“We are deeply concerned about the increasing risk of an attack by the M23 armed group in Goma, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in North Kivu province,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, said in Geneva on Friday.
“Any such attack in Goma risks having a devastating impact on thousands of people, putting them at risk of human rights violations and abuses,” he said.
Ravina Shamdasani said, “The (Human Rights) High Commissioner (Volker Turk) has emphasized many times that sexual violence is a major element of this struggle – it is a frightening element.”
He said, “Armed groups kidnap women and girls, hold them captive and keep them in sexual slavery; and many of them are killed after being raped.”
Since the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO from South Kivu in June 2024, UNV peace guards have protected prominent sites in North Kivu, including Goma and Sek. Fighting between M23, Congress Armed Forces and many other armed groups continues in these areas.
Thousands of people are displaced
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency – UNHCR, since the beginning of this year, nearly 4 lakh people have been displaced in North and South Africa.
UNHCR spokesman Matt Saltmarsh expressed the humanitarian crisis in the region, noting that camps for people displaced by the violence in South and North Kivu have been “bombed”. This crisis has disappeared from the eyes of the outside world.
Matt Saltmarshaw said the recent attacks have caused panic among the public, leaving large numbers displaced.
He said, “UNHCR staff are present on the ground in Goma, wherever they can help and wherever they can reach, they are helping the displaced people. But you can understand, reaching this point at this point in time is very challenging.”
Gutres warning
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed concern over the retaking of the M33 by rebels in eastern DRC and the “catastrophic impact” on civilians on Thursday amid the development.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Antonio Guterres referred to the alleged occupation of Rwanda-backed rebels – M3 – in South Kivu, which posed a “threat” for the regional capital Goma.
He said that from this situation, “the threat of regional war is increasing”.
Meanwhile, Rwanda has denied direct involvement with M33 fighters.
The UN chief’s statement added, “The Secretary-General calls on M-23 to cease its attacks, withdraw from all its territories and follow the cease-fire agreement of 31 July 2024.”
OHCR spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani echoed the secretary-general’s concerns, reiterating Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk’s plea that “all countries that have influence over the parties concerned in the region seek to implement this ceasefire and stop the fighting.”
Ravina Shamdasani said M23 has enough money and “as the High Commissioner has said before, any role Rwanda has played in supporting M23 in North Kivu – and anyone supporting armed groups active in the DRC – is being supported by other countries. That should be off
“The people of the DRC are tired of the violence, tired of the fighting, tired of the horrors of their daily lives and this situation cannot be allowed to get worse,” he stressed.