The dramatic liquidity crisis currently impacting the UN and its global partners has already prevented a high-level human rights probe into the DRC emergency created in February from getting underway.<\/p>\n
According to\u00a0testimonies<\/a> gathered by OHCHR<\/a> investigators into widespread violence in DRC\u2019s North and South Kivu since January, members of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel paramilitary group \u201csystematically\u201d carried out widespread sexual violence, including gang rape and sexual slavery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n And as M23 fighters captured major cities in North and South Kivu including Goma, \u201cwomen and girls were disproportionately targeted,\u201d explained OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, in reference to a Fact-Finding Mission report into the DRC emergency for the Human Rights Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBut men, boys, and LGBT individuals were also victims of sexual violence, including in detention.\u201d<\/p>\n That report documents the failure by all parties to adequately protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities, particularly during the takeover of Goma by M23 and RDF in late January, as well as attacks on schools and hospitals.<\/p>\n Information gathered by the\u00a0Fact-Finding Mission indicated that\u00a0hundreds of children were detained by M23 members this year – and that many were forcibly recruited to fight against government forces, the FARDC.<\/p>\n \u201cM23 detained thousands of civilians, primarily during cordon-and-search operations conducted almost daily since January,\u201d<\/strong> the mission\u2019s report explains.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of those detained \u2013 mostly able-bodied men and boys around 15 and older \u2013 were loaded into trucks and taken away<\/strong>. Relatives of detainees recounted searching for their loved ones going from one place of detention to another, but being chased away, threatened or beaten.\u201d<\/p>\n The report to the Human Rights Council was intended to serve as a basis for a potential war crimes probe by another senior investigative body – a Commission of Inquiry – that the forum\u2019s 47 Member States created in February this year.<\/p>\n But the cash crunch affecting the UN\u2019s human rights work has left the panel without adequate funding to carry out its mandate, Ms. Shamdasani told journalists in Geneva.<\/p>\n The report also expresses concern over the lack of focus on accountability and support for victims in the peace agreement signed between the DRC and Rwanda on 27 June.<\/p>\n UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker T\u00fcrk, urged action and accountability following the publication of the report. \u201cIt is heartbreaking and deeply frustrating to witness, once again, the dehumanization of the civilian population by those in power who are failing in their responsibilities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe swift implementation of the Commission of Inquiry mandated by the Human Rights Council to continue this vital work is essential,\u201d he insisted. \u201cWe owe no less to the untold number of victims.\u201d<\/p>\n Responding to questions, Ms. Shamdasani noted that information featuring in the DRC report indicated that\u00a0gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law had been committed by all parties to the conflict \u2013 \u201cby the M23, supported by Rwandan Defense Forces, as well as Congolese Armed Forces and affiliated armed groups\u201d.<\/p>\n She added that the M23 group, \u201cwith training, material, intelligence, and operational support from the Rwandan Defense Forces<\/strong>\u201d, captured major cities in North and South Kivu.<\/p>\n They then engaged in a campaign of intimidation and violent repression through a recurrent pattern of summary executions, torture and enforced disappearances and forced recruitment, such that there are \u201creasonable grounds\u201d to believe that M23 fighters may have committed crimes against humanity, Ms. Shamdasani added.<\/p>\n Rapes were repeated over prolonged periods, she said, often in conjunction with additional acts of physical and psychological torture and other ill-treatment, with the intent to degrade, punish and break the dignity of victims.<\/p>\n Civilians try to return home to Sake in the DR Congo, after fleeing an assault by M23 rebels.<\/p>\n \u201cHundreds of children were detained by M23, and young males forcibly recruited. The report exposes the enormous toll of the conflict on children of all ages,\u201d the OHCHR spokesperson added.<\/p>\n The fact-finding mission report identifies daily violations across the entirety of the\u00a0 territory under the M23\u2019s control, indicating a high degree of organization, planning, and resource mobilization.<\/p>\n The report also documents grave violations committed by the government FARDC forces and affiliated groups, such as the Wazalendo. It highlights a pattern of killing of civilians and the widespread use of sexual violence, mainly gang rape and rape against women and girls, and looting by members of the FARDC, and Wazalendo during their retreat from the front lines in January and February.<\/p>\n \u201cThe report further finds that both DRC and Rwanda bear responsibility for their support to armed groups<\/strong> with known track records of serious abuses, and for failing to meet their obligations to take all measures to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and to protect civilians from serious harm,\u201d Ms. Shamdasani noted.<\/p>\n The UN human rights office supports victims of sexual and gender-based violence by\u00a0focusing<\/a>\u00a0on their needs.<\/p>\n The office also provides\u00a0technical assistance and legal frameworks to countries to promote women\u2019s and girls\u2019 human rights, to prevent and protect them from gender-based violence.<\/p>\n As part of their work, UN workers engage with school, religious and community leaders to challenge harmful gender norms about girls\u2019 education and their acceptable roles in society. They also lead discussions on the negative consequences of early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The dramatic liquidity crisis currently impacting the UN and its global partners has already prevented a high-level human rights probe into the DRC emergency created in February from getting underway. According to\u00a0testimonies gathered by OHCHR investigators into widespread violence in DRC\u2019s North and South Kivu since January, members of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel paramilitary group 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GLOBAL NEWS<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"The dramatic liquidity crisis currently impacting the UN and its global partners has already prevented a high-level human rights probe into the DRC emergency created in February from getting underway. According to\u00a0testimonies gathered by OHCHR investigators into widespread violence in DRC\u2019s North and South Kivu since January, members of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel paramilitary group…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28026"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28028,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28026\/revisions\/28028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Loaded into trucks<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Peace deal hopes shattered<\/strong><\/h2>\n
All warring parties bear responsibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Detained and tortured<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Help for victims<\/strong><\/h2>\n