What About the Congo?
By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The world has been changing so fast, but not fast enough for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo—especially the women. The women are being used as a weapon of war, and there is almost dead silence about a nation that is being called the deadliest, worst humanitarian war crisis in the world since World War II.
Recently I have been talking with women from the Congo, and I am saddened by the ongoing horrendous treatment of women there—especially what appears to be government sanctioned rape of women. I know the plate of U.S. officials is full, and I am mindful of the great work America is doing despite the constant push back from every direction. Never-the-less, it’s time for the United States to call upon President Joseph Kabila to make it clear to him that the world is watching and expects him to put an end to the madness going on.
I have listened to Congolese sisters whose personal pain is so great that they can hardly get through an explanation of what happened to them. Some of those who have been fortunate enough to escape from the country where wholesale raping of women takes place too often, are so afraid they won’t speak out because of their fear of what will happen to their families back home.
Thousands of women have been raped, often winding up contracting HIV/AIDS. We are told that as many as 30% of those raped fall into this category! Many of the women have had their genitals and internal organs mutilated while being raped. Millions have been displaced. More than five million men and women are said to have been killed. The situation in the Congo has been called the deadliest war in the world since World War II. It is a humanitarian crisis of unimaginable proportions. The world cannot be quiet about this situation—especially not the United States since we are different. Our silence is betrayal, so we must speak out.
We can read about what is going on in the Congo, but until you hear women tell their own stories about the abuses, the rapes and the violence, you don’t get the full impact of what is going on. It’s almost too painful to witness.
Elections are coming up soon in the Congo, and U.S. involvement, by way of preparation and monitoring of these elections is imperative, so that the Congolese people can hold free and fair elections. The women believe that will prevent using our precious and helpless sisters from being used as weapons of war.
Secretary Hillary Clinton visited the Congo not so long ago, and saw firsthand what is going on there. Now, we need further effort on the part of the United States. You can help by asking Secretary Clinton to get more involved with the crisis. Ask her to make an immediate public statement about how the U.S. can help. She must tell President Kabila these atrocities must stop—especially pertaining to the violence and rape of women and children.
Years ago one of the greatest freedom fighters who ever lived, Patrice Lumumba, was put to death by Western powers, headed by the United States government at that time. Because of our great Civil Rights Movement and Women’s Rights struggle in this country, the time is now right to wash some of the blood from our hands by intervening decisively in the Congo. We must lend the voice of the U.S. to this tragedy. We’ve seen many of the recent world tragedies on television for weeks, but the tragedy in the Congo has gone on for decades! It’s time to stop it.
(Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is National Chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. To reach her, see www.nationalcongressbw.org or call 202/78-6788)