DRC women flogged for wearing short skirts, trousers

It is now emerging that women and girls are being flogged by militiamen in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for wearing short skirts or trousers.

The DRC government on Saturday, January 28 warned the perpetrators, vowing to punish them.

Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde condemned what he termed as degrading and inhuman abuses by the militiamen from the armed Malaika Group.

The militia are imposing Islamic sharia punishments in the area under their control in the volatile Eastern DRC region.

The prime minister now says that government will deploy a delegation to the affected area - Salamabila, in the eastern province of Maniema - and report back so the perpetrators could be punished.

The Malaika militia, which claims to represent the interests of local people, wants the government to hand over a bigger share of revenue from the Salamabila gold mines.

It is one of several armed groups that operate freely in the troubled region.