Victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo will tell a high-level UN panel about their experiences as part of efforts to improve treatment and support. The hearings begin on Thursday in the troubled eastern region of South Kivu. The panel will then travel to provinces throughout the DRC.

The move follows the release of a preliminary UN report into the shocking rape of hundreds of civilians in North Kivu province two months ago. The report, released last week, documented a four-day attack on the eastern town of Luvungi, and nearby villages - which are within miles of a UN base. It said three groups of armed militia raped 235 women, 52 girls, 13 men and three boys - many of them "multiple times". The militia looted more than 900 houses and abducted 116 people. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said the "scale and viciousness" of the attack "defied belief".