The Duchess of Edinburgh has completed a four-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), focusing on survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. During the high-security trip, she met women and girls who recounted harrowing experiences of rape, including a 16-year-old attacked by a police officer and a woman assaulted while fleeing rebel areas.
In Beni, in the conflict-hit east, the duchess sat barefoot with survivors in a tent near a hospital. She later visited the Panzi Clinic in Kinshasa, where she observed surgery on a five-year-old girl performed by Nobel laureate Dr Denis Mukwege. The duchess said the issue of sexual violence must “get under your skin” and stressed the importance of hearing survivors' stories.
She also visited a safehouse for women who survived sexual violence during a mass escape attempt at Makala Central Prison. The women spoke of forced abortions, family marginalisation, and ongoing risks. The duchess, accompanied by UK ambassador Alyson King, noted that rape should not be accepted as part of daily life and pledged to continue raising awareness.
Eastern DRC has suffered decades of war, with over seven million people displaced. Rebel groups like M23 and the Allied Democratic Forces have carried out deadly attacks. The duchess, who previously visited in 2022, said she returned because the conflict requires resolution and plans to visit again.
