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Makeba visits DRC rape survivors
13/03/2008 13:25 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Singer and activist Miriam Makeba will visit rape survivors in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a four-day visit to the country's capital.
Makeba arrived in Kinshasa on Thursday and would visit small farming projects designed to help rape survivors feed their families and increase self-reliance.
Makeba said: "The DRC faces a triple tragedy of physical, psychological and social damage, undermining the country's attempts to improve living conditions."
Makeba, who was a United Nations Food and Agriculture (FAO) ambassador, said support for women was crucial for the nation's improvement amid fragile peace.
The seeds, tools and agricultural training used on the farms were provided by the FAO.
Makeba described the systematic rape of women in recent years as the "most horrifying feature of the complex emergency" in the country.
She said: "Women guarantee the survival of 80% of the households in DRC. Yet despite their crucial role for the wellbeing of the family, they are frequently victims to rape and sexual violence.
"In the province of North Kivu alone, 27 000 cases of sex violence were recorded in 2006."
Makeba said she hoped her visit would be an opportunity to strengthen and renew international commitment to the ongoing crisis in the DRC.
- SAPA
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