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STORY: OHCHR / DRC HUMAN RIGHTS
TRT: 02:07
SOURCE: OHCHR / UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 18 FEBRUARY 2025, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations
18 FEBRUARY 2025, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot, briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is deteriorating sharply, resulting in serious human rights violations and abuses, such as summary executions, including of children, and conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence. There have also been attacks on hospitals and humanitarian warehouses, as well as threats against the judiciary.”
4. Med shot, briefing room dais
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The Rwanda-backed M23 advance to South Kivu has plunged the region into a complex security and humanitarian crisis, provoking population displacement.”
6. Wide shot, briefing room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Our Office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week. We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons. We call on Rwanda and M23 to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are respected. We are also documenting cases of ill treatment, conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, child and forced recruitment, intimidation, and death threats.”
8. Wide shot, briefing room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Following the prison break from Kabare and Bukavu central prisons on 14 February, we have received protection requests from victims and witnesses. They fear retaliation from escapees, given their active participation in the trials against some of these prisoners convicted of grave human rights violations and abuses - some of which amount to international crimes.”
10. Wide shot, briefing room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk calls on Rwanda and M23 to protect all individuals in territories under their control. He expresses his horror at the events unfolding in South and North Kivu, and the impact this is having on civilians. The violence must stop immediately.”
12. Wide shot, briefing room
UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani today (18 Feb) said the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is deteriorating sharply, resulting in serious human rights violations and abuses, such as summary executions, including of children, and conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence.
Talking to reporters at the bi-weekly press briefing Shamdasani said, “there have also been attacks on hospitals and humanitarian warehouses, as well as threats against the judiciary.”
“The Rwanda-backed M23 advance to South Kivu has plunged the region into a complex security and humanitarian crisis, provoking population displacement,” she added.
“Our Office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week. We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons. We call on Rwanda and M23 to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are respected. We are also documenting cases of ill treatment, conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, child and forced recruitment, intimidation, and death threats,” Shamdasani said.
We have also received information about arbitrary arrests and detentions, degrading treatment and alleged forced returns of Congolese young men fleeing violence in neighbouring countries.
“Following the prison break from Kabare and Bukavu central prisons on 14 February, we have received protection requests from victims and witnesses. They fear retaliation from escapees, given their active participation in the trials against some of these prisoners convicted of grave human rights violations and abuses - some of which amount to international crimes,” she said.
The UN Human Rights Office is also concerned for the safety of lawyers and other judicial staff.
They also received reports that journalists, human rights defenders, and members of civil society organisations have been threatened and forced to leave the area. Others are still stuck in Bukavu and Goma, and expressed fear for their safety, due to their active engagement for human rights, and their denunciation of violations and abuses committed by Rwanda and M23 in various territories of eastern DRC.
“The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk calls on Rwanda and M23 to protect all individuals in territories under their control, he expresses his horror at the events unfolding in South and North Kivu, and the impact this is having on civilians. The violence must stop immediately,” Shamdasani said.
