DAKAR, Senegal — On Thursday, the United Nations children’s fund reported alarming incidents of child rapes in eastern Congo, allegedly involving armed individuals from both sides of the ongoing conflict. The accusations emerged as rebel groups continue to broaden their influence and displace government forces in the tumultuous region.
UNICEF highlighted that recent developments in the mineral-rich provinces of North and South Kivu have led to severe violations against children, including frequent instances of rape and other forms of sexual violence, described by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell as unprecedented in recent history.
Russell recounts hearing from a mother who tragically shared that her six daughters, the youngest being just 12 years old, were repeatedly assaulted by armed men while they were out in search of food.
According to UNICEF’s communications chief in Congo, Lianne Gutcher, health facilities reported an astonishing total of 572 rape cases during the week from January 27 to February 2, marking a significant increase compared to the previous week. Out of those, 170 victims were children. Gutcher indicated that while the perpetrators were armed men, it remains unclear which specific group or army they were affiliated with, noting that sexual violence was likely perpetrated by all factions involved in the conflict.
The M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, are major players among the over 100 armed groups vying for power in Congo’s mineral-rich eastern regions, an ongoing conflict that has resulted in one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises. A key moment in this escalation occurred when M23 forces seized control of Goma, the largest city in the area, at the end of January.
In response to the recent spate of violence, the United Nations Human Rights Council has initiated a commission to investigate war crimes, including sexual assaults and extrajudicial killings purportedly committed by both the Congolese military and the M23 rebels this year.
A separate trial began in Bukavu, where 84 Congolese soldiers are facing charges including murder and rape connected to the violence in the eastern part of the country. Although Bukavu is held by government forces, the advancing rebel offensive poses significant risks to the area.
Additionally, Congo’s Health Minister Roger Kamba reported that 143 patients undergoing treatment for mpox escaped from hospitals in Goma amid the insurgent push into the city. Although some of these patients have been located or returned voluntarily, a total of 110 individuals remain unaccounted for.
The minister also noted that Goma has experienced almost 100 cholera cases since the resurgence of the rebel offensive, further complicating the public health crisis now that the city is entirely under rebel control. Kamba announced that with the assistance of various aid organizations, Congolese authorities have managed to dispatch vaccines, medical supplies, and medicine to Goma through a humanitarian channel connecting Kenya and Rwanda, although specific details of these operations were not disclosed.
