Congo: We did whatever we wanted, says soldier who raped 53 women

The Guardian ^ | Thursday 11 April 2013 13.43 EDT | Pete Jones in Minova

[Pan_Yan]

In a small house on a hill overlooking Lake Kivu, a young Congolese soldier recounts the crimes he and his comrades committed in Minova a few months ago. "Twenty-five of us gathered together and said we should rape 10 women each, and we did it," he said. "I've raped 53 women. And children of five or six years old.

"I didn't rape because I am angry, but because it gave us a lot of pleasure," says 22-year-old Mateso (not his real name). "When we arrived here we met a lot of women. We could do whatever we wanted."

...

On 22 November last year thousands of exhausted, battered and bruised Congolese army troops descended on the town having just lost a battle with the rebel M23 fighters in Goma, the main city in eastern Congo some 30 miles away.

Their retreat was haphazard and chaotic. The soldiers were embarrassed, angry, upset and out of control; their commanders had disappeared and the battalion and regiment structures had disintegrated.

When they arrived in Minova they were drunk, hungry and violent. The locals suffered two nightmarish days of looting, rape and murder before the army restored some discipline among its troops.

[Pan_Yan]

MONUSCO

United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 28 March 2013, the Security Council decided by resolution 2098 that MONUSCO shall, for an initial period of one year and within the authorized troop ceiling of 19,815, include an “Intervention Brigade” consisting inter alia of three infantry battalions, one artillery and one Special force and Reconnaissance company.

Current strength (28 February 2013)

• 19,160 total uniformed personnel
  • 17,273 military personnel
  • 507 military observers
  • 1,380 police (including formed units)
• 985 international civilian personnel*
• 2,902 local civilian staff*
• 591 United Nations Volunteers

*Note: Statistics for international and local civilians are as of 31 December 2012

Country contributors

Military personnel

Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Yemen and Zambia.

Police personnel

Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Guinea, India, Jordan, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine and Yemen.

Fatalities

31 troops
3 police
3 military observer
11 international civilian
7 local civilian
_____

• 55 total

Financial aspects

• Method of financing: Assessment in respect of a Special Account
• Approved budget (1 July 2012 - 30 June 2013): $1,402,278,300 [A/C.5/66/17]
  
  Additional costs associated with the deployment of the ‘intervention brigade’ were estimated at
  approximately $140 million over a full year.

Related:
UN Authorizes Intervention Force for Congo

The U.N. Security Council authorized a new "intervention brigade" for Congo on Thursday with an unprecedented mandate to take military action against rebel groups to help bring peace to the country's conflict-wracked east.

The resolution, which the council adopted unanimously, gives the brigade a mandate to carry out offensive operations alone or with Congolese army troops to neutralize and disarm armed groups.

[MinorityRepublican]

Africa wins again.

[Cowboy Bob]

Sandra Fluke would be in heaven!

[GeronL]

Who are we to judge, right?

ugh

Some people will never be civilized

[dfwgator]

It’s ok, Whoopi said it wasn’t rape rape.

[GeronL]

Well, then that makes it okay.

Recently a judge let an illegal alien who killed someone while drunk because of his “cultural background”

Maybe the UN will make that judge their special investigator for cases like this?

[muawiyah]

Every now and then you'll hear of an army unit just getting lost along some tributary of the Congo river and running out of food. They will survive no matter who they have to eat. This is one of the reasons the AGW crowd had such a difficult time getting the temperature taken in that part of the world.

Some parts of the world are incredibly brutal and primitive.

[Chode]

thank you...

[Perseverando]

Attention “22-year-old Mateso,” The U.S. State Department is looking for you. They have a passport, visa and green card for you. They need you in America. Somehow they think you’d make a great democrat.

[Ouchthatonehurt]

“Some parts of the world are incredibly brutal and primitive.”
I know, sounds like Detroit.

[digger48]

Some parts of the world are incredibly brutal and primitive.

Detroit and St Louis, to name a couple

sorry, couldn't resist.

[Ouchthatonehurt]

As an Irishman, I’d like to throw my full support behind judges taking into account an individual’s “cultural background.”

[digger48]

dang...took too long to edit my post

[Perseverando]

"I've raped 53 women. And children of five or six years old."

I have tried for several minutes to respond to this quote. I just can't publicly say what I'd like to see happen to him, at this very moment. I am so mad, disgusted, infuriated!!!!!!!!!

He needs to hear about Hell, but he also needs to be sent there as soon as possible!!!! The movie, "Tears of the Sun" with Bruce Willis keeps coming to mind.

[AZLiberty]

I didn't rape because I am angry, but because it gave us a lot of pleasure," says 22-year-old Mateso (not his real name). "When we arrived here we met a lot of women. We could do whatever we wanted."

This soldier is off-narrative. Doesn't he know that rape is a crime of violence, not sex?

[exPBRrat]

TNB

[Iron Munro]

They won’t act any differently when they come here.

[Iron Munro]

"I've raped 53 women."

Sounds like he's ready for the NBA.

[The Working Man]

To keep things in context, so to say....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhxqIITtTtU

[Perseverando]

Just one more thought. When the SHTF, and Obama's CNSF is mobilized, this is what American citizens will have to endure.