The Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest human rights report is putting fresh regional focus on the cost of the conflict in the east, after the UN Joint Human Rights Office said it documented 6,169 human rights violations across the country in 2025. That marked a 24% increase from 2024, according to the report cited by Radio Okapi, which said the violations affected more than 18,000 victims.

The findings add to broader warnings that the human rights and humanitarian situation in Congo worsened sharply during 2025 as fighting spread in the east.

According to the report, armed groups were responsible for 71% of the documented violations, with AFC/M23 identified as the main perpetrator, while state agents were implicated in 28% of cases. The UN assessment also pointed to deteriorating security after the capture of Goma, Bukavu and other areas in North and South Kivu, linking the rights crisis directly to the shifting frontlines of the conflict.

Human Rights Watch likewise says the situation in eastern Congo worsened significantly in 2025 amid M23 advances, abuses against civilians and continued displacement.

The report also underlined the scale of violence against vulnerable groups. It was reported the UN documented more than 18,000 victims, including 2,806 women and 1,394 children, while conflict-related sexual violence rose sharply. In a separate UN/MONUSCO update published this month, the UN Joint Human Rights Office warned that eastern DRC remained the epicentre of conflict-related sexual violence in 2025, with hundreds of documented cases and more than 1,500 victims.

Beyond the casualty figures, the report points to a wider institutional and regional warning sign. It says civic space continued to shrink, with mounting pressure on human rights defenders, journalists and opposition figures.

That mirrors broader rights reporting on Congo in 2025, which described restrictions on media and activism alongside worsening armed conflict in the east. Together, those trends suggest the crisis is no longer only a local security issue, but part of a wider regional instability challenge with political, humanitarian and cross-border implications.

Source: Radio okapi