UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Congolese officials are called on to investigate reports of mass rapes in the eastern province of South Kivu, the U.N. special envoy on sexual violence said.
The medical organization Doctors Without Borders last week said more than 30 women were raped by armed men in Fizi, South Kivu, in the eastern part of the country.
"Women had been restrained with ropes or beaten unconscious with the butt of a gun before being attacked, some in front of their children," said Annemarie Loof, an official with the organization.
The United Nations reported about 15,000 women were raped in the eastern part of the republic in 2009 and said it was believed the number is probably higher because many cases go unreported.
Margot Wallstrom, the U.N. special envoy for sexual violence in conflict, said in a statement that the Congolese government was expected to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"I call upon the authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo to investigate the allegations thoroughly and without delay," she said.
She added that it appeared members of the Congolese military were involved in the mass rapes.
The U.N. Security Council in December froze the assets and banned travel for Congolese Col. Innocent Zimurinda for allegedly recruiting child soldiers, orchestrating mass rapes, summary executions of child soldiers and general human-rights abuses.
A U.N. human-rights team determined that more than 300 civilians were raped in the Congo by militants July 30-Aug. 2.
