Human rights experts warn the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, already troubled for decades, is on a downward spiral again as armed clashes, attacks on schools and hospitals, sexual violence and other forms of abuse escalate.
Kicking off a discussion of the DRC at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged the international community to pay more attention to the plight of Congolese civilians victimized by a "volatile mix of escalating violence, regional and international interests, exploitative businesses and weak rule of law."
He said the number of victims of human rights violations is growing, with armed groups fighting in the eastern provinces responsible for most of these violations, including "deadly attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals."
He said sexual violence is spreading despite efforts to prevent and investigate cases.
"The armed groups take people prisoners, subject women and girls to sexual slavery. Many of them have been killed after being raped. These cases, of course, have not all been reported. This is atrocious," he said.
"Human rights violations committed by the defense and security forces during their military operations against armed groups, also remain of concern," he said noting that hate speech and other incitement to discrimination and violence "are fueling the conflict and increasing political tensions across the country."
Türk appealed to countries of influence to use their power to ensure the fighting stops, stating that "any role played by Rwanda in supporting the M23 in North Kivu, and by any other country supporting armed groups active in the DRC, must end."
Responding to Türk's comments, DRC Minister of Human Rights Chantal Shambu Mwavita said her government has made great progress in protecting human rights, in spite of challenges posed by the war in the east.
Alluding to Rwanda, she pointed her finger at so-called "negative forces" supporting the armed groups from the outside. She "called on the international community to condemn these actions strongly and to impose targeted sanctions on Rwanda for its destabilizing role."
Mwavita said the war in the eastern provinces is closely linked to the seizure and illegal exploitation of her country's natural resources by Rwanda and other countries.
She also demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Rwandan troops from DRC territory.
North Kivu and surrounding provinces of the eastern DRC have been wracked by violence for decades, as armed groups battle for control of the region's rich natural resources.
Rwanda has denied supporting the M23 rebels, with Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe renewing that denial on Saturday. The minister, who was attending a two-day "Francophonie" summit in Paris, accused his Congolese counterpart of refusing to sign "an agreed deal" to resolve the M23 rebel conflict in the DRC.
On Tuesday, Rwanda's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, James Ngango, also expressed concern about the escalation of abuse and human rights violations in the eastern DRC, "particularly sexual violation and violation against children in the region affected by armed conflict and inter community conflicts," he said.
He said Rwanda remains committed to dialogue and the regional peace processes. He said, "No military solution can address the root causes of the conflict in eastern DRC."
It is unclear whether the DRC's demand for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces will be met, nor is it clear if and when MONUSCO, the U.N.'s peacekeeping force, will withdraw from the country as demanded by the government of Felix Tshisekedi.
The U.N. says the peacekeepers, who were supposed to leave by the end of the year, apparently have been given a reprieve. Several thousand soldiers remain in North and South Kivu and Ituri provinces.
Bintou Keita, special representative of the secretary-general in the DRC and head of MONUSCO, made little reference to the potential consequences for the stability of the DRC once U.N. peacekeepers leave the country.
However, she painted a worrying picture of human rights in the DRC due to "the deteriorating security situation" in the eastern provinces from attacks on civilians, "causing loss of human lives and mass displacements of peoples towards Kinshasa and Kisangani."
"The M23, in the quest for territorial gains, extended its hold on territories towards Lubero Kanyabayonga, which was captured in late June after intense fighting. Hospitals and IDP sites were deliberately targeted by M23. Several civilians fled their homes, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis," she said.
She affirmed that MONUSCO "will continue to provide its support to the DRC … in strict conformity with the U.N. human rights due diligence policy, including support for the establishment of the human rights compliance framework."
Keita added, "The return of peace to the DRC will come about through pooled military and non-military efforts to find lasting solutions, both national and regional."
Conflict in the DRC has come at a high price. The United Nations said the country is struggling with twin humanitarian crises — an internal displacement crisis and a food crisis. It reports that 7.2 million people currently are internally displaced, and nearly 26 million face acute hunger.
