Doctors Without Borders has reported treating more than 25,000 victims of sexual violence in the Congo last year, marking a significant increase in cases, particularly in the eastern region where armed groups are engaged in power struggles. The aid group revealed that the majority of victims, averaging more than two per hour, sought treatment in displacement camps near Goma, the capital of Congo's North Kivu province.
According to the group's program manager in Congo, Christopher Mambula, two-thirds of the victims reported being assaulted at gunpoint, highlighting the extreme violence prevalent in the region. Eastern Congo has been plagued by armed conflict, with over 120 armed groups competing for control over land and valuable mineral resources, leading to widespread displacement of around 6 million people.
