"While you see this...

... civilians are being massacred in the eastern part of the Republic of Congo (DRC), women are systematically being raped, and children forcibly recruited, trained and drugged before being released as killing machines on enemy positions..."

Assette Mansongi Manzambi, cartoonist from RDC/Kinshasa

Cannon fodder and sexual barbarism of which gang rape is used as a weapon of war are types of atrocities that we see reported from eastern Congo. The conflict has intensified in 2013, but Eastern Congo has been ravaged by intermittent wars since 1996. Various sources have estimated that more than six million people may have been killed. According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) it is "the deadliest conflict since World War II". It is high time to say:

Grâce Nzolo, designer from RDC/Kinshasa

In a spontaneous recognition of the anonymous victims and in solidarity with all the Congolese people some twenty designers and cartoonists of various nationalities - continents even - and administered by the African Centre of Caricature (CAC) have decided to draw peace: Ne décimez pas le CONGO Dessinez-nous la PAIX

Cécile Bertrand, cartoonist from Belgique

Not an easy thing - to draw peace. The five images shown here each highlight the situation from a different angle, but they share certain components in insisting of our shared humanity, of exposing the violence taking place so that it is for everyone to see as well as opposing the power of weaponry.

The difference underlines the room for the many voices in contrast to the conflicting parties where each tries to silence the rest. The woman torn apart after being gang raped is the personal tragedy of each woman raped as well as what it means to a country to be bleeding inwardly.

Popa Matumula, cartoonist from Tanzania

In French the cartooning action plays on the words of no longer décimer, decimate, but to dessiner, draw, insisting that cartoon art has a voice to do a difference so that aid workers in the future shall not feel the urge to give up beforehand:

Plantu, cartoonist from France

Cartoonists from all over the world are invited to make the voice against violence as strong as possible. Further information can be found at: 
https://www.facebook.com/nedecimezpaslecongodessineznouslapaix
Coordination du projet / Centre Africain de la Caricature (CAC) 
République Démocratique du Congo
E-mail: centrafcar@yahoo.fr

© Cécile Bertrand, Assette Mansongi Manzambi, Popa Matumula, Grâce Nzolo, Plantu.