Congo: Victims of homophobic attacks find shelter in hospital and safe house
Readers criticize Congolese journalist for reporting on attack.
Signs of solidarity have begun to emerge in support of the victims of human rights abuses targeting the LGBTI community and LGBTI activists in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).
Jérémie Safari, executive director of the Congolese LGBTI rights group Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko last week made an appeal of support as he described a series of homophobic human rights abuses in eastern DR Congo’s South Kivu region.
He also launched an online petition seeking protection for the region’s LGBTI citizens. (See details below, including an English translation of the French-language petition.) To sign the petition, click here.
Here are Safari’s latest updates on the region’s human rights situation.
Eustache has just come out of a coma
Eustache (pseudonym) is still hospitalized because of the injuries he suffered on April 6, when an individual from his neighborhood assaulted him with a machete and threatened him with decapitation if he did not change his sexual orientation. To protect his brain, doctors put him into an artificially induced coma.
On Saturday, April 15, Eustace had a brain scan, which revealed that he had suffered no brain damage. On April 16, Eustache he was brought out the artificial coma. Currently, he is under post-operative surveillance after receiving numerous stitches. Doctors say that he could leave the hospital by the end of the week.
Next, Safari noted, the challenge will be to assure Eustace’s safety when he gets out of the hospital.
Eustace’s attacker remains free
Safari is not optimistic that Eustace’s attacker will be brought to justice because he is the nephew of an influential local man.
Eustache has not been able to say whether he wants to file charges against his attacker.
Silence from African organizations
The attack on Eustache has received very little comment in the Congolese and international press. Even in Africa, it has not given rise to any statement of solidarity from any African organization, whether national, regional or continental, French-speaking or not.
Safari comments:
“In Africa, it is always like that. Activists are only interested in what happens in their own country. For months now, we have been denouncing the generalized indifference towards the East of the DRC.
International reactions
However, left-wing members of the French National Assembly were keen to break the silence surrounding the attack on Eustache, in order to show their indignation and solidarity with the people of Eastern DRC, including LGBTI+ people in particular.
For more information, see the article, “French legislators appeal for justice in the Congo”.
Congolese journalist rebuked for reporting on machete attack
Kinshasa-based journalist Yves Nsiala, who founded the Congolese online news site Brève.cd, was the only Congolese journalist to report on the attack against Eustache — a report that opened him to homophobic complaints from his readership, particularly on social networks and on local WhatsApp groups.
Nsiala said he would not have reported the attack if the French legislators had not issued their statement condemning it. He said:
“In the DRC, LGBTI+ people who identify as such have no de facto rights in our society. People here consider this a perversion. In this context, our readership was outraged that we were relaying this type of information, which was considered to be propaganda from the West.
I did it with courage, because there was a reaction statement from French deputies following this frightening attack, which I was able to ensure was authentic. Without that, I would not have even talked about it.
I try to put myself in the shoes of these people and I understand that their existence here is very difficult. Nevertheless, dealing with this kind of subject only brings problems and people are now even accusing me of homosexuality. I have to say that this is painful to live with, because rumors of homosexuality are often subject to threats.
Five Baraka victims find shelter in safe house
On March 26, three trans women and two lesbians were rejected when they tried to register to vote in Baraka. Then, on March 28, the neighborhood chief, two police officers and local thugs forced them to flee from their home. The three trans women were molested and the lesbian couple were raped. All of their belongings were stolen and the house was burned to the ground. All are suffering psychological damage.
Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko is helping them, but the situation is difficult. The five victims had to leave their burned property in a hurry. They arrived in Bukavu with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
RSM is working with an international organization that wants to help the women find safety outside Bukavu, Safari said. For now, they remain inside all day in two rooms in a large house that serves as a safe house. It belongs to a friend who is committed to the struggle for LGBTQ rights, Safari said..
“The idea of letting them go alone to buy fruits and vegetables on the market is almost out of the question,” he said. “It is too risky.”
Online petition
Safari’s online petition urges Congolese officials and police to protect LGBTIQ people and punish those who abuse them. To sign the petition, click here.
Below is an English translation of what petitioners are seeking:
PETITION
To the Provincial and National Authorities and the Provincial Inspectorate of the Congolese National Police:
-Establish legal instruments, mechanisms and tools aimed at the recognition of the rights guaranteeing privacy, access to information, freedom of expression, association and assembly as fundamental rights applicable to LGBTI persons,
-Implement procedures to combat harassment, threats, intimidation and abuse of LGBTIQ people.
-Establish punishment for violators of the rights of LGBTIQ persons;
As one of the missions of the Police is to ensure the safety of citizens and their property:
-We ask the Inspector of the Congolese National Police in South Kivu to severely punish the heads of the Baraka police station and the locality chiefs for authorizing and committing acts of vandalism that violate the privacy of individuals;
-That these perpetrators be punished in accordance with the law,
-That the perpetrators be punished in accordance with the law, and that they provide assistance to the victims in case of need.
You can write to Jérémie Safari by clicking on this link.
