 The Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling to recover from its latest eight years of conflict. In a country rich in natural resources, its people have been driven to the edge of survival and beyond. Three million have lost their lives, millions more their homes and families. Though the country is now inching towards recovery, in the most remote regions, a hidden war still has the people in its grip. It's a war that's being waged by men, but it's extorting a horrific price from its women and children. I was on my way to work in the fields, and when I got to the fields, the thugs attacked me. They had knives and guns. They attacked me and the first one raped me. I screamed and cried. The second one put a knife inside me and raped me again. Altogether I was raped by seven men. I was cut and water started to pour out, with blood of course. Brutal rape has become commonplace in parts of eastern Congo. Women and children are assaulted as they go about their daily lives, at home, or as they work in the fields. It's an area still plagued by warring groups, armed men who prey on local people with little fear of retribution. The most serious rape cases, like Moazzo, are brought to Pansey Hospital in the town of Bukavu for treatment. 3,600 women underwent surgery here following violent sexual assault in 2005, the youngest only 10 years old. It's interesting to try to understand how sexual violence can cause wounds and lesions as serious as we see in the women we have to treat here. Very often, after a woman has been raped, sharp or cutting objects are introduced into the genital area. And even in extreme cases, we see women who, having been raped, are then shot in the genital area with firearms. For Moazzo, the nightmare didn't end with the first attack. She was later abducted by the same men and held captive for months, repeatedly raped and abused. Her baby was born dead in the forest. In many cases, rape becomes part of a strategy of warfare, a means of terrorizing and controlling the local community. Attacking women, the bearers of life, with this level of terror, I believe it has nothing to do with sexual desire. I think the aim is to destabilize and disrupt society, to bring about its complete destruction. The scenes are shocking. Rape is still a taboo subject. Victims are expected to suffer in silence, through shame or fear. But presenting a play that deals with the subject head on is a way of involving the whole community and breaking the taboo. The play is part of an ICRC program to prevent rape and support the victims. They get medical help, including the morning after pill and anti-aids drugs. They're also offered psychological support, a listening ear and a safe place to talk to other women who've been through the same trauma. So at the psychosocial level, we try to work with the local organizations to help these women. And over and above that, there is the economic impact on these women. They cannot go to the fields anymore, they cannot feed their family, they cannot sell the produce they grow in their fields, they cannot go to market. So the economic consequences are catastrophic. Women often find themselves rejected by the whole community. On top of the physical violence comes fear, shame and exclusion. Through drama and song, the actors show that it's not the women who are responsible for what's happened to them. As the song says, women need our help, not our blame. Most of these women have been referred to this specialist hospital because they need surgery following violent sexual assault. They have to wait here until a bed becomes available. The number of women being treated is increasing. In remote areas, many more cases go unreported. The hidden battle continues. The great problem here in eastern Congo is that these acts of rape take place with complete impunity. And I think when people believe they can do whatever they like to their fellows with no legal redress, no follow-up, then it will go on. This is really a call to all decent people, to the international community, to every well meaning person, to take action together and say enough, it has to stop. The way to stop all this is to stop the fighting. They have to take the guns away from these thugs and punish them.