Torture, unlawful detentions, and impunity fuel deepening crisis in war-torn DRC

The resurgence of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation, particularly in North Kivu and Ituri provinces—under siege since May 2021. Despite peace accords, including the Washington agreement signed on June 27, 2025, and ratified by Rwandan and Congolese leaders on November 4, 2025, as well as the Doha framework signed on November 15, 2025, between the DRC and the M23/AFC aimed at ending atrocities in North and South Kivu, violence has escalated. The conflict has now spread to Uvira, exposing the fragility of ceasefire mechanisms.

In less than a year, armed conflict has claimed over 10,000 lives, displaced millions internally, and triggered a massive refugee crisis. Security forces, state-backed militias, and non-state armed groups—including the M23/AFC with alleged Rwandan support—are repeatedly linked to severe human rights violations, including torture and cruel treatment as defined under Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The escalation has also constricted civic space, with public protests banned, press freedom curtailed, and civil society organizations under siege. Human rights defenders, journalists, political opponents, and activists face exile, arbitrary arrests, torture, and intimidation, severely limiting domestic avenues for justice and accountability.

This joint submission, led by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in partnership with SOS-Torture Network members in the DRC—Alliance for Universal Fundamental Rights (AUDF), Afia Mama, SOS Multidimensional Legal Information (SOS IJM), and Voices of the Voiceless for Human Rights (VSV)—is submitted ahead of the review of the DRC’s periodic report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.