The United Nations Office at Geneva
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HRC 62 - Human Rights in DRC - 29 June 2026
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37:45
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MP4
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2.4 GB
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Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on oral update of Commission of Inquiry on North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Introduction by Marcelo Vàzquez Bermúdez, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council
Statements by:
- Arnauld Akodjenou, Chair of the Independent Commission of Inquiry
Statements by:
- Arnauld Akodjenou, Chair of the Independent Commission of Inquiry
- Abdoul Aziz Thioye, Deputy Director, Global Operations Division, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
- Samuel Mbemba Kabuya, Minister for Human Rights of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Sandrine Lusamba, National Coordinator at the Female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development
- Urujeni Bakuramutsa, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the UN Office at Geneva (country concerned)
The video includes three audio tracks: first track Interlingua (= floor), second track English, third track French.
The video includes three audio tracks: first track Interlingua (= floor), second track English, third track French.
Teleprompter
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
The female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and development la lista de boradores para este diogo seba Ferrari and quince minutos La La palabras.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
President, Hi, Commissioner, Minister of Human Rights of Democratic Republic of Congo, distinguished member of Council.
Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour to address the Council today on behalf of the Independent Commission of Inquiry compose of Commissioner Maxi Marcus, Commissioner Clavin, the Alesso C Voulet and myself following the Commission first Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this month.
That mission confirmed the exceptional gravity of the situation in Eastern DRC and the operational requirement of a credible independent and victim centre investigation.
The Commission engaged with survivors, senior government officials, civil society actors, United Nation entities, diplomats and the national Human Rights institution.
Although we are not able to travel to Goma, during this first mission we met in Kinshasa with personal organisation from Goma and other areas within our mandates.
We intend to engage directly in North and South Kivu as soon as the condition allow.
The information received point to a multidimensional crisis affecting civilian compounded by displacement, disease, weakened institution and the complex regional environment.
We receive deeply troubling accounts concerning children, conflict related sexual violence including sexual slavery, force recruitment, unlawful killing, arbitrary arrests, attacks against school and health facilities, I'll treatment and detention practises outside appropriate rule of law safeguards.
We also have a count of checkpoints, so-called taxation, obstruction of humanitarian assets and threats against human rights defenders, journalists and other who monitor or report violation.
These challenge are aggravated by the threat of Ebola.
[Other language spoken]
President, with your permission, I will now address a few words in French to the delegation of Democratic Republic of Congo and to the Congolese people affected by the situation.
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I will not continue in English.
[Other language spoken]
President, the Commission recalls the obligation of all parties and all actors exercising control or influence to facilitate safe, rapid and unhearded humanitarian access, including to women, children, persons with disability, older persons and others in situation of heightened vulnerability.
Humanitarian workers, medical, personal and protection actors must safely assess victim and affected community, including in Ebola response.
No victim witness, human rights defenders, journalists or community representatives should face intimidation, reprisals or retaliation for engaging with United Nations mechanism, including the Commission.
The Council has asked the Commission to establish the fact, preserve evidence, identifies those responsible with a view to accountability, and examine the root causes of these cycles of violence.
That work has begun.
It must protect the safety, dignity and trust of victim and witnesses.
Finally, why the United Nations financial constraint have had a direct impact on our operational capacity, including deployment, investigation, capacity interpretation, analytical support, mission funding and sustained feel presence.
Despite this constraint, the Commission remained fully committed to discharging his mandate with independence, seriousness and urgency.
The suffering brought to our attention call for sustained attention, rigorous investigation and determine international engagement.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
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[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
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[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
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[Other language spoken]
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[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Mr Vice President, the serious allegation made by the DRC representatives are once again presented without independent verifiable evidence or objective corroboration.
Rhonda requests that such allegation meets a credible evidentiary standard.
Forensic analysis where relevant, and independently corroborated sources, anonymous testimonies, unverified accounts and selectively cited open source information cannot provide accounts and sufficient basis for definitive conclusions.
Rhonda also wishes to address the Co IS method of work.
The Commission's mandate is to establish facts, circumstances and root causes in North Kivu and S Kivu, including through field engagement.
The Commission has shared that they were not able to travel to the Kivu regions and worked in Kinshasa.
It is to note that Kinshasa is approximately over 1500 kilometres away from Goma and Bukavu, roughly the distance between Geneva and Bucharest, or further than Singapore and Bangkok.
No one would claim to understand what is happening in Bangkok while assessing the situation from Singapore.
Conversely, leading investigation on Bucharest while remaining a Geneva is not possible.
In the same way, an oral update on the both Kivu's must be grounded in the realities of the region.
Without field visits, direct engagement with affected communities and careful verifications on the ground, Rhonda is concerned that the Commission will not be able to fully discharge the mandate.
My delegation therefore invites the Chair to clarify how the Commission will address this concern, including how they will engage victims and witnesses across the Great Lake Region, where the UNHCR reports approximately 949,000 Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in various countries in the region, including in Rwanda.
Mr Vice President, the crisis in the Eastern DRC is complex and deeply rooted for Rwanda.
Any assessment must be including the FDLRAUN sanctioned genocide armed group founded by the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
They since they have found safe haven in the Eastern DRC, the FDLR has remained a direct threat to run the security and a driver of instability in the Great Lakes region.
The threat carries an ideological dimension.
The genocidal ideologies spread by the FDLR continues to fuel anti Tutsi hate speech, ethnic incitement and discriminatory rhetorics against Congolese Tutsi communities, including the Banya mulenges.
These are early warning signs that cannot be ignored.
These realities are documented in UN reporting.
Mr Vice President, the AU LED mediation under Togo's leadership.
The Washington Peace Accords between Rhonda and the DRC and the Doha process have created very important political tracks.
The agreed concept of operations under the Washington Peace Accords identifies the neutralisation of the FDLR as a responsibility of the DRC.
However, implementation continues to be undermined by the Dr CS documented coordination with the FDLR, including through equipment financing, as well as coordination with the Congolese Army.
The DRC cannot credibly call for peace while pursuing a military solution on the ground, further supported by over 10,000 Burundian soldiers and foreign mercenaries.
This approach must be clearly called out.
Rhonda urges this Council and reporting mechanisms to apply credible evidentiary standards, reflect the full security context, including the FDLR threat, and support the implementation of existing peace commitments.
Peace will be measured by implementation on the ground through inclusive political dialogue, regional cooperation, confidence building measures and comprehensive approaches that addresses the root cause of the conflict.
I thank you, Mr Vice President.