 "Rape, kidnapping, home invasion, and looting: Crime surges in M23 held areas in DR Congo")
The conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to rage on, shattering to pieces the lives of innocent civilians.
The M23 rebels, supported by Rwandan forces are facing off the Congolese army its armed allies.
M23 rebels continue to push deeper into the resource rich eastern DRC. The capital of the North Kivu province, Goma, had fallen last month. Then, just over a week ago, M23 fighters took control of South Kivu provincial capital Bukavu.
The onslaught has killed 7,000 people, according to the Congolese premier, Judith Suminwa Tuluka.
Crimes have surged in M23 rebel controlled areas. The plight of the common people, including children, is heartbreaking.
Rape and sexual violence against children
On February 13, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported a shocking increase in sexual violence against children in North and South Kivu provinces.
Between January 27 and February 2, UNICEF partners reported a five-fold increase in the number of rape cases treated across 42 health facilities. “Of those treated, 30 per cent were children. The true figures are likely much higher because so many survivors are reluctant to come forward,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell had said back then.
She mentioned one particularly horrific incident, where a mother recounted how her six daughters were systematically raped by armed men while they were searching for food. She said the youngest of her girls was a child of just 12 years of age.
Impact Shorts
View AllThese reports are not new. During the M23’s occupation of Goma in late January, Human Rights Watch documented at least 36 cases of rape by M23 fighters. That included a 10-year-old girl who died from her injuries. The violence appears to be targeted, as 18 wives of army soldiers were also subjected to this horrific act.
Towards the end of last month, there was a jailbreak in Goma. At the time, over 160 female inmates of the prison were reportedly raped and then burned alive.
Kidnappings and forced recruitment
According to a UN report published Monday (February 24), there has been a surge in crimes like kidnapping.
“With parties to the conflict calling for the mobilisation of young fighters, recruitment rates will likely accelerate. Reports indicate that children as young as 12 are being recruited or coerced into joining armed groups.”
Even prior to the recent escalation of the crisis, the recruitment of children into armed groups was already increasing in the region.
Looting and home invasions
An increase in crime and insecurity against humanitarian workers has been reported in South Kivu, particularly in Bukavu and Uvira, where rape and looting have also been documented, according to UN aid partners.
Tragically, this is not new either. As M23 rebels advanced on Bukavu in mid-February 2025, widespread looting was reported throughout the city.
The World Food Programme’s depot in Bukavu, containing 6,800 metric tons of food supplies, was looted, according to a recent report by BBC.
Killings
Human Rights Watch also documented at least 24 cases of summary executions by M23 fighters during their occupation of Goma and nearby areas.
The victims included government officials, judicial officers, human rights activists, and civilians who resisted looting or forced recruitment.
No resolution in sight
Despite this, a resolution to the conflict does not appear in sight, despite calls from the international community.
“This is a moment where we will see if international humanitarian law can withstand the demands that the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo insist upon, which is the equal application of the law,” the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan had said after he arrived in the country on Tuesday (February 25).
“The people of the DRC are as precious as… the people of Ukraine, the people of Israel or Palestine, girls or women of Afghanistan,” he added.
Whther the international community treats them as such remains to be seen.
With inputs from agencies
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