UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif on DRC at Human Rights Council

“The offensive launched this year by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group in the North and South Kivu provinces has exacerbated an already dire human rights and humanitarian crisis in Eastern DRC,” she said.

The Deputy High Commissioner noted that since the last update to the Council in October, the UN Joint Human Rights Office has endeavored to provide technical support to the authorities to strengthen the rule of law, advance on transitional justice and enhance the fight against impunity, despite this latest wave of violence.

“The scale of violence and insecurity have hampered the ability of our Office fully to discharge this mandate. Nevertheless, with our assistance, trials were held that resulted in the conviction of a warlord and former militiamen for war crimes and crimes against humanity for murder, torture, rape and sexual slavery,” Al-Nashif said.

“Let me underline with grave concern that, since the beginning of the year, the UN has documented 602 victims of extrajudicial and summary execution committed by all parties to the conflict in North and South Kivu provinces alone. In Ituri province in the northeast, several groups continue to kill, maim and abduct civilians.”

“Meanwhile, DRC forces and their allies have also attacked civilians. Conflict-related sexual violence continues to run rampant and is being committed by all parties. Cases increased by more than 270 per cent from January to February,” she said.

Close to 26 million people, nearly a quarter of the population of the country, are experiencing emergency and crisis levels of food insecurity. In total, nearly 7.8 million people are displaced in the DRC, including 3.8 million in the Kivu provinces alone. Thousands of schools have been closed, destroyed, turned into emergency shelters or occupied by armed groups, and more than 1.6 million children in the eastern DRC are no longer in education

“Any plans for a sustainable peace must tackle the root causes of the conflict, including the illegal exploitation of the national wealth that lies in natural resources. The DRC authorities must also take a firm and consistent stand against corruption, impunity, and hate speech, by whomever committed,” she said.

The Deputy High Commissioner said that the transitional justice processes needed accelerating, including towards the finalization of inclusive national consultations. The DRC's national policy on transitional justice – developed with the support of UN Human Rights Office – carries the potential for meaningful future truth and reconciliation efforts.

“As an Office, we will continue to support this work wherever possible. This involves the provision of forensic expertise, logistical and financial resources, and support to victims and witnesses. We are also committed to supporting the reform of the Penal Code to integrate provisions that make hate speech a full-fledged offence,” Al-Nashif said.

“After almost three decades of war, and over six million deaths, it should be abundantly clear that there is no military solution to this conflict.”

Adding that the people of the DRC need local, national, and regional actors to demonstrate leadership and prioritise dialogue over self-interest, greed and violence. The international community must also take decisive, concrete and urgent action to facilitate a durable peace in the DRC.

“States and private companies that profit from natural resources exploited under dangerous and illegal conditions must stop hiding behind complex and shadowy supply chains,” she said.

“Without concrete action, current violence may well engulf the entire region. The risks of such catastrophe are growing by the day.”

Al-Nashif said there must be accountability for the extreme scale of suffering of civilians in the DRC. It is time for the international community to send a strong and unequivocal message to all parties that the violations and abuses, many potentially amounting to international crimes, must cease and be effectively addressed.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact:

In Geneva

Liz Throssell: + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org

Jeremy Laurence: +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org

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