Saturday, February 1, 2025
Geneva, Switzerland

The United Nations expressed concern on Friday at the widespread violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the conflict between the Congolese army and the anti-government M23 armed group is accompanied by widespread rape and summary executions.

The M23’s capture of most of Goma, capital of North Kivu province, earlier this week marks a dramatic escalation in a region scarred by decades of conflict involving multiple armed groups.

Since the start of the offensive, bombs have hit at least two sites housing internally displaced people “causing civilian casualties”, reported UN human rights office spokesman Jeremy Laurence.

“We have also documented summary executions of at least 12 people by the M23 between January 26 and 28,” he told journalists in Geneva.

In areas under M23 control in South Kivu, such as Minova, he said the group had “occupied schools and hospitals, forced displaced people to leave camps and subjected the civilian population to forced recruitment and forced labor”.

The human rights office has also documented “cases of conflict-related sexual violence by the (Congolese) army and allied Wazalendo fighters in Kalehe territory”, it said.

“We are verifying reports that 52 women were raped by Congolese soldiers in South Kivu, including allegations of gang rape,” he added.
He also cited reports from DRC authorities that at least 165 women were raped by male detainees after an escape of more than 4,000 prisoners from Goma’s Muzenze prison on January 27, as the M23 began its assault on the city.

“Conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades,” Jeremy Laurence stressed.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk “is particularly concerned that this latest escalation risks further exacerbating the risk of conflict-related sexual violence”, he added.

Similarly, “the current widespread proliferation of weapons in Goma aggravates the already significant risks of serious violations and abuses”, he said, calling for investigations and for the perpetrators of these crimes to be brought to justice.

Humaniterre with AFP