450,000 Congolese refugees live in neighbouring countries, while more than 140,000 nonCongolese refugees are found in the DRC. For the period January-September, 2012, it was estimated that 52,000 persons were expelled from Angola to the four border provinces of the DRC. 329. At the end of conflicts, women and children generally account for 75% of refugees or displaced persons. Women and children are also most vulnerable to gang rape and increase in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and are most likely to become child soldiers, orphans, widows and unaccompanied children. In this regard, the importance of the role of women in conflict prevention as well as the peace and stabilization process in accordance with Resolution 1325 is indisputable. 330. With its involvement in the promotion of social justice and equality between men and women, protection and defence of the rights of women and children as well as the fight against all forms of discrimination against women and the fulfilment of its commitments, including respect of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and its Additional Protocol, the DR Congo has taken appropriate legislative measures and put in place policies, programmes and structures to ensure the protection of displaced, repatriated, refugee and asylum-seeking women and to provide for sanctions against the violation of these protected rights, in accordance with Article 11, Point 1 to 3 of the MAPUTO Protocol.  MEASURES FOR THE PROTECTION OF DISPLACED, REPATRIATED, REFUGEE AND ASYLUM-SEEKING WOMEN AND SANCTIONS AGAINST VIOLATIONS OF THESE PROTECTIONS (Art. 11 (1) - (3)) 331. Legislative measures have been taken to implement specifically protected rights, particularly the law on the protection of refugees passed since 2002, Law No. 06/018 of 20 July, 2006 on the revision of the Congolese Criminal Code and Law No. 06/019 of 20 July, 2006 amending and complementing the Congolese Criminal Procedure Code which protect women from sexual violence and provide for sanctions against perpetrators of these various crimes. Given the fact that soldiers are among the perpetrators of these acts, Article 17 of Law No. 13/005 of 15 January, 2013 on the status of soldiers of the FARDC requires soldiers to observe human rights and strictly condemns anyone who subjects any human being to inhuman, cruel and degrading treatment. The same goes for the code of conduct for soldiers in the DRC whose provisions ensure the protection of the rights of women in times of peace and conflict. 332. According to the HCR, the main victims of armed conflicts in the DRC are women and children who account for more than 71% of affected persons. For this reason, women, in much the same way as men, must participate in the country’s pacification and security process. The elevation in 2013 of 3 women to the rank of general and the appointment of other women into high positions are one of the important administrative measures for the simple reason that the appointment of these women will guarantee the protection of the rights of displaced persons who are mainly women. In fact, the mass locations and organized camps for displaced persons and refugees are protected by the security services. 333. The top hierarchy of the army has also set up a commission on the plan of action of the FARDC to combat sexual violence and gone on to appoint its members. The Chief of Defence Staff has also appointed a gender focal point within the FARDC to bring out the various genderbased cases of violence and to make recommendations to the General Headquarters of the FARDC. In addition, more than 500 FARDC soldiers were taken through training in the protection of women and children from sexual violence before their deployment on the field in the operational zones. 334. To implement the rights specifically protected by the Protocol, many institutional mechanisms have been put in place, particularly the National Refugee Commission which is currently operating. It is working in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and under the supervision of the Ministry responsible for the Interior and Security; note must also be taken of the siting of gender thematic groups across the country, one of whose components is the gender violence sub-group which brings together representatives of the government, technical and financial partners as well as civil society. The mission of this thematic group is to discuss issues relating to sexual violence in general and those relating to armed conflicts in particular, as well as to make recommendations to the stakeholders of the war. One of the most important mechanisms for the protection of women from rape is the establishment in 2013 of the Office of the Special Adviser to the Head of State on the fight against sexual violence and the recruitment of children into armed groups. Its role is to monitor the violations of the rights of women, particularly regarding sexual violence and to make recommendations where necessary. Another mechanism to 65