The 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council opened in Geneva, Switzerland, this week, providing a platform to review human rights situations across the globe.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, violations continue unabated, particularly in the eastern regions where civilians face numerous abuses, including drone strikes. Meanwhile, in the western part of the country, several human rights organizations are raising alarms over arbitrary arrests and detentions in unacknowledged facilities.
Documented abuses, yet perpetrators rarely held accountable
Human rights groups describe the situation in the DRC as deeply worrying, both in the east—where the AFC/M23 holds partial control—and in the west, which remains under the administration of Congolese authorities.
“The United Nations continues to document these human rights violations, as do international and local organizations. In government-controlled areas, individuals are being held in official prisons or secret detention sites without knowing the charges against them. Those responsible within state institutions are seldom prosecuted,” explains Jean-Claude Katende, president of the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO). His organization has persistently highlighted the culture of impunity.
CNDH calls for sanctions against AFC/M23
The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) attributes the most severe human rights violations to the AFC/M23. The commission has urged the international community to impose sanctions on the rebel group.
“We deplore the extreme violations of human rights and attacks on the right to life in areas under M23 occupation. These are violations that strike at the very core of human rights. Across the national territory, we will demonstrate in Geneva that while these are also human rights violations, they fall into a more traditional category that demands conditions such as a strong economy,” insists Paul Nsapu, president of the CNDH.
Beyond the discussions in Geneva, human rights defenders in the DRC are calling for concrete action. For them, the central issue remains justice: documenting violations, identifying perpetrators, and ending impunity.