The United Nations has called for efforts to prevent the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from spreading across the region. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned that “the worst may be yet to come” as he addressed an emergency meeting, urging all parties to help halt the violence.
The DRC has been embroiled in a crisis since the M23 rebels and allied Rwandan troops seized the city of Goma last week. Thousands of people have died and many more displaced as they took control of swaths of the mineral-rich region. The UN reports nearly 3,000 deaths and 2,880 injuries since January 26.
The DRC accuses Rwanda-backed M23 rebels of human rights violations and has called for an urgent investigation. However, Rwanda denies responsibility and blames the DRC instead. Rwanda’s ambassador to the United Nations claimed the country is at risk of attack from across the border.
Regional powers are set to meet in Tanzania on Saturday to try to defuse the crisis, with President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi expected to attend.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/7/worst-may-be-yet-to-come-un-rights-chief-warns-of-spread-of-drc-crisis