Katanga Province, D.R.Congo
The Forgotten People of the Forgotten War
March 16-17, 2006
Mitwaba - Located about 200 miles due north of Lubumbashi, just outside of Upemba N.P., this is just one of many small towns and villages where IDPs have settled due to the ongoing conflict in the Katanga Province. This particular IDP camp’s several thousand occupants are constantly in fear. They face the threat of violence from both their government’s military, the FARDC, and from the Mai Mai rebel group. Ironically, the Mai Mai were once backed by the government. Rape, pillaging, and looting by these two entities, of the Katanga Congolese populace, is the direct cause of their displacement. The FARDC commander, which we met, blatantly lied to us, denying any knowledge of his men raping any women. There are many documented rape cases throughout the IDP camp, as well as the surrounding areas.