UN official urges investigation of alleged rapes of deported women from Angola to Congo

UN official urges investigation of alleged rapes of deported women from Angola to Congo

2010-10-29 23:53:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- A senior United Nations (UN) official on Friday called on Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to investigate the reports of alleged rapes of women deported from Angola to the DRC.

“It is important not only to get an accurate picture of what has happened, but also to clarify who has perpetrated the suspected human rights violations, and that the perpetrators are brought to justice,†Margot Wallström, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, said.

Earlier this week, the UN humanitarian branch said that, according to unconfirmed but reliable reports, more than 150 Congolese arrived in the Tembo area of Bandundu province in western DRC, alleging to have been expelled by Angolan authorities.

Local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reported that they were told that two men had been killed and that 30 women were raped multiple times in the course of the expulsion, added the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Wallström urged the Governments of both Angola and DRC to “do their utmost to protect their populations, particularly women and children.â€

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