Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Mass rape in eastern Congo

Updated at 9:15 pm on 7 January 2011

There has been a mass rape of at least 33 women in Congo.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres says the attack occurred in the eastern town of Fizi on 1 January, the BBC reports.

MSF said two severely wounded people had been taken to hospital; one with serious head injuries after being beaten with a rock, while the other had been shot in the chest.

The women spoke of being attacked by men in uniform and some were tied up with ropes or attacked in front of their children.

The medical charity has treated the victims for their wounds and provided them with drugs to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

Much of the population of Fizi has reportedly left the town.

The incident of mass rape is the latest in a series of similar mass attacks to have taken place in eastern Congo.

In August last year, more than 300 women, men and children were raped by a coalition of rebel forces in the neighbouring province of North Kivu.

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