Some October rape victims HIV positive

Of the 111 women raped during October's fighting in the Central African Republic capital, Bangui, and now receiving care from Medicos Sin Fronteras-Espana (MSF-Spain), 26 have tested HIV positive. "For the moment, it is impossible to know whether there is any link between their HIV sero-positivity and the rapes," Raquel Ayora, MSF-Spain’s country representative in the CAR, told IRIN on Wednesday. "But if the second test in six months proves that those who tested negative before have HIV/AIDS, the conclusion will be that they were infected during the rape." The victims, she added, had other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but that in these cases, too, it was unclear if they were due to their ordeal. No case of pregnancy had so far been detected. MSF is providing gynaecological treatment; HIV tests and drugs against STDs. Ayora said that because the rape victims did not have rapid access to treatment, this could complicate their situation. She went on to say that MSF, the UN Children's Fund, and the CAR Ministry of Social Affairs and Women's Promotion were talking to their partners with a view to obtaining free long-term therapy for the HIV victims. She said Amis d'Afrique, a Japanese NGO dealing with HIV/AIDS in CAR, was among those that would take an active part in this programme. A UN-supported team of four gynaecologists, a lawyer, a psychologist and communications specialists was set up early in November to assist the rape victims. Most acts of rape were blamed on the fighters of Jean-Pierre Bemba's Mouvement de liberation du Congo, from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo. They came to help the beleaguered CAR President Ange-Felix Patasse crush the October revolt by rebel soldiers loyal to the former army chief of staff, Gen Francois Bozize. According to the country's National anti-HIV/AIDS committee (the Comite national de lutte contre le Sida), 14 percent of the CAR population is HIV positive, making it the most affected country in central Africa and the 10th in the world.