The United Nations human rights office has accused both Congo’s armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of committing widespread atrocities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, including gang rape, sexual slavery, torture, killings of civilians, and other grave abuses over the past year.
A fact-finding team that visited the region between March and August reported that war crimes and crimes against humanity may have been committed since late 2024, when fighting escalated and M23 rebels captured the strategic city of Goma in January.
“The atrocities described in this report are horrific… it is heartbreaking and deeply frustrating to witness once again the dehumanization of the civilian population,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN rights office, quoting High Commissioner Volker Türk.
The conflict has killed about 3,000 people, displaced thousands more, and fueled fears of a wider regional war while worsening one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Reports of sexual violence, particularly against women and girls, have sharply increased.
The UN report detailed systematic abuses by M23 rebels, including summary executions, torture, forced recruitment, and prolonged sexual violence designed to degrade victims. Congo’s army (FARDC) and allied militias such as Wazalendo were also accused of deliberate civilian killings, mass rapes, and looting, often carried out in coordinated attacks across multiple areas.
The UN stressed that both the DRC and Rwandan governments bear responsibility for supporting armed groups with known records of abuses and for failing to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.
The findings will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council when its monthlong session opens on Monday.
