At the start of his first term in 2019, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi promised to protect human rights, but his government appears to have embarked on a crusade against its own promises.
The DRC authorities’ response to the armed conflict and intercommunal violence that have ravaged the country for decades has failed to improve the security situation – in some cases, it has actually worsened it.
While the international community must address serious human rights violations by armed groups in eastern DRC, including alleged support for some of these groups by Rwanda and other countries, it must also increase pressure on the government of President Félix Tshisekedi to uphold human rights, combat impunity, and address deep-rooted socio-economic injustices.
The DRC is experiencing one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises. From east to west and north to south, civilians face daily threats of violence from a myriad of armed groups. In addition, Congolese soldiers and affiliated militias continue to prey on civilians and commit horrific crimes, often with impunity.
A profound failure
Internally displaced people, particularly women and girls, are bearing the brunt of this conflict. In the camps hosting them, sexual violence is commonplace, exacerbated by the deplorable security conditions and the inadequacy of humanitarian aid. The inability of the government of Félix Tshisekedi to protect the populations weakened by these living conditions is unacceptable.
The international community must hold the government of the DRC to account for its inability to prevent and punish sexual violence and attacks on civilians, but also for its inaction in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe. The Congolese government and the international community must increase the funding allocated to the chronically underfunded humanitarian response in order to meet the urgent needs of the affected populations, particularly in terms of housing, food, health care and education.