république et la traque mais jusque là on n'a pas fini. Quelle est la contribution des Nations Unies pour mettre fin à leur présence parce que c'est la seule milice nous estimons existe maintenant sur le sol congolais.

SG: The joint operation between FARDC and Rwandan armed forces achieved positive progress and I note this situation which has been developing in a positive direction. We must insure that the military fighting should not occur again and we must bring stability and peace in this region. We must ensure that the FDLR does not regain strength. MONUC, within the framework of the mandate given by the Security Council, has been providing necessary assistance, technical and training and logistical support to the FARDC. We will continue to do so.

At this time I would like to express my sincere sympathy to the citizens of Goma who have suffered too much for too long for because of the military conflicts in the past. One of the priorities of MONUC mission is to protect the civil population here. I hope that the citizens of Goma will have hope for a better future. The United Nations will stand by you.

Thank you.