In February 2025, the UN Human Rights Council convened urgently to address escalating human rights abuses in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly in North Kivu and South Kivu. This led to the establishment of a fact-finding mission designed to investigate grave violations and breaches of international humanitarian law amid intensifying conflicts involving the M23 group and DRC government forces. Hundreds of thousands have had to flee their homes, facing dire humanitarian crises in IDP camps, with Goma, once a bustling capital, now under M23 control.
During the session, Council members fervently denounced various human rights violations, including conflict-related sexual violence, summary executions, and targeted attacks on activists and healthcare facilities. The situation demands urgent action, with calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities from both the M23 and the Rwanda Defense Force, which has been condemned for its military aid to the rebels, worsening the humanitarian landscape in the region.
The fact-finding mission aims to uncover the root causes of these atrocities and systematically document evidence, including interviews and forensic data, to aid potential legal proceedings. By preserving information regarding violations, particularly those affecting women and children, the mission seeks to establish accountability for the perpetrators and eradicate impunity.
In tandem, an independent commission of inquiry will be formed, composed of three experts in international human rights and humanitarian law, to continue the mission’s vital work. Their insights will be pivotal in crafting recommendations aimed at restoring justice and addressing the systemic issues underlying the crisis.
As conditions worsen in the DRC, humanitarian organisations are calling for an urgent $2.54 billion to respond to escalating needs. With approximately 21.2 million Congolese facing the harsh realities of conflict and disaster, the fact-finding mission is crucial to monitoring the situation and fulfilling the humanitarian response, albeit amidst the ongoing turbulence instigated by M23’s violent incursions.
In February 2025, the UN Human Rights Council established a fact-finding mission to investigate serious human rights violations in the DRC’s North and South Kivu provinces. This decision follows intensifying violence from the M23 group and significant humanitarian crises, resulting in mass displacement. The mission aims to document evidence of abuses while an independent commission will ensure continued oversight and accountability efforts in the DRC.
The UN’s establishment of a fact-finding mission and an independent commission of inquiry marks a critical step in addressing the grave human rights violations in the DRC. With the pressing need for accountability, systematic documentation of abuses, and the implementation of recommendations, these efforts aim to tackle the root causes of impunity and restore order in a region fraught with suffering. Urgent funding and support are essential to alleviate the humanitarian crisis affecting millions of Congolese.
Original Source: www.forbes.com
