Ituri: Several Pygmy women sexually abused in Djugu

Human rights activists in the mining area of Mungwalu denounced degrading acts, especially sexual violence, of which several dozen Pygmy women are victims in the territory of Djugu, in Ituri.

These activists said they had recorded several cases of sexual abuse in the locality of Ladjo Galay since January 2024, but without providing the exact number. They accuse armed men of being the authors of these degrading acts that affect human dignity.

These include militiamen from various armed groups that control this area. These human rights activists also criticize the fact that these militiamen take advantage of the vulnerability of these women to abuse them, solely to satisfy their sexual instincts and ‘increase their occult power.’ Absence of State authority According to testimonies from victims collected by these NGOs, these women are forced into the forest while returning from the fields or markets.

The Gender office manager in Djugu, Ruth Biwaga, also denounces these atrocities and calls on the Government to protect these vulnerable women and restore peace in their territory. She believes that these armed men take advantage of the absence of State authority to act with impunity. In 2023, more than 600 cases of sexual violence were recorded in the territory of Djugu, which has been facing the activism of armed groups since 2017.

Okapi