The Gambia and The Democratic Republic of Congo

Also joint our Page. I am Gambian and the other two ladies are Congolese we do fashion shows to...

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:46:35 -0500

Also joint our Page. I am Gambian and the other two ladies are Congolese we do fashion shows to showcase African fashion designers and help raise money for victims of Rape in The Congo, especially in Eastern Congo.https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeareTheVoice/

jaw3: This mother of eight was raped by Congolese troops who...

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:15:56 -0500

jaw3:

This mother of eight was raped by Congolese troops who raided her village at night. She hid in her house, but they trapped her. Before they left, they stole everything in her house including the clothes she was wearing. She was left injured and naked. She said a neighbor gave her the clothes she was wearing in this photo. She says it is wrong to have to live “like an animal.” She is so traumatized by the attack she has been unable to return to her field to cultivate her crops.

Sarah Fretwell’s photographs may be beautiful to look at, but the truths they reveal are not easy to digest. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one woman (or child) is raped nearly every minute, according to the project statement on her website, The Truth Told. When Fretwell launched the project site in 2011, it was to bring awareness and funding to help prevent these atrocities, a result of the fight for resources in the mineral-rich nation where, according to Fretwell, “rape is used by rebel and military groups as a scare tactic to control and destroy local communities.” This violence, however, has sadly become a way of life for many. For a period of 50 days Fretwell teamed with humanitarian and writer Amy Ernst, and the human rights group COPERMA, to interview and photograph victims of rape in the North Kivu region of the DRC to promote healing and help the women (and family members of the women) in isolated communities get their stories out into the world. “With no immediate way to protect themselves and a dysfunctional ‘justice system’ survivors are left alone and afraid they will be attacked again,” she explains in her project statement.

To see more of Fretwell’s work, visit: www.sarahfretwell.com.

Samoudon: I Dream of Congo: Narratives from the Great Lakes

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:13:45 -0500

Samoudon: I Dream of Congo: Narratives from the Great Lakes:

samoudon:

Some photos from this excellent exhibition put on by Congo Connect, a campaigning NGO that uses the arts to raise awareness of human rights abuses in eastern Congo.

The exhibition seeks to reveal the hopes and fears of the people of this conflict-ridden nation, who steadfastly dream of and…

theleastthaticando: “These women have taken the courage to...

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:13:10 -0500

theleastthaticando:

“These women have taken the courage to protest about my attack to the authorities. They even grouped together to pay for my ticket home - these are women who do not have anything, they live on less than a dollar a day.”

Denis Mukwege spoke to Outlook on the BBC World Service.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21499068

Life's Illusions: Excerpt from 'Denis Mukwege: The rape surgeon of DR Congo'

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:12:46 -0500

Life's Illusions: Excerpt from 'Denis Mukwege: The rape surgeon of DR Congo':

queseraxx:

“When war broke out, 35 patients in my hospital in Lemera in Eastern DR Congo were killed in their beds.

I fled to Bukavu, 100km (60 miles) to the north, and started a hospital made from tents. I built a maternity ward with an operating theatre. In 1998, everything was destroyed again. So, I…

ilprincipedibari: Eve Ensler speaks about the women of the...

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:18:19 -0500

ilprincipedibari:

Eve Ensler speaks about the women of the Congo

This is an incredible video

godilleur: “The rubber terror in the Congo”. 95 pages...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:37:28 -0500

godilleur:

“The rubber terror in the Congo”. 95 pages brillantes pour relater l’histoire atroce de la colonisation du Congo (le magnifique gâteau africain) par le roi Léopold II de Belgique (1891-1906). Charles Lemaire, Stanley, Alphonse Chodron de Courcelles, Leon Fievez “the devil of the equator”… toute une cohorte d’abominables suppôts de la machine à asservir, à broyer des hommes noirs, a couper des mains pour la seule exploitation du caoutchouc.
“Alors on glissa à la place de son oreiller une pierre nue, à la place de ses draps un tapis de terre humide, à la place de son lit un trou noir. C’était le trou noir de la conscience, la terre humide de nos malheurs et la pierre nue de nos vérités.”
Il n’y aura jamais de rédemption pour autant d’horreur!

Congolese Tech Company Releases Africa’s First Smart Phone & Tablet | Clutch Magazine

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:32:16 -0500

Congolese Tech Company Releases Africa’s First Smart Phone & Tablet | Clutch Magazine

Beautiful African gown by Feyi Also from We are the Voice...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:08:41 -0500

Beautiful African gown by Feyi

Also from We are the Voice Fashion show 2012

Model Micheal rocking t-shirt Mr face of Africa style From we...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:06:52 -0500

Model Micheal rocking t-shirt Mr face of Africa style

From we are The Voice Fashion Show 2012

White lace dress by designer Feyi From The We are The Voice...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 23:04:00 -0500

White lace dress by designer Feyi

From The We are The Voice Fashion Show, organized by one of the Founders of Gam Congo. Elisabteh Kadesi. 2012

congofriends: #Congoweek #DRC - Drawings by Congolese artist...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:46:28 -0500

congofriends:

#Congoweek #DRC - Drawings by Congolese artist Justin Kasereka are featured at this year’s Congo in Harlem. Find out more about Justin by visiting his facebook site http://www.facebook.com/justin.j.kasereka?ref=ts&fref=ts

congofriends: Musicians & artists celebrate the life of...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:45:18 -0500

congofriends:

Musicians & artists celebrate the life of #Congo’s independence hero Patrice Lumumba in New York on Wed. Jan. 16th #DRC http://t.co/M25TSiRZ

Photo

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:31:48 -0500

Photo

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:27:36 -0500

Gambia: 18 Arrested for Alleged Child Labour

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:21:31 -0500

Officials of the Gambia Immigration Department Tuesday arrested 17 Gambians and one Senegalese for allegedly using young children to do domestic work and other petty trades for them in Banjul, the Gambia Immigration Department has revealed.

They were rounded up by Immigration officials after investigations revealed that they employed a total of 79 people including 77 Senegalese aged between 11 to 28 and 2 Gambians aged 20 and 22 years, and kept them in an incomplete building, where they were used to do domestic jobs for them.

According to Superintendent Ba Ensa Jawara, the immigration officials during their normal patrol acted on a tip-off and raided the building around 5am on Tuesday, where the 79 people mostly children were found.

“These children were kept in an incomplete building which is very unhygienic and they sleep on carton paper on the floor. The building is so horrible that even a human being cannot sleep there,” Jawara told The Point.

“They were employed by the 18 people arrested to do some petty trade and domestic work for them, and later bring back the money to them,” he added.

He explained that the 79 people were taken out of the building and screened in collaboration with the Social Welfare Department before being transferred to the Social Welfare Shelter in Bakoteh, where they are currently kept.

“After the screening, the children gave us the information which led to the arrest of the 18 people,” the Immigration mouthpiece stated.

He further revealed that those arrested are currently released, and are now reporting on bail as investigations continue.

Gambia: Jammeh Rejects European Union Demands

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:17:38 -0500

President Yahya Jammeh has sent out a clear message to the European Union and the outside world, declaring that he will never be blackmailed by a group with “chicken change” to accept what is not in the interest of the Gambian people.

President Jammeh, who was speaking yesterday during a cabinet meeting at State House, said Gambia “will never be colonized twice”.

His comments were in response to a 17-point set of demands by the European Union to be discussed with the Gambia government during a meeting slated for Friday 11th January 2013.

Among the demands by the European Union are the upholding of moratorium on the death penalty with immediate effect, revision of laws on freedom of expression and media regulations within 24 months, provision of information regarding the recent executions, including location of burial to the families.

“I will not compromise with evil, I will not compromise with anything that will question our independence as a country, and I will not compromise with any institution that thinks that we are not fit to rule our country, no matter what they have,” Jammeh declared.

Speaking at the meeting with members of his cabinet, President Jammeh said he will not compromise on being told by any outside force how this country should be run, what laws should be passed, how we should deal with our people.

“That is not their business, it is not even up for discussion!” he said.

According to the Gambian leader, no entity should tell this country what laws should prevail in this country.

He added: “They cannot define themselves and define us. We are an independent sovereign state; being small does not mean that we are not human. We are as human as they are, and may be even better because we are true Muslims and true Christians in this country.”

“So if anybody thinks that Gambia is poor, and you dangle chicken change and say, ‘Yahya Jammeh, dance on broken bottles and I will give you this’, go to hell, I will not! whether it’s any institution, any bloc or any power outside this country, because I believe in the power of the Almighty Allah,” Jammeh stated

The British High Commission representing the EU locally in The Gambia issues the following...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:15:45 -0500

The British High Commission representing the EU locally in The Gambia issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission and the EU Delegation:

“The British High Commission representing the European Union locally in The Gambia expresses its concern over the conditions of the recent arbitrary detention of Mrs Bensouda, a well known lawyer and human rights defender and Imam Baba Leigh. Although Mrs Amie Bensouda has now been released on bail, access to Imam Baba Leigh by family and lawyers is reportedly denied. Such conditions and actions by the Gambian State are incompatible with the human rights commitments made by the Government of the Republic of The Gambia to a range of international treaties. These detentions also call into question the commitment of the Government of The Republic of The Gambia to the human rights provisions of the EU/ACP Cotonou Agreement. The EU looks forward to discussing human rights issues during its next political dialogue with the Government of The Republic of The Gambia.”

chamjack: Me and more me One of The Founders of Gam Congo....

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 22:12:38 -0500

chamjack:

Me and more me

One of The Founders of Gam Congo. Ndey Aaly Cham

globalpost: The horrors of eastern Congo RUTSHURU,...

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:34:56 -0500

globalpost:

The horrors of eastern Congo

RUTSHURU, Democratic Republic of Congo — The figure in military fatigues and rubber boots stood on the rutted road, framed between green walls of tangled equatorial forest. He leveled his assault rifle at a small huddle of people kneeling in the mud next to their truck.

Africa’s oldest park is under attack

RUMANGABO, Democratic Republic of Congo — “We can’t move it, unfortunately. If we could, we would,” said Emmanuel De Merode, the director of Virunga National Park for the Congolese Wildlife Authority.

Will the oil curse come to Congo? (VIDEO)

Virunga National Park has a new enemy: Oil

LAKE EDWARD, Democratic Republic of Congo — It is not just war threatening the future of Africa’s oldest and most diverse park.

Oil is too.

There may yet be hope for Congo

VITSHUMBI, Democratic Republic of Congo — On the face of it, Vitshumbi is a typical contemporary Congolese town: there is no running water, no electricity and no paved roads.

Check out GlobalPost’s in-depth series: Chaos in Congo

Photos by Jan-Joseph Stok