UN Probes Congo Rapes of 200 Women, Baby Boys

The United Nations has launched an investigation into reports that close to 200 women and baby boys were gang raped over a series of days by Congolese rebels and Rwandan fighters—just a few miles from a UN outpost. "The secretary-general is outraged by the rape and assault," a UN spokesman tells the BBC. "This is another grave example of both the level of sexual violence and the insecurity that continue to plague Congo."

An official in charge of peacekeeping and an expert on sexual violence in conflict have been assigned to lead the probe. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been called the rape capital of the world, with more than 8,000 women raped during fighting last year. (More Democratic Republic of Congo stories.)