{"id":143348,"date":"2026-05-26T07:15:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T07:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/for-women-in-eastern-democratic-republic-of-congo-drc-nowhere-is-safe-from-sexual-violence\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T07:15:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T07:15:23","slug":"for-women-in-eastern-democratic-republic-of-congo-drc-nowhere-is-safe-from-sexual-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/for-women-in-eastern-democratic-republic-of-congo-drc-nowhere-is-safe-from-sexual-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"For women in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), nowhere is safe from sexual violence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GENEVA, Switzerland —\u00a0Every week, hundreds of victims and survivors of\u00a0sexual violence<\/a>\u00a0seek care at health centres supported by M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF) in Goma, eastern\u00a0Democratic Republic of Congo<\/a>\u00a0(DRC). In 2024 alone, nearly 40,000 women were treated by MSF teams in North Kivu province \u2014 a record high. In January 2025, M23\/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) forces \u2013 backed by Rwanda \u2013 took control of Goma, the provincial capital and home to over a million people, after years of\u00a0fighting<\/a>\u00a0against the Congolese army and allied armed groups. Since then, the prevalence of sexual violence has shown no signs of decreasing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the first week of the offensive, hospitals rapidly became overwhelmed by a surge in casualties, both military and civilian. Morgues filled quickly as the Congolese army and its allies retreated, allowing M23\/AFC to take over as the new authorities in the city. Heightened insecurity, increased crime and rampant violence became the new normal.<\/p>\n

MSF teams continue to record alarming levels of sexual violence cases. Between January and April, more than 7,400 victims and survivors of sexual violence received treatment at Ministry of Health facilities supported by MSF in Goma. West of the city, in Sak\u00e9, an additional 2,400 victims and survivors were treated during the same period.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sexual violence remains prevalent under the new order<\/strong>
\nThroughout the week, female victims and survivors of sexual violence, of all ages, can be found gathering from early in the morning at health centres where MSF works in Goma. They need healing, support, and to be heard. Nasha* was among many patients to visit in May. Like many of the women, her life has been turned upside down by persistent conflict in North Kivu.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Originally from Masisi, a territory to the west of Goma, she fled ahead of clashes in the province between 2021-2024. They moved to a displaced persons camp alongside some 650,000 others on the edge of Goma. But in February 2025, the M23\/AFC armed group ordered the dismantling of camps, effectively forcing their residents to leave. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Large numbers are unable to return to their area of origin because they lack the resources to do so, or because their lands have been seized. This has led many to seek refuge with host families or in low-cost housing in Goma and the surrounding suburbs. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI lived in the Rusayo displaced persons camp,\u201d says Nasha. \u201cAfter it was destroyed, we moved to the courtyard of a school where we built a shelter.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cArmed men broke in one evening at 10:30 pm,\u201d she continues. \u201cThey attacked me. When my husband tried to protect me, they shot him dead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nasha\u2019s story is far from unique in Goma and its outskirts. Every day, before nightfall, women travel to the city from the neighbouring territory of Nyiragongo in a bid to stay safe \u2013 too often in vain. Attacks on shelters, whether on small plots of land, rooms rented out by Goma residents, or public places, are frequent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn recent years, most rapes happened during daily activities \u2013 particularly when women left the displaced persons\u2019 camps to search for firewood or to engage in small-scale trading activities,\u201d explains Armelle Gbagbo, who runs women\u2019s health activities for MSF. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, many attacks happen at sites where women are living \u2013 whether in a house or in a refuge \u2013 and particularly during the night when insecurity increases,\u201d says Gbagbo. \u201cThey are attacked wherever: in their homes, with their families, alone, in the streets of Goma, or during outings on the edge of town.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

Nowhere is safe. Denisa*, a minor, is originally from Rutshuru. She fled with her family to Goma amid the M23\/AFC advance deeper into North Kivu a few months ago. In April, armed men broke into their home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were wearing military uniforms and came to steal from us,\u201d says Denisa. \u201cI was with my dad, my brothers and my little sisters. The men ordered my family to leave and raped me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not all sexual violence is committed by armed men, in military uniform or otherwise. Many assaults are also committed by those closest to the victims themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t discount the very significant proportion of sexual violence committed by family members, other members of the survivors\u2019 entourage, or within host families,\u201d says Gbagbo.<\/p>\n

Exploiting vulnerabilities<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe people of Goma have been gripped by fear since the city was taken,\u201d says Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Germain, MSF\u2019s project coordinator. \u201cThere is significant insecurity in the city.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMany criminals commit attacks, rapes and murders by night. A high availability of weapons mean that bandits and armed groups pose a constant threat,\u201d says Germain. \u201cThe economy is slowing down, and the population is facing a system of violent predation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sarah* also recently visited one of the health centres in Goma. Her husband was recently kidnapped by men armed with rifles and machetes, who stormed into the small house where she and her family were staying after the camps were dismantled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a few weeks ago and I haven\u2019t had news since,\u201d says Sarah.<\/p>\n

Others around her recounted stories of killings, looting, kidnapping, and similar forced disappearances of fathers and brothers.<\/p>\n

A recent study by Epicentre, MSF\u2019s epidemiological research centre, highlights a surge in violence in Goma, with the number of violent incidents reported in the first six months of this year being more than five times higher than in 2024. [1]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe proportion of violent deaths recorded in this study is very high, representing one in four deaths,\u201d says explained Dr Brahima Tour\u00e9, an epidemiologist working with Epicentre. \u201cIncidents of physical violence and verbal threats are also occurring in large numbers, as testified by the number of people witnessing such events.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe results show high levels of sexual violence, which are likely to be significantly underestimated given that in this kind of study on violence, survivors find it difficult to speak out,\u201d says Dr Tour\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Targeted support, immense needs<\/strong>
\nThe offensive on Goma led many civil society figures to flee, with several humanitarian organisations working to support sexual violence survivors and victims also leaving, in part due to the impact of American budget cuts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Goma, we are practically the only association providing health services to these women,\u201d says Germain. \u201cBut the needs are immense.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

After being attacked in May, Ang\u00e9lica*, didn\u2019t confide in friends or family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was ashamed,\u201d says Ang\u00e9lica. \u201cI didn\u2019t know where to find help, so I stayed at home. After five days, I went to look for medicinal leaves to heal myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt very bad and had pain in my stomach,\u201d she continues. \u201cI met a community health officer who directed me to the CCLK health centre where MSF offers free care.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Among the victims and survivors seen by MSF, close to 20 per cent are unable to seek medical attention within 72 hours of being attacked. This is a critical window during which the administration of post-exposure prophylaxis medication can significantly reduce the likelihood of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a high percentage of women suffering from STDs,\u201d says Gbagbo. \u201cThis is also linked to the phenomenon of gang rapes or the practice of trading sex to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMany women say they are sexually exploited by the people housing them in exchange for food or a roof over their head,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Congolese women are also suffering the consequences of the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the administration of Donald Trump. An order of 100,000 post-rape kits \u2013 which include medication for preventing infection from HIV and other STDs \u2013 that were set to be distributed to multiple organisations treating sexual violence victims and survivors in eastern DRC was cancelled this year, with catastrophic consequences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn May, the United Nations Population Fund in North Kivu, which helped sexual violence survivors with support from USAID, only had 2,500 emergency kits for the entire province, while thousands of women are attacked every month,\u201d says Gbagbo.<\/p>\n

Sexual violence is not limited to Goma or its suburbs. Victims and survivors travel dozens of kilometres to seek treatment in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is essential that other international partners step up to support these women,\u201d says Germain. \u201cThousands are in need of urgent medical assistance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

[1] Study conducted by Epicentre on the monitoring of the oral cholera vaccination strategy and its impacts through repeated multi-indicator surveys in the city of Goma and the rural area of Bukama, including a retrospective mortality survey for the period from 31 March 2024 to 11 June 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every week, hundreds of victims and survivors of\u00a0sexual violence\u00a0seek care at health centres supported by M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF) in Goma, eastern\u00a0Democratic Republic of Congo\u00a0(DRC). In 2024 alone, nearly 40,000 women were treated by MSF teams in North Kivu province \u2014 a record high. In January 2025, M23\/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) forces \u2013 backed by Rwanda \u2013 took control of Goma, the provincial capital and home to over a million people, after years of\u00a0fighting\u00a0against the Congolese army and allied armed groups. Since then, the prevalence of sexual violence has shown no signs of decreasing.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":143349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2653],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[2583],"class_list":{"0":"post-143348","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-article"},"authors":[{"term_id":2583,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"mermar","display_name":"mermar","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b97554d899a7ce8df2bc286c2f73beda56ebbc97d5d9ced74f7a04498e0fb0d3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143348"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143742,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143348\/revisions\/143742"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143348"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afromagazine.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=143348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}