Sexual violence used as ‘tactic of terror’

UN representative’s comments come ahead of first visit to the Middle East

The UN special representative on sexual violence said on Wednesday she was making her first trip to the Middle East where extremist groups are increasingly using rape and sexual attacks as a “tactic of terror”.

Zainab Bangura told a UN Security Council meeting on Women, Peace and Security that she was leaving for Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey yesterday.

She said there was “a catastrophic new trend” of extremist groups using sexual violence to inflict terror not only in Iraq and Syria but also in Somalia, Nigeria and Mali.

Bangura said SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon’s recent report spelt out for the first time how sexual violence “is integrally linked with the strategic objectives, ideology and funding of extremist groups.”

Report

The UN chief said in the report that efforts “to degrade or destroy” Daesh, Boko Haram and Al Qaida affiliates including Al Shabab in Somalia and Ansar Al Deen in Mali “are an essential part of the fight against conflict-related sexual violence.”

The report focuses on 19 countries engulfed in conflict or trying to recover from fighting where sexual violence occurs. It lists 45 groups that are “credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape” in conflict.

Challenges

Bangura told the council that “the vast majority” of the 45 parties are opposition and rebel groups.

She noted “the political and operational challenges” of dealing with these groups to try to get commitments to end sexual violence, but said her office has begun to explore engaging with a number of them. She gave no details.

Bangura said that after five years of work she is beginning to see “some tangible and positive changes” which lead her to believe that the fight to eradicate sexual violence in conflict “is not a ‘mission impossible.’”

Bangura pointed to some accountability for crimes of sexual violence, greater resources, and an increasing number of ceasefire and peace agreements reflecting concerns about the issue. “The notion of reparations for survivors is also beginning to take root,” she said.