UN Experts Alarmed by Widespread Trafficking and Sexual Violence in Eastern DR Congo Amid Conflict

According to the experts, at least 531 cases of conflict-related sexual violence have been documented from August 2023 to June 2024 across the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika, and Maniema.

Independent UN experts have voiced deep concern over reports detailing widespread trafficking in persons, particularly for sexual slavery and exploitation, as well as a surge in child and forced marriages stemming from ongoing conflict and displacement in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to the experts, at least 531 cases of conflict-related sexual violence have been documented from August 2023 to June 2024 across the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika, and Maniema. They highlighted distressing allegations of displaced women and girls being abducted for purposes of sexual violence, exploitation, or slavery, often while engaged in routine activities such as searching for food or firewood.

The involvement of security and defense forces in these abhorrent practices, including sexual slavery, exploitation, violence, and child marriage, has raised serious alarms among the experts.

Of particular concern is the reported increase in child, early, and forced marriages, with experts noting the normalization of these violations of human rights. They underscored significant challenges in identifying trafficked individuals or those at risk, as well as accessing crucial protection services amidst the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.

The experts emphasized that the reported cases likely represent only a fraction of the actual incidents, citing barriers such as fear of reprisals from armed groups, social stigma, ineffective tracking of abducted victims who may be trafficked, and widespread impunity hindering victims from seeking assistance or reporting to authorities and UN entities.

In conflict-affected provinces like North and South Kivu, ongoing clashes between armed forces and non-state groups continue to displace large populations, exacerbating vulnerabilities and protection risks. Humanitarian and civil society organizations struggle to operate in these volatile areas, severely limiting displaced persons' access to essential resources such as food, education, and protection services. Young girls are particularly at risk of trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced marriage under these dire conditions.

Expressing further concern, the experts noted the closure of the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and its potential impact on early warning systems for human rights violations. They stressed the critical need for the DRC government to ensure unrestricted access for human rights actors throughout the country to document and prevent such atrocities, including conflict-related sexual violence and trafficking.

In their concluding remarks, the experts called upon all parties involved in the conflict in DRC, alongside the international community, to take urgent action to address these grave human rights violations. They urged strengthened efforts to enhance access to justice and remedies, combat impunity, and uphold international law to foster lasting peace and ensure accountability for perpetrators of these egregious crimes.