Since January, ongoing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has resulted in approximately 7,000 deaths, according to Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka’s statement at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The conflict has also displaced 450,000 people, following the destruction of 90 displacement camps. The M23 rebel group’s advance, seizing strategic territories and valuable mineral resources, marks the most severe escalation in over a decade.
Tuluka urged the international community to impose “dissuasive sanctions” as the region endures mass displacement, summary executions, and severe human rights violations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the crisis, stating that human rights are being “suffocated” globally.
Meanwhile, the DRC government has faced criticism for its military approach, particularly after successive defeats in North and South Kivu provinces.
