Hillary Clinton Visits Congo, Speaks Out Against Rape and Violence

Posted by Christine Welter Aug 11, 2009

Fighting has flared up again in the eastern part of the Congo. 35.000 people have been displaced in the last month alone.The Kivus (North Kivu and South Kivu provinces) are about the size of the state of California. The land is mainly hill and jungle, there are few paved roads. United Nations peace keepers fight an uphill battle in this terrain, since the enemy can just melt away into the jungle.

During Secretary of State Clinton's trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo today, she met with refugees and victims of rape. She told Congolese President Joseph Kabila there should be "no impunity for sexual and gender-based violence."

Zainab Salbi (Women for Women International) said Clinton's visit was very important, because the people of the Congo felt at times that America was looking the other way while 5 million people were killed. Secretary Clinton's visit draws attention to the region and signals that the international community is willing to risk something to stop the violence.

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