The M23’s advance in the DRC undermines civilians and fuels sexual violence, with women and girls representing 90% of victims

The security and humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to worsen, with conflict intensifying in the east of the country and a surge in displacement. In North Kivu, the M23 armed group has taken control of Nyabiondo and now threatens Walikale, a strategic crossroads on National Highway 3. In South Kivu, despite a slight withdrawal near Kamanyola, the M23 is pushing forward in the Walungu mining region and may seize Kamituga, which is rich in gold.

These clashes have triggered a mass exodus : since March 5, around around 85,000 people have fled eastern DRC for neighboring countries, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Reception facilities are overstretched, leaving thousands of women and children without shelter or adequate access to water and healthcare.

Meanwhile, in Tanganyika Province and other areas near Goma, cholera is spreading, exacerbated by a lack of sanitation infrastructure and limited access to safe drinking water.

The conflict is articularly brutal toward women and girls, qui représentent 90 % of the victims of conflict-related sexual violence . Armed groups, as well as some regular forces, systematically use such abuses to terrorize communities, perpetuating a climate of impunity. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women rgently calls on Congolese authorities and the international community to strengthen protection mechanisms and prosecute those responsible for these crimes, considered war crimes and crimes against humanity.