As fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese armed troops escalate in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warns that the warring parties increasingly are using rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war.
“Conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades,” said Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk.
Laurence emphasized that the high commissioner “is particularly concerned this latest escalation risks deepening” the “conflict-related sexual violence much further.”
The ongoing crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, or the DRC, continues to escalate, with tensions involving the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group. The DRC government has officially designated the M23 rebel group as a terrorist organization, while the United Nations and the United States classify it as an armed rebel group.
The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, a claim that Rwanda denies. Kigali, in turn, alleges that Kinshasa collaborates with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a Hutu armed group with ties to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an allegation the DRC rejects.
Military operations in the region remain fluid, with clashes leading to significant displacement and humanitarian concerns. Analysts warn that continued instability risks deepening the regional conflict, and several peacekeepers from the Southern African Development Community already have been killed since the recent rebel offensive.
The key parties involved in the crisis include the DRC government, the M23 rebels and Rwanda. And all are pointing fingers at each other and claiming advances in one form or another.
Laurence told journalists at a briefing in Geneva Friday there has been a marked increase in the incidence of rape and sexual violence, as fighting between the hostile armed forces has expanded toward South Kivu, following M23’s takeover nearly a week ago of Goma — North Kivu’s mineral-rich capital.
Since the crisis started, the United Nations has received reports of more than 200 cases of rape and sexual violence.
“The numbers, sadly, will likely be higher,” Laurence said. “As we know, in past conflicts, often for reasons of stigmatization, could be for social, cultural or personal reasons, many women may not report instances of this. The grim story is, the figure is, dare I say, higher, considerably.”
Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for the World Health Organization, warned that “with the higher risk of violence, including rape, there is a risk for pregnant women, and we know that there is a high maternal death rate that we observed even before this violence.
“Also, in this part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have had a crisis of malaria, measles, cholera and the new, more severe strain of mpox. So, with this violence, the increased spread of these viruses is even bigger,” he said.
The United Nations reports at least 700 people have been killed and more than 2,800 injured since M23 rebels seized Goma on Sunday.
DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner has accused Rwanda of illegally occupying part of her country by using what she alleges are a proxy, the M23 rebels, whom the DRC designates as terrorists.
Kayikwamba said Friday that Rwanda was trying to orchestrate a regime change.
Yolande Makolo, Rwanda’s government spokesperson, denied these charges, maintaining that Rwandan troops were being deployed only to prevent the conflict from spilling over into its territory.
Meanwhile, Laurence noted the U.N. human rights office has received reports of conflict-related sexual violence committed by divergent groups, such as “the army and allied Wazalendo fighters in Kalehe territory.”
“We are verifying reports that 52 women were raped by Congolese troops in South Kivu, including alleged reports of gang rape,” he said. “Additionally, DRC officials report that at least 165 women were raped by male inmates during the prison break by more than 4,000 inmates from Goma’s Muzenze prison on 27 January, as M23 began its assault on the town.”
The rights agency reported bombs struck at least two sites for internally displaced persons, causing civilian casualties. The agency documented summary executions of at least 12 people by M23 between Sunday and Tuesday.
The International Organization for Migration, or IOM, reports that several displacement sites in Goma and on the outskirts, where over 300,000 displaced persons have sought refuge, “have been partially or completely emptied as families fled the fighting.”
“Millions of people were already displaced by years of conflict in eastern DRC, and humanitarian needs were massive,” Amy Pope, IOM director general said Friday. “With the current alarming upsurge in fighting, an already dire situation is rapidly becoming very much worse.”
Reports indicate that M23 has progressed farther south toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. In other areas under M23 control in South Kivu, such as Minova, M23 reportedly has occupied schools and hospitals, forced displaced people out of camps and subjected the civilian population to forced conscription and forced labor.
Türk warned that the current widespread proliferation of weapons in Goma “is exacerbating the already significant risks of serious violations and abuses.”
“We continue to receive urgent requests from civilians for protection and are working with U.N. colleagues and other partners to ensure their safety,” he said.
Türk called for investigations into the commission of violations, stressing the importance of holding perpetrators to account.
