Ongoing human rights crisis in eastern DRC amid armed conflict: torture, illegal detentions and impunity
The escalation of armed conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has further deteriorated an already dire humanitarian situation in regions like North Kivu and Ituri, which have been under a state of siege since May 2021. Despite multiple peace agreements, including the pact signed in Washington on June 27, 2025, ratified by leaders from Rwanda and the DRC on November 4, 2025, and the framework agreement signed in Doha on November 15, 2025, between the DRC and the AFC/M23 to halt atrocities—particularly in North Kivu and South Kivu—the crisis persists. Conflict has since expanded into Uvira, exposing the fragility of ceasefire mechanisms.
Reliable data indicates that the armed conflict has resulted in over 10,000 deaths within a year, displaced millions internally and across borders, and deepened a severe humanitarian emergency. Within this volatile environment, security forces and non-state armed groups—including the AFC/M23 backed by Rwanda—are frequently implicated in grave human rights violations, including torture and inhumane treatment as defined under Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The worsening security climate has severely restricted civic space. Public gatherings have been banned, press freedom has been curtailed, and civil society organizations face relentless pressure. Human rights defenders, journalists, political opponents, and activists have been forced into exile due to threats, arbitrary arrests, torture, and intimidation, severely undermining the nation’s ability to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable.
This joint submission is presented by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in collaboration with local partners from the SOS-Torture Network in the DRC—including the Alliance for Universal Fundamental Rights (AUDF), Afia Mama, SOS Multidimensional Legal Information (SOS IJM), and Voice of the Voiceless for Human Rights (VSV)—in advance of the upcoming review of the DRC’s periodic report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
