Peter Hallward talks over the phone with Jacques Depelchin from the Ota Benga Alliance for Peace Healing and Dignity, and visiting Professor at the Centre for Afro-Oriental Studies at the Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil, and Firoze Manji, founder and co-editor of Pambazuka News, about his book and the lessons of Haiti. Peter Hallward's book “Damming the Flood: Haiti, Aristide and the Politics of Containment”, published by Verso Press in 2007, is likely to become a classic reference on the most recent history of Haiti, thanks especially, to a fascinating and informative analysis of the clash between mass-based and elite driven politics. In the fierce battle over and around which ideological lens should one use to look at and make sense of Haiti's most recent history, including the overthrow and kidnapping of President Jean Bertrand Aristide, Peter Hallward's book is a welcome counterbalance to those offered by both mainstream journalism and books such as Alex Dupuy's “Prophet and Power: Jean-Bertrand Ariside, the International Community and Haiti” published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2007.

In this series of interviews, Rwanda's Contact FM radio talks to activists in south Kivu fighting for justice for the women of Congo. Christine Schuler Descrivers works closely with Panzi hospital in Bukavu and a leading campaigner against the sexual terrorism of women. Dr. Denis Mukwege is chief gyneacologist at Bukavu's Panzi hospital and a specialist in reparative surgery for women mutilated by sexual terrorism. Venancie Bisimanabintou is executive secretary of the womens' network for the defence of human rights and peace also based in Bukavu. For more details vist http://www.pambazuka.org/en/broadcasts/podcasts.php#PZ0044 Dans cette série d'entretiens, Contact FM du Rwanda parle aux militants du Sud Kivu qui se battent pour que les femmes du Congo obtiennent justice. Christine Schuler Descrivers travaille en étroite collaboration avc l'hopîtal Kanzi de Bukavu, et est l'une des militantes les plus actives contre le terrorisme sexuel commis contre les femmes. Dr. Denis Mukwege est chef gynécologue à l'hopîtal Kanzi de Bukavu, et spécialiste en chirurgic reparative pour les femmes mutilées victimes de terrorisme sexuel. Venancie Bisimanabintou est secrétaire principale du réseau de femmes pour la défense des droits de l'homme et de la paix aussi basé à Bukavu. Pour plus de détails, visitez http://www.pambazuka.org/en/broadcasts/podcasts.php#PZ0044

The recent peace conference in Goma, north Kivu has raised hopes that a durable solution to the almost decade long conflict in eastern DRC will finally be found. But Congolese women of DRC are paying a huge price as each bout of fighting results in ever more women raped and mutilated. Rape is being used as a weapon of war in what increasingly looks like a no win situation for all parties concerned and Congolese women are upping the ante in the fight to break the silence about the atrocities committed against them for too many years. In this series of interviews, Rwanda's Contact FM radio talks to women in north Kivu in the forefront of fighting what has been described as "femicide" in eastern DRC. Justine Masika is president of 'Synergy des Femmes pour les Victimes des violences Sexuelles SFVS', based in Goma. Salome Toubouba is a psychologist working for Christian Relief Network who lives in Goma. Sylvie Vandenwildenberg is press attaché for the United Nations mission in Congo, based in Goma. La conférence de paix qui a eu lieu récemment à Goma au nord Kivu a offert une lueur d'espoir qu'une solution durable à un conflit qui sévit depuis presque dix ans en RDC de l'est puisse être enfin trouvée. Mais les femmes congolaises de la RDC payent/ont payé ce conflit au prix fort, puisque chaque phase de combat a eu pour résultat un nombre croissant de femmes violées et mutilées. Le viol est utilisé comme arme de guerre dans ce qui apparait de plus en plus comme une impasse pour toutes les parties bélligérentes, et les femmes congolaises ont mis la surenchère/augmenté la pression/dans la bataille contre le silence autour de ces atrocities commises depuis trop longstops. Dans cette série d'entretiens, Contact FM du Rwanda parle aux femmes du Nord Kivu qui de trouvent en première ligne de ce conflit souvent décrit comme un « fémicide » en RDC de l'Est. Justine Masika est présidente de l'association Synergie des femmes pour les victimes de la violence sexuelle, située à Goma. Salome Toubouba est une psychologies vivant à Goma travaillant pour Christian Relief Network. Sylvie Vandenwildenberg est l'attachée de presse Pour la mission des Nations Unies au Congo, basée à Goma.

There seems to be no end in sight to the appalling violence against women in the Kivu region of eastern DRC. In North Kivu alone, there are 250 cases of rape reported each month and the unofficial figure could be much higher. Every hospital and health centre in both Kivus report cases of sexual violence on a daily basis, and the victims range from six months to 95 years of age. This is sexual violence in its most barbaric form, since rape is invariably accompanied by torture and mutilation leading some activists to describe what is happening to Congolese women as femicide. The trauma of these women is exacerbated by the fact that they are often rejected by their families and that perpetrators seldom brought to justice. All factions involved in the fighting in Kivu are accused of brutality against women though the majority of crimes are attributed to the Interhamwe militia, still active in Congo after fleeing Rwanda when the Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the country and ended the genocide in 1994. "Sous les volcans" talks to women of the Kivus, the victims and the activists in an attempt to break the silence about what is happening to women in eastern DRC. A documentary prepared and presented by Michael Gabriel Mudimbi of Contact FM. La violence effroyable menée contre les femmes de la région du Kivu à l’Est de la RDC semble être sans fin. Dans le nord Kivu seulement, on compte 250 cas de viols déclarés chaque mois, et les chiffres non officiels pourraient être bien plus élevés. Chaque hôpital et centre de soins dans les deux Kivus rapportent des cas de violences sexuelles au quotidien, et les victimes sont âgées de 6 mois à 95 ans. Il s’agit là de violence sexuelle sous sa forme la plus barbare, car le viol est invariablement accompagné de torture et de mutilation, ce qui a poussé certains militants de décrire comme fémicide ce qui est en train d’arriver au femmes congolaises. Le traumatisme subi par ces femmes est d’autant plus violent qu’elles sont souvent rejetées par leurs familles et que les criminels ne comparaissent que très rarement devant la justice. Toutes les factions bélligérentes au Kivu sont accusées de brutalité contre les femmes, bien que la majorité des crimes sont attribuables aux milices del’Interhamwe, encore actives au Congo après avoir fui le Rwanda lorsque le Front Patriotique Rwandais prit contrôle du pays et mit fin au génocide en 1994. ‘Sous les volcans’ parle aux femmes des deux Kivus, aux victimes et aux militantes, et ceci afin d’essayer de rompre le silence autour de ce que subissent les femmes en RDC orientale. Un documentaire préparé et présenté par Michael Gabriel Mudimbi pour Contact FM.

Since the December elections in Kenya an estimated 600 people have died as a result of the unrest, and another 100,000 at least have been displaced. The violence erupted after incumbent Mwai Kibaki was sworn into office in the midst of acusations that the election was rigged, led by opposition candidate Raila Odinga. International observers have called the election "flawed." In this interview Firoze Manji speaks on post election violence in Kenya as a symptom of long term debates within Kenya surrounding the constitution, and a legacy of Kenya's history under colonialism. Produced by Seth Porcello. You can also find this Interview, along with other independently produced programs, at Urgent Uploads ( http://odeo.com/channel/659093/view )

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