At least nine (9) people are killed every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to armed violence, a situation that remains seriously worrying with the political tensions expected to rise ahead of the December 2023 elections.
Bintou Keita, the UN General Secretary representative to the DR Congo, brought to light the country’s current tragic Human Rights situation at the 54th Session Enhanced interactive dialogue on the human rights situation at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
Continuous armed violence in the provinces of Ituri, Mai-Ndombé, Kwilu, Kwango, Kongo Central, Kinshasa, North Kivu and South Kivu has led to a sharp rise in human rights violations and abuses while the numbers of victims affected has been ever growing.
Ms. Keita revealed that since the start of the 2023, an average of nine people are being killed every day in the DRC by members of armed groups in several areas.
Also arising from the ever deteriorating humanitarian situation, is the rapid rise of internally displaced people that current stands a over a million.
This situation calls for immediate and increased humanitarian aid that is however, shrinking as the demand for support rises.
Ms. Keita has since called on the DRC government to take measures that will ensure continued access particularly to displaced sites to allow humanitarian actors to provide vital assistance.
She also requested support from members of the United Nations Human Rights Council to strengthen their support mechanisms to offer the much needed humanitarian assistance to the DRC.
Efforts of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) who are to mandated establishing temporary bases, conducting patrols, joint operations and escorts, as well as rehabilitation of communications infrastructure to reach people in need in affected areas, have so far proved to be insufficient in the wake of rising violence in the country.
