A United Nations investigation into possible war crimes and human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has come to a halt due to a severe funding shortfall within the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The delay is raising alarm among diplomats, rights advocates, and Congo’s government amid growing evidence of atrocities in the country’s eastern region.
Why Has the Investigation Stalled?
The OHCHR is grappling with a budget crisis largely attributed to some member states failing to meet their financial commitments, along with significant foreign aid cuts made under former U.S. President Donald Trump. According to a letter from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, funding and staffing constraints are “critically impeding” the operations of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) in the DRC.
Despite the UN Human Rights Council’s agreement in February to launch a fact-finding mission and formal inquiry into alleged crimes in North and South Kivu, including massacres and sexual violence, progress has stopped just months later.
“Until and unless funding is made available,” the Commission of Inquiry cannot begin its work, the OHCHR wrote in an attached appendix to Turk’s letter.
The commission was expected to investigate abuses in areas like Goma and Bukavu, which were recently overtaken by M23 rebels allegedly backed by Rwanda, a claim Rwanda continues to deny.
What Atrocities Are Being Investigated?
Alex El Jundi, head of the OHCHR’s Investigations Support Unit, told council members in an informal session that early findings revealed shocking evidence of summary executions and “horrific sexual violence.”
“Many of the abuses could constitute war crimes,” he said.
What Has Been the Global Reaction?
South Africa’s envoy criticized the delay, calling it a “grave mistake,” while the DRC’s representative warned that the funding gap risks sending a message that the international community does not prioritize justice for Congolese victims.
By Risper Akinyi
