On Tuesday, the United Nations’ Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, delivered a significant report on the ongoing human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in the conflict-ridden eastern regions of the country. Al-Nashif’s report, delivered to the Human Rights Council, highlighted the escalating humanitarian crisis in the wake of the renewed offensive by the M23 armed group, which has been supported by Rwanda. This offensive, which started earlier this year, has compounded the already dire human rights situation in the DRC.
Al-Nashif began her remarks by stressing the severity of the situation, noting that the offensive by the M23 group in the North and South Kivu provinces has intensified the already critical human rights and humanitarian crisis in the region. She explained that the violence in these areas has led to an alarming surge in civilian casualties and displacement, as well as the widespread violation of fundamental human rights. “This year’s offensive by the M23 armed group, backed by Rwanda, in the North and South Kivu provinces has intensified an already critical human rights and humanitarian crisis in Eastern DRC,” Al-Nashif said.
The ongoing conflict, combined with the intervention of foreign-backed armed groups, has had a devastating impact on the population of the DRC. Over the past few months, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) has been working tirelessly to provide technical assistance to local authorities. This assistance has focused on reinforcing the rule of law, promoting transitional justice, and combating impunity within the country’s justice system. However, despite the UN’s efforts, the violence and insecurity in the region have hindered the full implementation of these programs.
“The extent of violence and insecurity has hindered our Office’s ability to fully fulfill this mandate. Nonetheless, with our support, trials have taken place that led to the conviction of a warlord and former militia members for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape, and sexual slavery,” Al-Nashif remarked. These prosecutions have brought some measure of accountability to the region, but the scale of the violence remains overwhelming.
One of the most troubling trends in the DRC has been the increasing number of extrajudicial killings. According to the UN, since the beginning of 2025, there have been 602 victims of extrajudicial executions carried out by all factions involved in the conflict in North and South Kivu. These targeted killings have further exacerbated the already dire situation for civilians caught in the crossfire. In the northeastern Ituri province, multiple armed groups, including the M23 and local militias, continue to commit atrocities, including killing, injuring, and abducting civilians. Additionally, DRC forces and their allies have also been implicated in the abuse of civilians.
Sexual violence, particularly in the form of conflict-related sexual violence, remains rampant in the DRC. Al-Nashif emphasized that this form of violence is being perpetrated by all sides in the conflict. In a stark revelation, she noted that reported cases of sexual violence had increased by more than 270 percent from January to February 2025. This alarming spike underscores the persistent use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, which has long been a feature of the conflict in the DRC.
Beyond the immediate physical violence, the DRC is also facing a severe food security crisis. Nearly 26 million people, or nearly a quarter of the country’s total population, are currently experiencing emergency and crisis levels of food insecurity. This humanitarian disaster is compounded by the displacement of millions of people due to the conflict. Approximately 7.8 million people are displaced within the DRC, with 3.8 million of them residing in the Kivu provinces alone. The continuing violence and instability have disrupted food production, access to markets, and humanitarian aid efforts.
The conflict has also had a devastating impact on education. Thousands of schools have been closed, destroyed, repurposed as emergency shelters, or occupied by armed groups. As a result, over 1.6 million children in eastern DRC have been deprived of access to education, which will have long-term implications for the country’s future stability and development.
In her remarks, Al-Nashif emphasized that any lasting solution to the crisis in the DRC must address the root causes of the conflict, including the unlawful exploitation of the country’s vast natural resources. She called on the government of the DRC to adopt a stronger and more determined approach in combating corruption, impunity, and hate speech—elements that have fueled the conflict for decades. The exploitation of natural resources, often by foreign companies and armed groups, continues to drive the conflict and create incentives for further violence.
“Any strategy aimed at achieving lasting peace must address the fundamental causes of the conflict, particularly the unlawful exploitation of the nation’s natural resources. The DRC government must adopt a strong and unwavering approach against corruption, impunity, and hate speech, regardless of who is responsible,” Al-Nashif stated.
The Deputy High Commissioner also called for the expedited implementation of transitional justice processes in the DRC, including the completion of inclusive national consultations. The national policy on transitional justice, which has been developed with assistance from the UN Human Rights Office, holds promise for the country’s future efforts in truth-telling and reconciliation. The completion of these processes is essential to addressing the legacy of human rights violations in the DRC and ensuring that future generations can live in peace.
“As an Office, we will persist in supporting these efforts whenever possible. This includes providing forensic expertise, logistical and financial assistance, and support for victims and witnesses. We are also dedicated to aiding the reform of the Penal Code to incorporate provisions that classify hate speech as a serious offense,” Al-Nashif remarked.
With nearly 30 years of conflict and more than six million fatalities, Al-Nashif underscored the point that there is no military solution to the crisis in the DRC. She urged local, national, and regional leaders to prioritize dialogue over personal gain, greed, and violence. Only through dialogue and negotiation can a sustainable peace be achieved.
The international community must also take decisive and urgent steps to promote lasting peace in the DRC. Al-Nashif stressed that states and private enterprises benefiting from the illegal exploitation of the country’s natural resources must cease to operate behind opaque and convoluted supply chains. Without effective and immediate measures, the violence in the DRC could spill over into neighboring countries, destabilizing the entire region.
In conclusion, Al-Nashif’s report serves as a powerful reminder of the scale of suffering in the DRC and the urgent need for international action. The violations of human rights—many of which could be classified as international crimes—must come to an end, and accountability must be ensured for all those responsible. The people of the DRC deserve peace, security, and justice, and it is incumbent upon the global community to take meaningful action to end the violence and create the conditions for lasting peace in the region.
Here is the expanded and professionalized version of the article with all the details included, along with a simple headline:
Human Rights Crisis in DRC: UN Deputy High Commissioner Calls for Urgent Action
On Tuesday, the United Nations’ Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, delivered a significant report on the ongoing human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in the conflict-ridden eastern regions of the country. Al-Nashif’s report, delivered to the Human Rights Council, highlighted the escalating humanitarian crisis in the wake of the renewed offensive by the M23 armed group, which has been supported by Rwanda. This offensive, which started earlier this year, has compounded the already dire human rights situation in the DRC.
Al-Nashif began her remarks by stressing the severity of the situation, noting that the offensive by the M23 group in the North and South Kivu provinces has intensified the already critical human rights and humanitarian crisis in the region. She explained that the violence in these areas has led to an alarming surge in civilian casualties and displacement, as well as the widespread violation of fundamental human rights. “This year’s offensive by the M23 armed group, backed by Rwanda, in the North and South Kivu provinces has intensified an already critical human rights and humanitarian crisis in Eastern DRC,” Al-Nashif said.
The ongoing conflict, combined with the intervention of foreign-backed armed groups, has had a devastating impact on the population of the DRC. Over the past few months, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) has been working tirelessly to provide technical assistance to local authorities. This assistance has focused on reinforcing the rule of law, promoting transitional justice, and combating impunity within the country’s justice system. However, despite the UN’s efforts, the violence and insecurity in the region have hindered the full implementation of these programs.
“The extent of violence and insecurity has hindered our Office’s ability to fully fulfill this mandate. Nonetheless, with our support, trials have taken place that led to the conviction of a warlord and former militia members for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape, and sexual slavery,” Al-Nashif remarked. These prosecutions have brought some measure of accountability to the region, but the scale of the violence remains overwhelming.
One of the most troubling trends in the DRC has been the increasing number of extrajudicial killings. According to the UN, since the beginning of 2025, there have been 602 victims of extrajudicial executions carried out by all factions involved in the conflict in North and South Kivu. These targeted killings have further exacerbated the already dire situation for civilians caught in the crossfire. In the northeastern Ituri province, multiple armed groups, including the M23 and local militias, continue to commit atrocities, including killing, injuring, and abducting civilians. Additionally, DRC forces and their allies have also been implicated in the abuse of civilians.
Sexual violence, particularly in the form of conflict-related sexual violence, remains rampant in the DRC. Al-Nashif emphasized that this form of violence is being perpetrated by all sides in the conflict. In a stark revelation, she noted that reported cases of sexual violence had increased by more than 270 percent from January to February 2025. This alarming spike underscores the persistent use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, which has long been a feature of the conflict in the DRC.
Beyond the immediate physical violence, the DRC is also facing a severe food security crisis. Nearly 26 million people, or nearly a quarter of the country’s total population, are currently experiencing emergency and crisis levels of food insecurity. This humanitarian disaster is compounded by the displacement of millions of people due to the conflict. Approximately 7.8 million people are displaced within the DRC, with 3.8 million of them residing in the Kivu provinces alone. The continuing violence and instability have disrupted food production, access to markets, and humanitarian aid efforts.
The conflict has also had a devastating impact on education. Thousands of schools have been closed, destroyed, repurposed as emergency shelters, or occupied by armed groups. As a result, over 1.6 million children in eastern DRC have been deprived of access to education, which will have long-term implications for the country’s future stability and development.
In her remarks, Al-Nashif emphasized that any lasting solution to the crisis in the DRC must address the root causes of the conflict, including the unlawful exploitation of the country’s vast natural resources. She called on the government of the DRC to adopt a stronger and more determined approach in combating corruption, impunity, and hate speech—elements that have fueled the conflict for decades. The exploitation of natural resources, often by foreign companies and armed groups, continues to drive the conflict and create incentives for further violence.
“Any strategy aimed at achieving lasting peace must address the fundamental causes of the conflict, particularly the unlawful exploitation of the nation’s natural resources. The DRC government must adopt a strong and unwavering approach against corruption, impunity, and hate speech, regardless of who is responsible,” Al-Nashif stated.
The Deputy High Commissioner also called for the expedited implementation of transitional justice processes in the DRC, including the completion of inclusive national consultations. The national policy on transitional justice, which has been developed with assistance from the UN Human Rights Office, holds promise for the country’s future efforts in truth-telling and reconciliation. The completion of these processes is essential to addressing the legacy of human rights violations in the DRC and ensuring that future generations can live in peace.
“As an Office, we will persist in supporting these efforts whenever possible. This includes providing forensic expertise, logistical and financial assistance, and support for victims and witnesses. We are also dedicated to aiding the reform of the Penal Code to incorporate provisions that classify hate speech as a serious offense,” Al-Nashif remarked.
With nearly 30 years of conflict and more than six million fatalities, Al-Nashif underscored the point that there is no military solution to the crisis in the DRC. She urged local, national, and regional leaders to prioritize dialogue over personal gain, greed, and violence. Only through dialogue and negotiation can a sustainable peace be achieved.
The international community must also take decisive and urgent steps to promote lasting peace in the DRC. Al-Nashif stressed that states and private enterprises benefiting from the illegal exploitation of the country’s natural resources must cease to operate behind opaque and convoluted supply chains. Without effective and immediate measures, the violence in the DRC could spill over into neighboring countries, destabilizing the entire region.
In conclusion, Al-Nashif’s report serves as a powerful reminder of the scale of suffering in the DRC and the urgent need for international action. The violations of human rights—many of which could be classified as international crimes—must come to an end, and accountability must be ensured for all those responsible. The people of the DRC deserve peace, security, and justice, and it is incumbent upon the global community to take meaningful action to end the violence and create the conditions for lasting peace in the region.
