UN reports conflict-related sexual violence in DR Congo, with armed groups responsible for majority of cases

ISTANBUL

The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) warned on Monday of widespread conflict-related sexual violence in the conflict-torn country, citing armed groups as responsible for the vast majority of cases documented in 2025.

The UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) documented 887 cases involving 1,534 victims, including 854 women and 672 girls, according to a statement from MONUSCO.

The eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu account for nearly 80% of all documented victims, it said.

UNJHRO identified armed groups as responsible for 75% of the victims, with the M23 rebel group accounting for the most (439), followed by Wazalendo fighters, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO), various Mai-Mai groups, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

It also expressed concern over the involvement of state actors, saying members of the army, police, and national intelligence agency were involved in nearly one in five cases of conflict-related sexual violence.

UNJHRO warned that rape is being used systematically as a weapon of war in Congo, with women and girls subjected to sexual slavery and a new generation of children facing stigma and exclusion.

It also highlighted the plight of children born of rape, who frequently face family rejection, lack civil registration, and remain at high risk of social exclusion and recruitment by armed groups.

MONUSCO said while 70% of survivors have access to emergency medical care, fewer than 2% receive comprehensive support, including legal, psychological, and social assistance.

“According to UNJHRO, this gap leaves thousands of survivors without the support needed to address the long-term physical and psychological consequences of the violence they have endured,” it added.

UNJHRO urged the Congolese authorities to fast-track justice and register children born of rape, called on armed groups to end sexual slavery and release captives, and appealed for greater international funding for long-term support for survivors.

UNJHRO, formed in 2008 by merging earlier UN human rights operations, has been tracking and reporting abuses in Congo, continuing a monitoring effort that began in the mid-1990s.