7,000 Lives Lost in DR Congo Fighting Since January – Prime Minister Laments

At least 7,000 people have died since January in ongoing fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka made this known to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. She described the situation as a humanitarian disaster.

Tuluka noted that around 450,000 people are now homeless after 90 displacement camps were destroyed. Reuters reported that the M23 rebel group’s advance was the most serious escalation over a decade. The group now controls more territory than any armed faction since the wars that devastated Congo between 1996 and 2003. The group’s rapid gains in North and South Kivu have placed valuable mineral deposits under its control, raising fears of a wider conflict.

Rwanda denies accusations from Congo, the United Nations, and Western powers that it supplies M23 with weapons and troops. Meanwhile, the prime minister urged the international community to act. She called for “dissuasive sanctions” to address the mass killings and displacements.

It is impossible to describe the screams and cries of millions of victims of this conflict, she said.

The conflict has also intensified political pressure on President Félix Tshisekedi. On Saturday, his spokesperson announced plans to form a unity government and restructure the ruling Sacred Union coalition. While addressing party members the same day, Tshisekedi urged unity and said it would help ward off enemies of the country.

Since the start of the year, Congo’s military has suffered repeated losses in North and South Kivu. Frustration is growing over the government’s strategy. The M23’s capture of vast areas in eastern Congo has stirred widespread unrest and criticism of Tshisekedi’s presidency.

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