Nearly 80,000 people have escaped the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since January, seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday.
Burundi has taken in the majority of those displaced, with around 61,000 Congolese crossing its border to escape the fighting between the Congolese government and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, according to the UNHCR.
The conflict, which has escalated in recent months, has seen the M23 seize large parts of the mineral-rich region, forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes. The UNHCR has described the crisis as one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in the world.
Over the past four weeks alone, an estimated 414,000 people have been displaced within North and South Kivu provinces after the M23 ordered internally displaced persons (IDPs) in makeshift camps to return to their hometowns, the agency said.
“Near the frontlines, sexual violence and human rights abuses remain rampant, as is the looting and destruction of civilian homes and businesses,” the UNHCR statement read. Reports indicate an average of 60 rapes per day during the first two weeks of February, totalling 895 cases.
Rwanda has denied allegations of supporting M23 militarily. However, a UN experts’ report found that Rwanda maintains 4,000 troops in eastern DRC and exerts de facto control over the armed group. The report further suggested that Rwanda is leveraging the M23 to secure access to the DRC’s vast mineral resources, particularly gold and other valuable minerals.
