The United States has promised 17 million dollars to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help it combat the country’s sexual violence. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the announcement after a meeting with Congolese President Joseph Kabila.

An America team of legal and technical experts will be permitted to enter the country to offer specific recommendations for combating the sexual violence. The money will be used in part to attract female police officers and to pay for medical and psychological help for the victims.

Mrs Clinton, who is on a seven-country tour of Africa, urged the Congo’s government to address the root causes of the conflict with Rwandan Hutu rebels in the east of the country and called on it to put an end to the rape of women and girls as "weapons of war". She also insisted that president Kabila arrest Congolese military officers who condone the rapes by their soldiers.

Photo of Hillary Clinton by madmonk (flickr)

Photo of Joseph Kabila from Wikimedia Commons