A damning new report by the United Nations accuses both the M23 rebel group and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government forces of committing grave abuses that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The UN Human Rights Office’s Fact-Finding Mission (FFM),investigating the violence in North and South Kivu since late 2024,revealed that all parties to the conflict — including Rwanda-backed M23 and Congolese forces — have committed atrocities against civilians. These include summary executions,gang rapes,torture,child recruitment,and widespread looting. M23 rebels,with training and operational support from the Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF),are said to have seized major towns like Goma while engaging in systematic sexual violence and executions. Victims included women,children,and LGBTQ individuals. The report found the violence was “planned,organized,and widespread,” and carried out with an intent to “degrade,punish and break the dignity of victims.”
The Congolese military (FARDC) and pro-government militias like Wazalendo were also implicated in deliberate killings of civilians and sexual violence during retreats in early 2025. Wazalendo fighters reportedly recruited child soldiers,with girls subjected to sexual exploitation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the atrocities “horrific,” urging independent investigations and accountability. “We owe no less to the untold number of victims,” he said. Despite Qatar-led mediation,both sides have missed the August deadline for a peace agreement,leaving civilians in eastern DRC caught in an unrelenting cycle of violence.
United News - unews.co.za