The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC
“I have been following the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo closely for many years. And what we see today worries me enormously. My office has long been sounding the alarm bells about this crisis, and I’m deeply disturbed to see the violence escalate yet again,” he said.
Addressing a special session of the UN Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner said: “If nothing is done, then the worst may be yet to come for the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but also beyond the country's borders. The risk of violence escalating throughout the subregion has never been more acute,” he said.
“Once again, civilians are trapped in a spiral of violence in this overwhelming conflict. Since 26 January almost 3,000 people have been killed, and thousands have been injured. And these numbers are probably much smaller than what has really happened,” he added.
“I'm horrified by the spread of sexual violence, which has become an appalling feature of this conflict for a very long time, and it is likely to worsen in the current circumstances. And I feel for the victims and the survivors who I've met when I was there last year,” the high Commissioner stated.
He stressed that it was essential to analyze the political economy of the conflict. “I have always been struck by the fact that the population in the DRC is suffering terribly, while many of the products we use, such as mobile phones, are created using minerals from the east of the country. We are all implicated in this” said Türk.
Speaking at the meeting, in Geneva, Switzerland, the UN Human Rights Chief called on both sides to embrace dialogue and to respect international law. ““I call on all parties to lay down their arms to resume dialogue within the Luanda and Nairobi processes. We must ensure, in this processes that there is meaningful participation of women and that is guaranteed. In the meantime, all parties to the conflict must respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The M23, the Rwandan forces, and all those supporting them must facilitate access to humanitarian aid.”
“In these circumstances, it's crucial to establish the facts and bring the perpetrators to justice. An independent and impartial investigation must be undertaken into all the violations and abuses committed by all parties. I offer the support of my Office in this regard,” he said
“I reiterate the UN Secretary-General's call to the Rwanda Defence Force to cease all support for the M23 and to withdraw from the DRC. The military path is not the answer. All those with influence must act urgently to put an end to this tragic situation,” he added.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact
Ravina Shamdasani: +41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Jeremy Laurence: +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org
Seif Magango: +41 79 752 0488 / seif.magango@un.org
Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
STORY: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC
TRT: 03:20
SOURCE: OHCHR > UNOG
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 07 February 2025, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shots : Palais des Nations
- Wide shot : Room 20
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “I have been following the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo closely for many years. And what we see today worries me enormously. My office has long been sounding the alarm bells about this crisis, and I’m deeply disturbed to see the violence escalate yet again.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Unknown: “If nothing is done, then the worst may be yet to come for the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but also beyond the country's borders. The risk of violence escalating throughout the subregion has never been more acute.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Once again, civilians are trapped in a spiral of violence in this overwhelming conflict. Since 26 January almost 3,000 people have been killed, and thousands have been injured. And these numbers are probably much smaller than what has really happened.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “I'm horrified by the spread of sexual violence, which has become an appalling feature of this conflict for a very long time, and it is likely to worsen in the current circumstances. And I feel for the victims and the survivors who I've met when I was there last year.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “I have always been struck by the fact that the population in the DRC is suffering terribly, while many of the products we use, such as mobile phones, are created using minerals from the east of the country. We are all implicated in this.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “I call on all parties to lay down their arms to resume dialogue within the Luanda and Nairobi processes. We must ensure, in this processes that there is meaningful participation of women and that is guaranteed. In the meantime, all parties to the conflict must respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The M23, the Rwandan forces, and all those supporting them must facilitate access to humanitarian aid.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “In these circumstances, it's crucial to establish the facts and bring the perpetrators to justice. An independent and impartial investigation must be undertaken into all the violations and abuses committed by all parties. I offer the support of my Office in this regard.”
- Cutaway: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “I reiterate the UN Secretary-General's call to the Rwanda Defence Force to cease all support for the M23 and to withdraw from the DRC. The military path is not the answer. All those with influence must act urgently to put an end to this tragic situation.”
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNWOMEN
Aid agencies echoed wider warnings of growing signs of widespread starvation in Gaza on Tuesday, as UN-partnered international food security experts released their most dire assessment yet of the situation in the wartorn enclave.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNDP , UNHCR
Sudan: urgent help needed as more than 1.3 million war-displaced people begin to return home
As conflict rages on across parts of Sudan, pockets of relative safety have emerged in the past four month, spurring more than one million internally displaced Sudanese to make their way home, says the International Organization for Migration (IOM). A further 320,000 cross-border refugees have come back to Sudan since last year, mainly from Egypt and South Sudan, to assess the current situation before deciding to return to their country for good.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: SOS messages describe people fainting from hunger; UN health worker detained
Worrying alerts from United Nations staff in Gaza who have been fainting from hunger and exhaustion over the past 48 hours have increased fears for people’s survival in the devastated enclave, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , UNOG
Over 11.6 million refugees risk losing aid access due to funding cuts, says UNHCR
Approximately one in three refugees and other vulnerable individuals normally supported by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) are expected to lose out from funding cuts, it said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the following announcement on the Office’s opening of a new mission in Bangladesh.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
“The surge in the number of Afghans forced or compelled to return to Afghanistan this year is creating a multi-layered human rights crisis requiring the urgent attention of the international community,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday called for accountability and justice for the killings and other gross human rights violations and abuses in the southern city of Suweida.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNHCR
Syria: hundreds killed in Sweida, ‘widespread’ violations as civilians flee for their lives
Amid violent clashes in southern Syria’s Sweida governorate, a picture of grave human rights abuses and rising humanitarian needs is emerging by the hour, the UN said on Friday.
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva the UN Human Rights Spokesperson Liz Throssell made the following statement on the latest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday called for investigations into hundreds of killings of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank by Israeli security forces and settlers, warning against ongoing forced mass displacement of the Palestinian population.
1
1
2
Edited News | OHCHR , UNRWA
Nearly 900 people have been killed in Gaza in recent weeks trying to fetch food, with most deaths linked to private aid hubs run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN Human Rights Office have today released a report detailing the evolution of violent gang incidents beyond the capital Port-au-Prince since October 2024 up to June 2025, and the resulting loss of life and mass displacement.