UN reports sharp rise in human rights violations in eastern DRC

The United Nations Joint Office for Human Rights (UNJHR) recorded 481 human‑rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo during May 2026, a 26 % increase from April. The incidents affected 1,188 people, up 20 % month‑on‑month, and included 59 cases of sexual violence involving 33 women, 25 girls and one man.

Violations were concentrated in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, where armed groups such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) intensified attacks. State forces of the FARDC were implicated in 27 of the cases, with 26 attributed to FARDC elements. The UN office also documented six violations of civic space, targeting journalists, human‑rights defenders and community leaders.

In the same month, the UN reported 66 judicial proceedings against military, police and civilian perpetrators, resulting in roughly 50 convictions for serious violations.