UN rights chief calls for urgent action to stem crisis in eastern DR Congo

GENEVA

The UN human rights chief on Tuesday called for urgent action to stem grave human rights crisis in Goma, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo under the control of rebels.

The M23 rebels, said to be backed by Rwanda, marched into Goma on Monday and declared the city under their control.

Heavy battles between M23 fighters and Congolese government forces have led to casualties, with hospitals said to be struggling to deal with the situation.

Volker Turk, in a statement, warned that the crisis in Goma has left civilians exposed to "gross human rights violations and abuses and serious violations of international humanitarian law."

Reminding all parties of their obligations under international law to protect civilians, Turk said: "As violence and urban combat escalate within Goma, civilians face grave risks – including from the use of explosive weapons such as mortars and artillery in populated areas."

"Expansion of the violence into other villages and towns will only deepen the already serious human rights crisis," he added, expressing fears that the fighting could spread to other key cities in North Kivu and to South Kivu Province.

Hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured violence, he stressed, referring to the displacement and difficult living conditions on the ground.

The human rights chief also highlighted the risk of a "general deterioration" in law and order in Goma after an estimated 4,763 prisoners escaped from Muzenze prison, Goma’s largest, a day earlier.

Turk expressed concern about the situation of human rights defenders, journalists and other civil society actors in Goma and called for their safety to be ensured. He also warned of a heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence.

He reminded "all parties to the conflict that their actions are being monitored, and that they will be held accountable for all serious violations and crimes they commit.​​​​​​​

M23 is one of hundreds of armed groups operating in the eastern DRC. It claims to be fighting for the rights of the DRC’s minority Tutsi population.