The scope of tragedy in eastern Congo defies comprehension. A war in the African country killed four-million people between 1998 and 2003. And fighting has continued -- among government forces, insurgents, militias, and Rwandan Hutu rebels. One of the most gruesome features of the conflicts is the widespread use of rape as a weapon. Armed groups use it to terrorize communities and control territories. Tens of thousands of women and girls have been attacked. In part I, The World's Jeb Sharp reports from Bukavu in Congo's South Kivu Province.

In part II, Jeb Sharp reports on how aid groups and grassroots activists are responding to the crisis. - click on the links below to listen, read transcripts and view pictures.

Caution: the stories contain some disturbing descriptions of rapes.

Download the series as a podcast

Series editor: Jennifer Goren
Online production: Michael Rass