A United Nations human rights inquiry has raised concern over reports of unlawful killings and sexual violence against civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, warning that worsening insecurity has left communities exposed to serious abuses.
The independent commission, which is investigating the human rights situation in North and South Kivu provinces, told the UN Human Rights Council on Monday that people affected by the conflict had shared accounts pointing to a severe and worsening crisis.
According to the commission, civilians "have described an exceptionally grave human rights crisis marked by allegations of sexual violence and unlawful killings".
Eastern DR Congo has endured decades of conflict and instability. The latest violence comes as government forces continue fighting the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group in North and South Kivu, regions that are also grappling with an Ebola outbreak.
The commission said the security situation in the area has continued to deteriorate, leaving many residents vulnerable and without adequate protection.
"We have received deeply troubling accounts concerning children, conflict-related sexual violence, including sexual slavery, forced recruitment, unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, and attacks against schools and health facilities," said the commission head Arnauld Akodjenou.
The inquiry team was established by the UN Human Rights Council to examine alleged abuses in the conflict-affected provinces. It said it had already met witnesses and government officials in Kinshasa as part of its work.
The commission added that it hopes to travel to Goma, one of the key cities in the conflict zone, once security conditions allow such a visit.
However, the investigators stressed that their work remains at an early stage. They said the inquiry has not yet reached conclusions on the scale or nature of the alleged violations and is still gathering information.
The commission noted that it could not at this point "make findings on the nature or scope of violations" or "draw final conclusions" as investigations continue.