DRC military vows to punish rapists

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, July 8 (UPI) -- A military spokesman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo says the military will punish those guilty of rights abuses, including mass rapes.

Military spokesman Colonel Leon Richard Kasonga said any soldiers guilty of committing abuses against members of the DRC civilian population will be severely punished and armed forces will be used to protect the general populous, the BBC said Wednesday.

"From this day, any serviceman guilty of reprehensible acts will feel the full force of the law," Kasonga said in a statement.

Among the illegal acts detailed in the statement were rape, extortion, torture and looting.

The military spokesman's statements come in the wake of allegations by the Human Rights Watch that DRC troops commit a high percentage of the civilian rapes in the eastern part of the country.

The non-governmental group estimated last week that thousands of female civilians have been raped since the government began its anti-rebel offensive in December.

The BBC said the eastern part of the Central African country has been mired in turmoil for nearly 15 years with ongoing battles between regional militia groups.