A brutal escalation of violence in eastern DRC has plunged the region into a deepening humanitarian crisis, with over 8,500 civilians killed since January 2025 and millions displaced as the M23 rebel group tightens its grip on strategic territories.
The crisis, now marked by widespread sexual violence, targeted assassinations, and systemic suppression of free speech, has prompted the CIVICUS Monitor to add DRC to its 2025 Watchlist, spotlighting one of the world’s most severe crackdowns on civic space.
The M23, a militia group allegedly backed by Rwanda according to UN experts, now controls swaths of North and South Kivu, including the provincial capital Goma. Civilians face harrowing conditions: reports detail mass executions, rampant sexual violence as a weapon of war, and forced displacement, with humanitarian access crippled by relentless fighting. Amid the chaos, activists, journalists, and aid workers operate under constant threat. In February, M23 rebels executed Byamungu Katema Pierre, a member of the grassroots movement LUCHA, alongside four youth council members in South Kivu. Days later, musician Delcat Idinco, known for lyrics criticizing armed groups, was shot dead in Goma while filming a music video.
“The violence isn’t just physical—it’s a war on truth,” said Ine Van Severen, CIVICUS’ Civic Space Lead. “Human rights defenders and journalists are hunted, silenced, or forced into hiding, leaving atrocities in the shadows.” Media outlets face dual threats: M23 rebels have looted radio stations, murdered journalists like Yoshua Kambere Machozi of Mpety Community Radio, and imposed internet blackouts to block social media and VPN access. Meanwhile, DRC authorities have weaponized censorship, suspending Al Jazeera for interviewing an M23 commander and threatening outlets with closure for “legitimizing” rebel narratives.
The UN Security Council’s February resolution demanding M23’s withdrawal and an end to Rwandan support has done little to curb the bloodshed. Despite calls for accountability, both sides stand accused of war crimes. M23’s parallel administrations enforce draconian rule in occupied zones, while Kinshasa’s heavy-handed media crackdowns erode democratic freedoms.
The humanitarian toll is staggering. Over 1.2 million people have fled since January, overwhelming camps with scarce food or medical care. Sexual violence survivors, often shunned by communities, face compounding trauma without psychosocial support. “Women are attacked fetching water or firewood,” said a Goma-based aid worker, speaking anonymously for safety. “But reporting these crimes risks retaliation.”
As the conflict destabilizes Central Africa, regional diplomacy falters. While the UN reiterates demands for foreign forces to exit DRC, analysts warn of a protracted crisis. “This isn’t just a fight for territory—it’s a battle for control over narratives and resources,” said a Kinshasa researcher. “Civilians are pawns in a geopolitical game.”
With elections looming in 2026, the DRC’s fragile democracy teeters. For now, eastern Congo remains a crucible of suffering, where the world’s inaction echoes louder than cries for help.
