Tag Archives: congo

Congo’s Growing Problem: Men Raping Men

Annika HarrisAugust 5, 2009 //

Congo has a new problem to add to the ever-growing list of atrocities racking the country. According to an article in The New York Times, it is now popular for men to rape other men in an effort to force Congolese communities into submission. Officials from Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, and several Congolese aid organizations say the number of male-on-male rapes has risen sharply as a result of rebel groups seeking revenge for the joint Congo-Rwanda military operations. These armed rebels seek to make civilians do what they want by demoralizing and humiliating them. Keep reading »

Men In Congo Struggle With Sorcerers Stealing Penises

Catherine StrawnApril 24, 2008 //

Some men in the Congo fear that their penises have been stolen or shrunk by sorcerers. (Guys, you were born that way! You can’t blame your small size on a sorcerer!) Reports of penis snatching are not uncommon in West Africa, where witchcraft remains widespread, and things can get pretty violent as accusations fly. A decade ago, 12 suspected penis snatchers were beaten to death by angry mobs, so these days, police arrest suspected victims and sorcerers to prevent violence. “I’m tempted to say it’s one huge joke,” said Jean-Dieudonne Oleko, Kinshasa’s police chief. “But when you try to tell the victims that their penises are still there, they tell you that it’s become tiny or that they’ve become impotent. To that I tell them, ‘How do you know if you haven’t gone home and tried it’.” [Reuters] Keep reading »