I trust that this letter finds you well. So many emotions and ideas are crossing my mind after only a month spent in the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). I don’t know where to begin or what to share with you of my initial impressions of Bukavu. Bukavu is located on Lake Kivu. It is amazingly beautiful, but its population seems fragmented and troubled by the war and more than 30 years of dictatorship.

I was unsure what I would find DRC to be like, as the country has been at war since 1996. In 2003, after a three-year negotiation process, a peace accord was signed by the various warring factions, ending the long conflict. Given the political climate in central Africa, I knew one thing: the peace process was far from being implemented.

My first month in Bukavu was marked by hope and despair. On May 26th, during my third week in the country and as we were in the midst of setting up our office, war broke out again in the DRC. It was a surreal experience. A friend of mine working for another nongovernmental organization was raped and her housemate was shot in the leg. This horrendous crime happened in a house I was to share with them. I was scheduled to move into the house on Wednesday May 25th, one day before my friends were attacked. However, for various reasons I decided to postpone my move until the following weekend. I was unbelievably lucky -- delaying my move saved me from being another victim of the war in DRC.

It is amazing the speed at which your life can change. I spent two days in an IDP (internally displaced persons) camp located at the compound of the United Nations Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). One minute I was in a house, where I had a fridge, a bed, and a bathroom. The next, I was standing in line for food rations for IDPs and refugees. I had to sleep on the floor, the same floor I would use the following day to set up the fire that would warm the food I would eat. It all happened so quickly. I had no time to think about what was happening or what I was experiencing -- not even the time to be afraid. I had to stay calm and collected. As the situation was unfolding, it was imperative to keep abreast of the developments so that I would be able to make informed decisions as to whether I should leave or remain at the camp. Negotiations between the UN and the dissidents who had taken control of Bukavu were not progressing and the influx of people arriving at the UN compound was increasing. Essentially, I was faced with making a life or death decision -- leaving the camp and trying to reach neighboring Rwanda or staying.

I finally decided to leave the camp and was evacuated to Goma, another city in the eastern region of the DRC. From there, I found my way to Kigali, Rwanda by taking a private taxi. On the afternoon of Sunday, May 30th as I was arriving in Kigali from Goma, the war reached Goma and the borders to Rwanda were closed.

Throughout the entire first week of June, the war continued with the military going door to door, community to community, to terrorize, pillage and rape women. Almost everyone I knew was affected or knew someone who was affected by the atrocities. The Congolese population wants an end to what seems to them a senseless war. There was a time when, perhaps, people saw the justifications for the war, but this is no longer the case. No good has come with this war. The negative consequences of the ongoing conflicts have rendered the Congolese population restless and ever poorer. The callous disregard of the world to the struggle of the people of the DRC is distressing. How it is possible that so little attention is paid to what is going on in the DRC in the age of democracy and conflict prevention? Women’s burdens are even heavier. Women’s status has been reduced to between that of human and animals. I kept asking myself why? No human being should be required to carry the load they do, both physically and emotionally. In addition to having lost their sense of self, having been sadistically violated, they cannot feed themselves, thereby compounding their vulnerability.

Prior to this latest outburst of violence, we had met with a number of international, and national organizations and local associations who were working with rape victims in order to find out what was being done to alleviate the suffering of these women and to identify participants for our program. We found that the primary focus of aid to women rape victims and survivors is medical assistance and counseling. However, beyond health concerns there is a need to attend to women’s basic economic needs. Everything has been taken away from these women. They are dying a silent and slow death because their calls for help are not being answered. To make matters worst, their own communities shun them, leaving them with absolutely nothing.

There is no organization providing the type of comprehensive support that deals with the women’s urgent economic needs in addition to their long-term social and political ones. These are vital to helping women reclaim control of their lives in the DRC. Our multi-tiered program of direct aid, emotional support, rights awareness education, vocational skills training and income generation is ideal for the DRC. It addresses the immediate and long-term needs of these women by providing economic, social, and political support as the basis for ensuring women’s rights.

My time in the DRC will be challenging. Despite my experiences this first month, I am not discouraged. I believe in what we are doing and I know that we can have an impact on the women participating in our program and help them in the process of reclaiming their lives. As I leave you, I ask that you continue to be part of the network helping women in the DRC find their voices and inner strength. Despite the systematic process to destroy their spirits, they will be the ones to rebuild the DRC. Your support and willingness to acknowledge their humanity will be a vital force in helping them regain their dignity. I look forward to staying in touch with you as we continue expanding our efforts in the DRC. Very truly yours,

Judithe Registre, Country Director
Women for Women International—DRC