In a detailed briefing to the UN Human Rights Council on June 16, Türk revealed that Congolese soldiers, alongside members of the pro-government Wazalendo militia, have engaged in killings, rapes, and looting during military operations, particularly in North and South Kivu provinces.
The abuses have occurred amid the Congolese army's offensives against M23 rebels and other armed groups.
'Congolese soldiers and members of the DRC-backed Wazalendo militia killed, raped, and looted,' said Türk, citing preliminary findings from an ongoing fact-finding mission.
He expressed concern over a 'complete disregard' for the protection of civilians during and after combat, particularly during the battle for Goma in late January, where command structures reportedly collapsed as army units retreated.
Türk's statements follow months of warnings from human rights groups about atrocities committed by Congolese forces and their militia allies. On May 23, Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented widespread abuses by Wazalendo fighters in South Kivu, including attacks on Banyamulenge villages near Bibokoboko in early March.
Witnesses said the fighters targeted civilians based on ethnicity, declaring Banyamulenge to be 'Rwandan' and vowing to 'clean them out.'
'They killed seven people and destroyed homes, health centres, and schools,' a local community leader told HRW.
The UN's findings put further scrutiny on President Félix Tshisekedi's administration, which has formed alliances with numerous militias, including the FDLR, accused of involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, to bolster its military campaign in the east.
Analysts and activists have raised alarm over the government's apparent weaponisation of anti-Tutsi sentiment to justify violence against Congolese Tutsi communities under the pretext of fighting M23.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, Kinshasa has publicly celebrated the UN's decision in February to establish an independent investigative mechanism into atrocities in the east. Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya praised the resolution on X, but critics say the administration has tried to downplay or deny war crimes committed by its own forces.
Civil society groups and international observers are now questioning whether President Tshisekedi will be held accountable for what they describe as a campaign of ethnic persecution and possible crimes against humanity.
IGIHE
