The 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council opened in Geneva, Switzerland, this Monday, providing a platform for the UN to review human rights situations worldwide.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, human rights violations persist, particularly in the eastern part of the country, where civilians endure numerous abuses, including drone strikes. In the west, several human rights organizations denounce arbitrary arrests and detentions in secret locations.
Documented abuses, but perpetrators rarely prosecuted
Human rights groups describe the situation in DR Congo as highly concerning, both in the east, partially controlled by the AFC/M23, and in the west, administered by Congolese authorities.
“The United Nations continues to document these human rights violations, along with international and local organizations. On government-controlled territory, individuals are held in official prisons or clandestine cells without knowing the charges against them. Those responsible within institutions are rarely prosecuted,” explains Jean-Claude Katende, president of the African Association for Human Rights (ASADHO), which persistently denounces this impunity.
CNDH calls for sanctions against AFC/M23
The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) attributes the most severe human rights violations primarily to the AFC/M23. The CNDH has urged 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 area occupied by M23 rebels. These are violations that strike at the core of human rights. Across the national territory, we will demonstrate in Geneva that these are also human rights violations, but of a 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 DR Congo are demanding concrete action. For them, the key issue remains justice: documenting violations, identifying perpetrators, and ending impunity.
