Civilians bear the brunt of human rights abuses in DR Congo

The 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council opened this Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, providing a platform for the UN to review human rights situations across the globe.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for instance, human rights violations persist, particularly in the eastern part of the country, where civilian populations suffer numerous abuses, including drone strikes. In the west, several human rights organizations denounce arbitrary arrests and detentions in clandestine locations.

Documented abuses, but perpetrators rarely prosecuted

Human rights groups consider the situation in the DRC highly alarming, both in the east, partially controlled by the AFC/M23, and in the west, administered by Congolese authorities.

“There are the United Nations that continue to document these human rights violations, not to mention international and local organizations doing the same. In government-administered territory, there are people currently detained, either in official prisons or in secret cells, without knowing what they are accused of. The members of institutions responsible for these human rights violations are rarely prosecuted,” explains Jean-Claude Katende, president of the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO). The organization repeatedly denounces impunity.

CNDH calls for sanctions against AFC/M23

For the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH), the most severe human rights violations are mainly attributable to the AFC/M23. The CNDH recalls its appeal for the international community to mobilize and impose sanctions on the rebels.

“We deplore the extreme human rights violations and attacks on the right to life in the area occupied by M23 rebels. These are violations that strike at the core of human rights. Of course, across the entire national territory, we will demonstrate in Geneva that there are also human rights violations, but of a traditional category that requires conditions such as a strong economy,” insists Paul Nsapu, president of the CNDH.

Beyond the debates in Geneva, human rights defenders in the DRC primarily demand action. For them, the key issue remains justice: documenting violations, identifying perpetrators, and ending impunity.