A thousand women staged a silent rally outside parliament in the strife-torn Central African Republic yesterday, their mouths bandaged in a mute protest against violence towards women.
Civilians including women and children are bearing the brunt of a surge in violence in the country, aid agencies have warned, with torched villages and abuses including murder, rape and torture.
“Stop violence against women. I am not an object,” or “No to murders, torture, rape” read banners held by women of all ages and religions who planned to cover their mouths with white tape from 6 am to 6 pm to make their case.
Held in Bangui as part of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the rally aimed to raise awareness of the spike in violence between unidentified armed groups and former rebel fighters.
It is the deadliest the country has experienced since March, when a coalition of rebel groups known as Seleka deposed president Francois Bozize, who had ruled since a 2003 coup.
In his place they installed the mostly-Christian country’s first Muslim leader, President Michel Djotodia.
Djotodia received a delegation of women at the presidential palace yesterday, but said he would wait until the protest was over before discussing their concerns.
“Since you are not talking we will wait until the time comes to organise a meeting and discuss the problems women are facing,” he said, before donating two cattle and 4,500 euros ($6,000) to the movement.
The president said his wife should have been present “but since this morning she has not said a word.
“I talk to her and she doesn’t reply. I ask myself: Why isn’t my wife speaking? And I am told she is observing the movement of Central Africa’s women.”
The UN Security Council expressed concern Monday that chaos in Central African Republic could disrupt the hunt for wanted war criminal Joseph Kony.
Kony’s Lord Resistance Army (LRA) is reported to have moved into Central African Republic even as its president says the rebels want to surrender.
A statement agreed by the 15-member Security Council expressed serious concern that an “increased security vacuum” in the giant African nation is helping the “reinforcement” of the LRA in the country.
A Ugandan-led African force is chasing Kony in Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo. But Kony, who is blamed for 100,000 deaths in a two-decade rampage through the region, has moved into new areas, according to UN officials.
The council statement called for “strong” co-operation between the UN, the African forces and the Central African Republic government to step up efforts to catch Kony.
Kony, who launched a rebellion in Uganda two decades ago, is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges including murder, sexual slavery and using child soldiers.
The Central African Republic presidency said last week that it has attempted to negotiate the surrender of the rebels. Some African Union officials said, however, that this was a ploy by Kony to buy time and move his fighters.