UN rights office warns of summary killings and rape in eastern Congo

Congolese potential recruits for the M23 rebel group react in a truck as they are taken to training centres run by M23 rebels, amid clashes between M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), in Goma, North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 30, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi

GENEVA (Reuters) - The worsening conflict in eastern Congo has led to a surge in human rights violations including summary executions, the bombing of displacement camps, reports of gang rape and other sexual violence, the U.N. rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday.

The recent sharp escalation in fighting between Congolese troops and the Rwandan-backed rebel group M23 has further destabilised Democratic Republic of Congo's conflict-torn eastern provinces. Each side blames the other for the violence.