As intense fighting continues to plague the highlands of Fizi and Mwenga in Sud-Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, voiced his profound concern from Geneva. These clashes involve the Twirweneho militia, which is allied with the AFC/M23 group, and the Congolese army, supported by its own allies.

Since June, this volatile region within the Mitumba mountain range has been a battleground, with rebel forces successfully seizing control of several areas, including the strategically important Point Zéro, which has been contested for months. Türk highlighted the alarming use of armed drones, heavy artillery, and other explosive weaponry by both factions in densely populated civilian zones.

“It is deeply troubling to witness that, despite various agreements reached through ongoing peace processes, the fighting in Eastern DRC persists relentlessly, claiming lives, injuring civilians, displacing populations, and devastating their livelihoods,” stated Mr. Türk, following severe confrontations near Mulima village in Fizi on July 4th and 5th.

The High Commissioner escalated his appeal, demanding an immediate cessation of military hostilities, particularly emphasizing the use of long-range heavy armaments.

“I implore the Congolese armed forces and the M23 to immediately renounce any further violence and to act with urgency to de-escalate tensions. I also call upon both parties to implement concrete measures to safeguard civilians in Mulima and throughout the Fizi and Mwenga Highlands. The deployment of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas has catastrophic consequences and must cease,” he asserted.

The UN official expressed grave fears of widespread displacement, potentially pushing populations into neighboring countries, which could trigger further breaches of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including unlawful killings and conflict-related sexual violence.

He further urged Rwanda to discontinue its support for the M23 and to withdraw its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Concurrently, he called on Congolese authorities to bolster their ongoing efforts to demobilize, disarm, and repatriate members of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) armed group.

Türk concluded by appealing to regional stakeholders and the international community to take prompt action to avert a further escalation of violence across the high and mid-plateau regions of Sud-Kivu, building upon existing political and diplomatic initiatives.