Civilians bear the brunt of 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 the state of human rights 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 endure numerous abuses, including drone strikes. In the west, several human rights organizations are raising alarms over arbitrary arrests and detentions in secret locations.

Documented abuses, but perpetrators rarely prosecuted

Human rights groups describe the situation in the DRC as deeply troubling, both in the east, which is partially under the control of the AFC/M23, and in the west, which is administered by the Congolese authorities.

“The United Nations continues to document these human rights violations, as do international and local organizations. On government-controlled territory, individuals are being held in official prisons or clandestine cells without knowing the charges against them. Those responsible within state institutions are rarely brought to justice,” explains Jean-Claude Katende, president of the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO), which has consistently denounced this impunity.

National commission demands sanctions against AFC/M23

For the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), the most severe human rights violations are largely attributable to the AFC/M23. The CNDH recalls that it has called on the international community to impose sanctions on the rebels.

“We deplore the extreme human rights violations and attacks on the right to life in the areas occupied by the M23 rebels. These are violations that strike at the very core of human rights. Of course, across the national territory, we will demonstrate in Geneva that there are also human rights violations, but these fall into the 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 are primarily demanding action. For them, the key issue remains justice: documenting violations, identifying perpetrators, and ending impunity.