29Apr/10Off
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: UN Officials Call for Protection of Civilians
Pana reported on 29 April and UN News Service reported on 30 April that Margot Wallstrom, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, urged the UN Security Council to address gender-based violence, while John Holmes, the top United Nations humanitarian official visited the province of South Kivu in the troubled east of the DRC and stressed that protecting civilians and ensuring they have access to aid remains ultimately the responsibility of the national authorities. Both articles noted that, in 2009, according to the UNFPA, an estimated 8,300 rapes were committed against women, averaging 160 rapes per week. Read: Pana and UN News Service