SEXUAL VIOLENCE FMR 27 International responsibilities by Jan Egeland

Rape in war has reached epidemic proportions and the Just as law enforcement actors play a critical role in deterring sexual international community needs to take much more far- violence in more stable communities, reaching action – now. so do peacekeepers have a critical role in protecting civilians in conflict Militaries, militias, men carrying heinous acts, yet we know which situations. Used all too often as a arms, government and non-state actions can help to make a difference. weapon of war, sexual violence must actors, neighbours, trusted leaders be seen as an imminent threat to and men in positions of power have peace and stability and must trigger all perpetrated violence against Prevention an immediate response in terms of women and girls in times of conflict providing physical protection and and displacement. Although rape, First and foremost, we must get security. To this end, the mandates sexual assault, sexual slavery, forced more serious about preventing rape of peacekeeping operations need prostitution, forced sterilisation, and other forms of sexual violence. to be drawn up in such a way as to forced abortion and forced pregnancy Most sexual violence perpetrated ensure the right kind of engagement are crimes under national and against women and girls in conflict for specific situations. The UN international laws, the guilty is committed by armed groups and should work closely with other usually commit these crimes with local people. Governments must international, regional and inter- complete impunity. The international demand discipline of their uniformed governmental organisations to ensure community is doing too little to personnel. All armed groups must that these considerations underpin all protect women and girls from these respect international legal principles peacekeeping and related operations. prohibiting the targetting of civilians.

A group of armed rebels north of Kaga Bandouro, Central African Republic, December 2006. Nicholas Reader/IRIN FMR 27 SEXUAL VIOLENCE 

Unfortunately, even humanitarian to acknowledge the magnitude of devoted to treating the survivors of and peacekeeping staff – military this scourge, or that rape and other violence. Survivors must have assured and civilian alike – have been forms of sexual violence are being access to medical care, including to responsible for acts of sexual used as a weapon of war against the drugs that can prevent pregnancy violence and exploitation. This is civilian population. Too often, this and the transmission of HIV. unacceptable. The UN must uphold attitude has denied survivors access Trained medical personnel must be the highest standards of conduct to treatment, as those brave enough to available to perform the complicated in its work. Those who come to seek medical care or to report the rape surgeries necessary to repair injuries protect and assist must shun any to the authorities have been harassed caused by sexual violence. form of sexual exploitation and and even arrested. Unmarried abuse of the population and be held pregnant women are treated like Support for survivors must extend responsible for their behaviour if criminals, victimised not just by the beyond care for their physical they violate the code of conduct. initial act(s) of violence but again wounds. Many women and as they are arrested and subjected children need culturally sensitive Deterrent actions in and around to brutal treatment by police. psychosocial counselling to deal camps can be effective, such as with the psychological impact patrolling firewood collection routes, In DRC, which I visited in early of sexual violence. Training for providing alternative cooking September 2006, sexual violence survivors is often required to help fuels and improving lighting. against women and girls is rampant them learn to support themselves Supporting women’s economic and impunity for the perpetrators in new ways, as all too often they empowerment through improved almost assured. At one point in 2005, are forced out of their homes and livelihoods and skills building more than 20,000 incidents of rape communities. Awareness raising can also help by increasing family were recorded in one province of within communities is also needed incomes and reducing exposure eastern DRC alone; the real figure so that survivors, including to rape outside the camp. is undoubtedly much greater. children born as a result of rape, Visiting the Panzi clinic in South are helped, not ostracised. Kivu province, I met with some of Appropriate response these survivors of sexual violence. The Inter-Agency Standing One woman told me how she’d been Committee (IASC) supports a In addition to preventing sexual held for more than a week, tied by coordinated response, whereby violence in the first place, the her arms and legs and repeatedly healthcare providers, police and other international community, and raped by a group of armed men. She security personnel, legal/justice actors its individual members, must lost the use of her hands due to the and the local community (including take serious steps to respond tightness of the bindings. Hers is not men) are brought together on a appropriately when sexual violence one of the worst tales from DRC. She regular basis to plan a multisectoral occurs. Governments must provide has been able to seek treatment at programme to address gender-based training for police, the military, the clinic, one of only two facilities violence. The IASC’s guidelines1 judges and community and in the country with a doctor with the set out the minimum package of religious leaders. They must bring surgical training to repair the fistulas activities that need to be put in place in laws to protect the survivors of and other severe physical trauma that from the early stages of an emergency. sexual violence, to uphold the rule mark the survivors of such abuse. UN Member States, international and of law and to provide justice. All too often, these women and non-governmental organisations and girls receive no medical attention. concerned individuals must give these Impunity – widespread in far too guidelines the support they merit. many places – must be eradicated. Worse yet, hardly any perpetrators The International Criminal Court of such violence are punished. I Women and girls already traumatised (ICC) has classified rape, sexual promised these women that I would by displacement or affected by slavery, enforced prostitution, forced bring their stories of suffering to conflict deserve our attention and pregnancy and enforced sterilisation the world and I began by urging support. No one actor or group can as potential crimes against humanity every authority I met in DRC – from do this alone. It requires a joint effort. or war crimes. Investigations have President Kabila to the provincial begun into possible violations of authorities I met in Katanga, Ituri Jan Egeland is the former UN international humanitarian law in and South Kivu provinces – to put Under-Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of Congo an end to the reign of impunity Humanitarian Affairs and (DRC), Uganda and Darfur. that has destroyed the very basis Emergency Relief Coordinator. of the country’s social fabric. Too often the international 1. The IASC’s Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings: Focusing on community continues to dismiss Prevention of and Response to Sexual Violence in Emergencies gender-based violence as an Assistance for survivors are online at: www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/content/ inevitable consequence of war. In subsidi/tf_gender/gbv.asp Sudan, for example, although the Even if all these – and more government (under massive pressure – preventive and punitive measures John Holmes succeeded Jan from the international community) are taken, the total eradication of Egeland in January 2007. See: no longer denies that rape is being rape in conflict is unlikely to happen. http://ochaonline.un.org/webpage. perpetrated in Darfur, it refuses Resources must therefore also be asp?Site=usg