Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BARAKA, Democratic Republic of Congo – On Thursday, an army officer and ten of his soldiers went on trial for the mass rapes of over sixty women in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The alleged incident occurred on New Year’s Day 2011 in the remote village of Fizi which is located in the restive South Kivu state.  The military trial is the most recent test for the  “mobile courts” which are being used to promote justice and the rule of law in remote parts of DRC where crimes like rape often go unreported.

The eleven individuals charged in this case are all military personnel who were assigned to protect the villagers in Fizi. However, instead of providing protection, the soldiers are accused of preying on the villagers. Prosecutors claim that the group of soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Kibibi Mutware began to attack the villagers after one of the unit’s soldiers was lynch by a mob in the village. The lynching occurred because the soldier had shot and killed a villager in Fizi after a dispute broke out between the two men over a woman.  Along with the alleged rapes that occurred, another 26 people were physically injured in attacks. Lt. Col. Mutware claims the allegations are false and that the soldiers who committed these acts were disobeying orders.

Mass rapes are common in the eastern part of DRC, and the use of mobile gender courts as a mechanism to try suspects has been an effective way to maintain law and order in a volatile region. This particular trial is expected to last for 10 days.  The mobile court was set up in Baraka, a town close to Fizi. News outlets report that members of the Fizi community have walked as far as 20 miles to come and witness the first day of court proceedings.

The mobile gender courts have been operating since 2009, conducting about 10 trials per month. The trials have resulted in over 90 rape convictions. Additionally, the court officers have trained over 150 judicial police officers, 80 lawyers, and 30 magistrates. The courts are being sponsored by a number of agencies including the American Bar Association, the United Nations Mission in DRC, and Avocats Sans Frontieres (Lawyers Without Borders).

For more information, please see:

BBC — Soldiers on trial charged with DR Congo mass rapes – 10 February 2011

The Guardian — Congolese soldiers go on trial accused of raping more than 60 women – 10 February 2011

Reuters Africa – Congo Soldiers go on trial for mass rapes – 10 February 2011

Take Part — Mobile Court Tries Congo Soldiers for Mass Rape – 10 February 2011