Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group In March and April, inter-communal conflict operating in the DRC and Uganda, also between Luba and Kuba ethnic groups in carried out attacks targeting schools, health Bakwakenge, in the Kasaï-Central province, facilities, public markets, churches, UN caused the destruction of 190 houses and peacekeepers and humanitarian actors. For the displacement of 21,000 people, example, alleged ADF combatants attacked according to UNHCR, the UN refugee the Kisunga village health centre and the agency. In the territory of Beni, repeated surrounding area, in the territory of Beni in attacks, allegedly by members of the ADF North Kivu, overnight on 11 and 12 and local Mayi-Mayi groups, forced 10 November, resulting in the killing of at least humanitarian organizations to halt their aid 48 civilians including health workers and work, leaving 116,000 internally displaced patients, according to local human rights people (IDPs) without vital assistance, organizations. according to the UN. The UN also reported In South Kivu province, the long-standing that alleged CODECO combatants carried out conflict involving local and foreign armed several attacks on IDP sites, killing dozens of groups in the highlands of Uvira and Fizi people and burning down settlements, claimed at least 70 civilian lives and forced resulting in the further displacement of thousands to flee their villages, according to 50,000 IDPs in Ituri province. the UN. The Congolese army committed According to the UN, over 19.6 million human rights violations against civilians, people were in dire need of humanitarian including unlawful killings, rape, looting and assistance, half of whom were children. More destruction of homes, on a par with the than 26 million people faced high levels of armed groups it was deployed to fight. acute food insecurity. Despite this, according SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE to UN humanitarian coordinator David McLachlan-Karr in October, financial support Conflict-related sexual violence remained to alleviate the DRC crisis continued to widespread, especially in the provinces of decline, and only 25% of the US$1.98 billion North and South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika and needed was raised in 2021. Kasaï-Central, despite some encouraging IMPUNITY efforts by the authorities to hold perpetrators to account. According to the UN, between Most perpetrators of crimes under January and September, at least 1,100 international law, including rape and other women were raped in North Kivu and Ituri gender-based violence, enjoyed impunity. alone. There was some progress, however, with at Several initiatives which aimed to establish a least 10 cases of serious crimes prosecuted. reparations fund for victims of conflict-related At least 80 army and police officers were sexual violence were undertaken with the prosecuted in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, involvement of President Tshisekedi and the Tanganyika and Kasaï provinces for serious First Lady, although they had not come to crimes including sexual violence. In the Kasaï fruition by the end of the year. region, investigations into serious human LACK OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE rights violations committed in Mulombodi, Nganza and Tshisuku in 2017 and 2018 Five million people remained internally were completed, with the assistance of a displaced at the end of the year, 1.5 million team of investigators deployed by of whom were forced to leave their homes to the OHCHR. The trials were yet to start. flee from violence in 2021 alone, according The trial of the alleged perpetrators of the to the UN. Most of them lived in dire murders of two UN experts in February 2017 conditions without access to humanitarian was ongoing. Defendants and victims’ assistance. lawyers continued to complain about its slow progress, and intimidation of some witnesses. Amnesty International Report 2021/22 146