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Women Appeal for Peace
We, women of the World March of Women, who are gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, from December 4-12, 2004, for the 5th International Meeting, are issuing an appeal for peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa and throughout the world.
We are deeply concerned by an escalation of the persistent wars and armed conflicts in the Great Lakes Region.
We note with bitterness:
that women and children are particularly affected by these conflicts and
suffer grave consequences. These include killings, sexual violence―especially rape used as a weapon of war ―violence of all kinds, kidnappings, sex trafficking, massive forced displacements of civilians, deepening poverty, and the spread of HIV/AIDS;
- that the fundamental cause of violence against women is a solidly entrenched patriarchal system that marginalizes women and denies them their needs and rights on the basis of their gender;
- the non-application of Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council;
- that, despite their assigned mandate, peacekeepers in the sub-region are not improving the situation, and that some of them are also committing acts of sexual violence, which is aggravating the conflict;
- that the international conflict management system, such as United Nations mechanisms, is not effective;
- that the uncontrolled manufacture, sale and distribution of arms contributes to persistent insecurity and destabilization of the sub-region and also of the whole world;
- that the culture of impunity has taken root in the sub-region and throughout the world;
- that war is the result of patriarchy and an unjust system of distribution and access to the world's wealth;
that the rebel groups and other negative forces, who are driven by a genocidal ideology, are still operating in the Great Lakes Region of Africa;
that political and economic powers are encouraging this situation to further their self-centred economic interests.
We denounce:
the rebel groups and negative forces that are still present in the sub-region, who are causing instability, raping women, young girls—even other men—and thereby jeopardizing the peace;
the negative role played by national and international media, whose messages heighten the conflicts by distorting reality.
We call for:
- the international community to pressure and hold accountable the sub-region's governments that were party to the accords and have not respected those agreements.
- the United Nations to adapt its mandate to the situation in the countries of the Great Lakes and immediately disarm the rebel groups and negative forces in the sub-region;
- the United Nations to punish peacekeepers responsible for committing acts of sexual violence against women and young girls;
- humanitarian aid agencies to protect the civilian population, denounce acts of sexual violence against women and young girls and ensure that rape victims are provided with appropriate assistance;
- the governments of the countries in the Great Lakes region to resolve their conflicts through genuine dialogue by engaging women in the process, in conformance with Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council;
We demand:
- that women be recognized as actors and negotiators for peace and that they participate in all peaceful conflict prevention, management and resolution processes, as well as in the reconstruction of their respective countries;
- that the African Union assume its responsibility by becoming effectively involved in resolving conflicts between African countries;
We call on:
- the different governments of the sub-region to respect the commitments they undertook in signing the different peace accords; enact a ceasefire; disarm the negative forces; and apply the non-aggression pacts.
We appeal:
- to the civilian population in countries torn by conflict to denounce all human rights violations, in particular, violence against women and children and the ongoing state of war.
We declare:
- our solidarity with women suffering in situations of conflict and war throughout the world.
Last modified 2005-09-13 10:21 AM
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