All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity

“SILENCE IS NOT AN OPTION IN THE CONGO – WHERE IS CANADA,” SAY PARLIAMENTARIANS ON DAY OF ACTION

Office of Senator Mobina Jaffer

OTTAWA – “The Canadian government must reconsider taking role in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” this was the message yesterday at a news conference held by BC Senator Mobina Jaffer and Members of Parliament Justin Trudeau, Paul Dewar and Dr. Keith Martin.  The Parliamentarians, accompanied by over 100 members of the Canadian-Congolese community, were hosting a “Day of Action” on Parliament Hill to raise awareness about the critical situation of women and children in the Congo, and the desperate need for the Conservative government’s intervention.

“Canada needs to reconsider the UN’s request to take on a strong peacekeeping role in the Congo,” Said Senator Mobina Jaffer.    She continued, “I have organized the presence of these women on Parliament Hill today to give them a voice, as the Canadian government has forgotten them”.

Jaffer’s statement comes a full year after the Conservative government declined the United Nations request to take command of the peacekeeping mission in Congo.

Last year, Robert Fowler, Canada’s former ambassador to the UN weighed in on this matter.  He said the government’s decision to decline more of a role in the Congo signaled that Ottawa has all but given up on traditional peacekeeping.
Dr. Keith Martin, MP, said, “Amongst other important measures Canada, can contribute to and push for the international community to come up with the resources for the recently authorized 3000 troop increase for the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”  He said, “These troops must be tasked to dismantle the Hutu militias and reign in the rampaging government troops, who are also committing atrocities on a massive scale.”

As a country with one of the proudest and accomplished histories of peacekeeping, there are high expectations on Canada.  Member of Parliament Justin Trudeau said, “Where is Canada?  Our Country is ‘missing in action’; our government’s silence on the Congo is not an option … Canada used to be the authority on human rights and peacekeeping, a voice the world could depend on… the world thinks, if the Canadians are silent on this than it isn’t a real issue.  If we don’t step up, than nobody will.”

“As bystanders we are complicit,” said MP Paul Dewar.  He continued, “These women are living under exceptional circumstances and want the Canadian government to do the right thing.”

The war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been called a “war against women”.  Tens of thousands of women have been victims of rape as a weapon of war on a scale the world has never seen before.   In the province of South Kivu 27,000 sexual assaults were reported in 2006 alone.  The actual number is considered to be 10-20 times greater than that.  In some towns 70 per cent of the women have been raped.  A staggering six million individuals, mostly civilians, have been killed since 1998, more than any other conflict since WWII.