As intense clashes persist between the Twirweneho militia, allied with the AFC/M23, and the Congolese army (FARDC) supported by its allies across the highlands of Fizi and Mwenga in South Kivu, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, voiced his profound concern from Geneva.
This volatile region within the Mitumba mountain range has been engulfed in fighting since June. Rebel factions have seized control of several areas, including Point Zéro, a strategic location fiercely contested by all parties for months. Türk highlighted that both sides have deployed armed drones, heavy artillery, and other explosive weaponry in densely populated civilian zones.
“It is deeply troubling that, despite agreements reached within ongoing peace processes, fighting continues relentlessly in eastern the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing, injuring, and displacing civilians, and destroying their livelihoods,” Türk stated, following severe confrontations near Mulima village in Fizi on July 4th and 5th.
The High Commissioner raised his voice, demanding an immediate cessation of military hostilities, specifically mentioning the use of long-range heavy armaments.
“I implore the Congolese armed forces and the M23 to immediately refrain from any further violence and to act urgently to de-escalate tensions. I also call on both parties to take concrete measures to safeguard civilians in Mulima and throughout the broader Fizi and Mwenga Highlands region. The deployment of wide-area explosive weapons in inhabited areas carries devastating consequences and must cease,” he emphasized.
The senior UN official expressed apprehension regarding potential massive population displacements resulting from these battles, including movements towards neighboring countries. Such movements risk triggering further violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, encompassing illegal executions and conflict-related sexual violence.
He further urged Rwanda to discontinue its support for the M23 and to withdraw its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Concurrently, he called upon Congolese authorities to redouble their ongoing efforts to demobilize, disarm, and repatriate members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) armed group.
Türk implored regional actors and the international community to take prompt action to prevent further escalation of violence in the high and mid-plateau regions of South Kivu, building upon existing political and diplomatic initiatives.