Nearly a million people have been displaced in Congo in one year, and the human rights situation is rapidly deteriorating, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.
Türk said an explosive mix of escalating violence, regional and international interests, exploitative companies, and weak rule of law is devastating a population already ravaged by decades of conflict.
Between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024, 85 percent of human rights violations and abuses in Congo occurred in the conflict-affected eastern provinces.
Members of armed groups are reported to be responsible for 61 percent of these incidents, including deadly attacks on civilians and infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.
Sexual violence is on the rise, with 700 new identified victims in the period under consideration. Armed groups abduct women and girls, imprison them, and turn them into sex slaves. Many are killed after being raped, Türk said, citing humanitarian sources.
The country has seen 940,000 additional displaced persons this year, bringing the total to more than 6.4 million, according to the High Commissioner.
The countries influencing the armed groups must do everything to stop the fighting, Türk urged. He singled out Rwanda for supporting the rebel M23 movement in North Kivu and called for an end to all foreign assistance to armed groups in Congo.
