The 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council opened on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, providing a platform for the UN to review human rights situations globally.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, rights abuses persist, particularly in the east, where civilians endure drone strikes and other violations. In the west, rights groups denounce arbitrary arrests and detention in secret locations.
Documented abuses, rare prosecutions
Human rights organisations describe the situation in DR Congo as deeply worrying, both in the east, partly controlled by the AFC/M23, and in the west, under government administration.
“The UN continues to document these violations, as do international and local organisations. On government-held territory, people are held in official prisons or secret cells without knowing the charges against them. Those responsible within institutions are rarely prosecuted,” said Jean-Claude Katende, president of the African Association for Human Rights (ASADHO), which repeatedly denounces impunity.
CNDH calls for sanctions against AFC/M23
The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) attributes the most severe abuses to the AFC/M23. It has urged the international community to impose sanctions on the rebels.
“We deplore extreme human rights violations and attacks on the right to life in areas under M23 occupation. These are violations affecting the core of human rights. Across the national territory, we will demonstrate in Geneva that violations also occur, but they fall into the traditional category requiring conditions like a strong economy,” stressed Paul Nsapu, CNDH president.
Beyond Geneva debates, rights defenders in DR Congo demand concrete action. For them, the central issue remains justice: documenting abuses, identifying perpetrators, and ending impunity.
