Widespread Human Rights Abuses in Eastern DRC Highlight Need for Accountability

In the midst of the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Amnesty International has released a new briefing highlighting the severity of human rights abuses committed by the Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement (M23) and the Wazalendo, a loose coalition of armed groups backed by the Congolese army. The briefing documents the gang rape of women and girls, summary killings, hospital attacks, and torture of civilians by M23 fighters. The situation is further complicated by the increasing militarization in the region, with M23 taking control of vast swaths of territory and the Wazalendo receiving large amounts of ammunition and weapons supplied by the Congolese army (FARDC).

Key Takeaways:

Amnesty International has documented the gang rape of 14 survivors, with eight attributing the abuse to M23 fighters, five to Wazalendo fighters, and one to FARDC soldiers.
M23 fighters have committed widespread human rights abuses, including summary killings, torture, and arbitrary detention of civilians, including civil society members, journalists, and lawyers.
Amnesty International interviewed over 53 victims and witnesses, including survivors of gang rape, victims of abuse, relative of those unlawfully killed, detained, or forcibly disappeared, and medical professionals.
The briefing details the increasing militarization in eastern DRC, with M23 taking control of vast swaths of territory and Wazalendo receiving large amounts of ammunition and weapons supplied by FARDC.
Amnesty International is calling on Rwanda and the DRC to hold all perpetrators accountable and ensure that those responsible for human rights abuses are brought to justice.
The organization is also urging the United States to push the Congolese government to implement a vetting mechanism to identify and remove armed group members and security force officials implicated in serious human rights abuses or violations.

Statistics:

14 survivors of gang rape were documented, with eight attributed to M23 fighters, five to Wazalendo fighters, and one to FARDC soldiers.
53 victims and witnesses were interviewed, including survivors of gang rape, victims of abuse, relative of those unlawfully killed, detained, or forcibly disappeared, and medical professionals.
12 civil society actors, human rights defenders, and journalists described how M23 tortured, forcibly disappeared, arbitrarily detained, or threatened them.
Five summary killings were documented by M23, including the summary killings of three men in Goma, a father and son in South Kivu.
M23 fighters attacked hospitals in Goma six times between February and May 2025.

Sources:

Amnesty International, "DRC: 'They said we would die': M23 and Wazalendo abuses in eastern Congo"
Amnesty International, "DRC: 'They said we would die': M23 and Wazalendo abuses in eastern Congo"
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International
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