In July 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross expressed concern about the situation in eastern DRC. A phenomenon of "pendulum displacement" has developed, where people hasten at night to safety. According to Yakin Ertürk, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women who toured eastern Congo in July 2007, violence against women in North and South Kivu included "unimaginable brutality". Ertürk added that "Armed groups attack local communities, loot, rape, kidnap women and children, and make them work as sexual slaves". In December 2008, GuardianFilms of The Guardian released a film documenting the testimony of over 400 women and girls who had been abused by marauding militia. In June 2010, Oxfam reported a dramatic increase in the number of rapes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and researchers from Harvard discovered that rapes committed by civilians had increased seventeenfold. In June 2014, Freedom from Torture published reported rape and sexual violence being used routinely by state officials in Congolese prisons as punishment for politically active women.Rape As torture in the DRC . Freedom From Torture. June 2014 The women included in the report were abused in several locations across the country including the capital Kinshasa and other areas away from the conflict zones. In 2015, figures both inside and outside of the country, such as Filimbi and Emmanuel Weyi, spoke out about the need to curb violence and instability as the 2016 elections approached.
In July 2007 the International Committee of the Red Cross expressed concern about the situation in eastern DRC A phenomenon of "pendulum displacement" has developed where people hasten at night to safety According to Yakin Ertürk the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women who toured eastern Congo in July 2007 violence against women in North and South Kivu included "unimaginable brutality" Ertürk added that "Armed groups attack local communities loot rape kidnap women and children and make them work as sexual slaves" In December 2008 GuardianFilms of The Guardian released a film documenting the testimony of over 400 women and girls who had been abused by marauding militia In June 2010 Oxfam reported a dramatic increase in the number of rapes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and researchers from Harvard discovered that rapes committed by civilians had increased seventeenfold In June 2014 Freedom from Torture published reported rape and sexual violence being used routinely by state officials in Congolese prisons as punishment for politically active womenRape As torture in the DRC  Freedom From Torture June 2014 The women included in the report were abused in several locations across the country including the capital Kinshasa and other areas away from the conflict zones In 2015 figures both inside and outside of the country such as Filimbi and Emmanuel Weyi spoke out about the need to curb violence and instability as the 2016 elections approached