The United Nations Group of Experts has been unequivocal: its final report, released on June 11, 2026, identifies AFC/M23 as the non-state armed group responsible for the largest share of violations of international humanitarian law in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Systematic executions, destruction of villages, burning of livelihoods in the chieftaincies of Bwito and Bwisha in Rutshuru, and a humanitarian blockade in Minembwe that cuts off the Banyamulenge population from essential goods—the catalog of atrocities is damning.
Conflict-related sexual violence, for which the UN records AFC/M23 as the primary perpetrator, has reached what are described as “unprecedented” levels since 2024, with women and girls disproportionately affected.
The report also notes that the FARDC, on their side, constitute the main state actor responsible for violations. This dual designation implicates all belligerents and complicates the narrative of a conflict that some seek to portray as a simple external aggression.
More Stories
Gabon reforms public services by splitting water and electricity sectors
Gabon and Togo constitutional courts forge strategic partnership in Libreville
Un rapport onusien confirme le soutien militaire rwandais à l’afc/m23 dans l’est de la rdc