Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was invited to London to attend the Somalia Conference on 7 May, despite his indictment to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.  During his three-day trip, Kenyatta also met with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague. 

On May 10, 2013 former dictator of Guatemala Efraín Ríos Montt was convicted of genocide of 1,771 Ixil Maya and crimes against humanity committed during his 1982-1983 rule.

On 25 April, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution establishing a peacekeeping mission to Mali.  The resolution condemns human rights abuses, including widespread rape and violence against women, which have been reported in Mali’s northern region and calls for prosecution of the perpetrators.

Guest post by Jensine Larsen, Founder and CEO of World Pulse

Women are beginning to use the web to curb the epidemic of sexual violence -- and to defy simplistic hype.

I was fielding a request from a magazine to interview a Congolese woman activist, when they asked the inevitable question: Is she a survivor of rape? The question hung in the air with the unspoken understanding that if she herself was not a survivor of sexual violence, the story would not be nearly as compelling.

Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee and Sonke Gender Justice's Executive Director Dean Peacock have published an opinion article on Reuters AlertNet on the continuing gender violence in Africa. Both Gbowee and Peacock serve on the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict's Advisory Committee.

Welcome to our monthly bulletin where we bring you updates from the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict and our members around the world!

Guest Post by Campaign Member Sarah Tofte

In recent months, Guatemala has undertaken the landmark step of putting its former President, Efrain Rios Montt on trial for genocide--the first time a head of state has faced such charges in a domestic court.

On 29 April, the United Nations Security Council joined with other UN bodies in calling for an end to human rights abuses – including rape and gender violence – in the Central African Republic.  There have been numerous reports of sexual assaults in the capital of Bangui and elsewhere in the country since a coup in late March.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, visited Somalia in early April to highlight rape in the country’s camps for internally displaced people.  The Somali government, in a groundbreaking move, acknowledged the complicity of its own troops in the issue and resolved to take action.

UPDATE (15 May 2013): The UN Joint Human Rights Office released a report in May detailing the Congolese army's responsibility for the rape of 97 women and 33 girls in the town of Minova between 15 November and 2 December 2012.  Of the 12 officers suspended, only two have been officially charged so far in connection with the rapes.  The report cites inadequate training, discipline, and vetting of soldiers as potential reasons for the rapes.

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Pressure from the United Nations to take legal action against army soldiers guilty of perpetrating widespread rape in Eastern Congo’s city of Minova last November has resulted in the suspension of 12 army officers for their direct responsibility in the attacks.