‘Failure to seize this moment will only embolden the perpetrators and increase the likelihood of further atrocities’ - Agnès Callamard

A joint summit on 7 and 8 February will be held for the heads of state and government of the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community on the escalation of fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

“This special summit on the grave situation in the DRC is well overdue. The catastrophic human rights consequences of the country’s armed conflicts have gone on for far too long. Now hundreds of thousands of women, children and men have once again been forced to flee the fighting, enduring dire conditions and desperately trying to stay alive.

“States and intergovernmental organisations including the East African Community, Southern African Development Community, African Union, United Nations and European Union should intensify their engagement at this watershed moment, expose enablers of the current attacks in Goma and beyond, and make it clear that all those suspected of criminal responsibility for the ongoing atrocities will be held to account in fair trials.

“It is time to ensure accountability for nearly 30 years of crimes under international law committed in the DRC. Failure to seize this moment will only embolden the perpetrators and increase the likelihood of further atrocities.”

Renewed onslaught of violence

On 18 January, the M23 armed group, backed by Rwandan forces, launched a military operation to expand its territory, violating a ceasefire agreement between Rwanda and the DRC established through the Luanda Peace Process. Since then, the M23 and the Rwandan Defence Force have captured several towns and cities, including the North Kivu capital of Goma. 

On 27 January, Amnesty called on the DRC’s regional and international partners to exert pressure on all warring parties in the east of the country – including the Rwandan-backed M23 fighters, the Rwandan and Congolese armies, and their allies – to prioritise the protection of civilians in the aftermath of the recent fighting in Goma.

Amnesty report into explosive weapon use

Between January and July 2024 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group and the Congolese army launched explosive weapons, with wide area effects, into densely populated areas more than 150 times over a seven-month period.

The attacks, which killed more than 100 civilians and wounded hundreds, violated international humanitarian law and are likely constitute war crimes.

Amnesty interviewed 60 people, visited several strike sites and analysed dozens of verified photos, videos and statements from the warring parties and others. They documented the M23 and Congolese army repeatedly using ground-launched unguided rockets, including 122mm Grad rockets. These weapons systems are inherently inaccurate and their use in populated areas poses an extremely high risk of civilian casualties.   

The report can be found here.