Introduction A large number of men, women and children living in the Great Lakes Region in central Africa have suffered as a result of conflict. In recent decades, the Genocide in Rwanda, civil war in Burundi and a series of brutal and protracted wars in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have scarred the region. basic goods and services, has had a devastating effect on the lives of the people. Between 1993 and 2005, Burundi’s civil war, fuelled by generations of ethnic tension, caused the death of an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 people.2 Almost 700.000, or 10 percent of the population, were forced to leave their lands. The exact number of those tortured in the Great Lakes Region is unknown, however it is clear that in Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC vast numbers of people have been subjected to various forms of torture and ill-treatment, such as rape and forced disappearance. Many have been traumatised for 20 years or more and have never received treatment. The consequences are widespread, affecting individuals, their families and communities. Many torture victims suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (including anxiety, flashbacks, insomnia, nightmares and depression), and often feel shame (triggered by the humiliation they have endured). In cases where torture has been used in a systematic and widespread manner, entire societies can be traumatised. In Rwanda during the 100 days of the Genocide, it is estimated that approximately one million people were killed.3 The Genocide also resulted in one of the world’s biggest refugee crises, with approximately 1.2 million people fleeing to the Kivu provinces of the DRC alone.4 The shadow of the 1994 genocide still lingers today, affecting communities throughout the country. Providing rehabilitation services for torture victims Democratic Republic of Congo AMIES DES VICTIMES DES VIOLATIONS DE DROITS HUMAINS (Uvira) FÉDÉRATION DES FEMMES POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT INTÉGRAL AU CONGO (FEDICONGO) Across the region there are also close links between intra-state and inter-state conflicts. A combination of direct violence with sustained structural violence, such as extreme poverty and the lack of access to Post-conflict states often lack the funding, the expertise, or the political will to ensure rehabilitation services are accessible, available and appropriate. States also rarely recognise torture rehabilitation 6 IRCT Great Lakes Project UYISENGA NI IMANZI Rwanda Burundi REGROUPEMENT DES MAMANS DE KAMITUGA The project supported the six centres in providing much needed holistic and community-based services to victims of torture and sexual violence, victims of genocide and other forms of political violence. Its goal was simple: To enable victims of torture and their families in Burundi, the DRC and Rwanda to assert their rights and become pro-active participating citizens in the social, economic and political development of their communities. Effective torture rehabilitation services include community outreach, accessible medical and psychological services and integration with community-oriented initiatives. These services are a critical component of socio-economic development efforts in post-conflict countries. (Kigali and Ngoma) (Kigali and Rwamagana) (Uvira) It is against the backdrop of this climate of political instability that the IRCT’s Great Lakes Project was initiated in April 2011. The project was unique from its inception, as it brought together six rehabilitation centres from across the region in an effort to share their experiences across borders. In the DRC, war erupted as a result of the refugee crises from 1996 to 1997 and from 1998 to 2003. By 2008, the war had caused 5.4 million deaths, principally through disease and starvation, making it the world’s deadliest conflict in recent times.5 ARAMA SOLIDARITÉ ET ACTIONS POUR LA PAIX / GRANDS LACS (SAP-GL) (Bujumbura) (Kamituga) Rehabilitation centres in the Great Lakes Project IRCT Great Lakes Project 7