A UN rights report released Friday declared that all parties to the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, possibly rising to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The report, prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Fact-Finding Mission, documented a string of atrocities in North and South Kivu provinces since late 2024 involving the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group, the DRC’s armed forces (FARDC), and government-allied militias such as the Wazalendo. The M23 has committed various international offenses within the DRC since 2021, causing mass displacement and civilian casualties. The FARDC has also been accused by Human Rights Watch of supporting the Wazalendo in widespread attacks on civilians, including ethnically motivated harassment.

The report stated that M23 perpetrated summary executions, torture, enforced disappearances, and systematic sexual violence—chiefly gang rape—designed to demean and terrorize civilians. It noted substantiated allegations that M23 received training and operational support from Rwanda’s military, which Rwanda denied. Government-affiliated forces were similarly accused of widespread abuses: rape, murder of civilians, and looting.

“With new reports of violations continuing, both the Congolese and Rwandan Governments must take urgent actions to ensure strict respect for international law by their own national forces and affiliated armed groups, while ceasing to support the latter,” the report stated.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk commented, “The atrocities described in this report are horrific … The swift implementation of the Commission of Inquiry mandated by the Human Rights Council to continue this vital work is essential. We owe no less to the untold number of victims.”

OHCHR also recommended the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry (COI) for the North and South Kivu provinces. Information documented through COIs can assist international tribunals, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), during initial investigations. There is an ongoing ICC case concerning alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Eastern DRC. Likewise, the DRC is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, which govern armed conflict, and as such, has an obligation to punish those who commit war crimes.