The resurgence of armed conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has deepened an already dire humanitarian crisis, particularly in North Kivu and Ituri provinces—regions under a state of siege since May 2021. Despite multiple peace agreements, including the June 27, 2025 pact signed in Washington and endorsed by leaders from Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo on November 4, 2025, as well as the Doha framework agreement inked on November 15, 2025, between Democratic Republic of the Congo and the AFC/M23 alliance to halt atrocities in North Kivu and South Kivu, the situation remains volatile. Recent clashes have now spread to Uvira, underscoring the fragility of ceasefire mechanisms.

According to verified reports, the escalating conflict has claimed over 10,000 lives within a year, displaced millions internally and across borders, and intensified a severe humanitarian emergency. Security forces, state-backed militias, and non-state armed groups—including the M23/AFC, reportedly supported by Rwanda—are frequently implicated in grave human rights violations, such as torture and cruel treatment, as defined under Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The deteriorating security environment has also severely restricted civic space. Public protests have been banned, press freedom eroded, and civil society organizations face relentless interference. Human rights defenders, journalists, political opponents, and activists have been forced into exile, silenced through arbitrary arrests, torture, and intimidation—further weakening national capacities to document abuses and seek justice for victims.

This joint submission is prepared by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), in partnership with local members of the SOS-Torture Network in Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the Alliance for the Universality of Fundamental Rights (AUDF), Afia Mama, SOS Multidimensional Legal Information (SOS IJM), and Voices of the Voiceless for Human Rights (VSV). It is submitted ahead of Democratic Republic of the Congo‘s upcoming review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.