un report implicates afc/m23 in widespread human rights abuses across eastern drc

A comprehensive report released on June 11, 2026, by the United Nations Group of Experts has unequivocally identified the Alliance for a Free Congo/M23 (AFC/M23) as the primary non-state armed group responsible for the most extensive violations of international humanitarian law in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The detailed findings paint a grim picture of systematic atrocities, including widespread executions, the deliberate destruction of villages, and the burning of essential livelihoods within the Bwito and Bwisha chiefdoms of Rutshuru. Additionally, the report highlights a severe humanitarian blockade imposed on Minembwe, effectively cutting off the Banyamulenge population from vital necessities.

Disturbingly, the UN report notes that conflict-related sexual violence, predominantly perpetrated by the AFC/M23, has escalated to what is described as “unprecedented” levels since 2024, with women and girls disproportionately bearing the brunt of these horrific acts.

Furthermore, the report points out that the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) are, on their part, the leading state actor implicated in violations. This dual designation complicates the prevailing narrative of the conflict, which some attempts to frame solely as an external aggression, underscoring the complex and multifaceted nature of the violence plaguing the region.