UN experts warn of M23 terror in eastern DRC, citing sexual torture and assassinations
via SeneNews2 min read
UN experts have called for an end to the "terror" imposed by the anti-government armed group M23 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo DRC, reporting the group's use of sexual torture and assassinations. The eastern DRC has experienced conflict for over 30 years, with the M23 seizing large territories in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The 12 independent experts, including Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on torture, and Matthew Gillett, Chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, stated that "rape, gang rape, extremely violent assaults, and assassinations of civilians constitute a recurring characteristic of the M23's modus operandi." They noted that while these crimes are not exclusive to the M23, the number of affected individuals is alarming. The experts, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but not speaking on behalf of the United Nations, warned that the M23, supported by neighboring Rwanda, has established a de facto authority system in controlled territories. This system uses arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture including sexual torture, forced labor, and forced armed recruitment to control the civilian population. Cases of kidnappings, arson, and blackmail have also been reported. The expert group indicated that arrested individuals are held in unofficial prisons with extreme overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, limited medical access, and are systematically deprived of food and water. They are also subjected to repeated physical violen
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