Prime Minister Judith Suminwa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has revealed that more than 7,000 people have been killed in fighting in the eastern DRC since last month, with a “significant” number of civilian casualties, Al Jazeera reports.
Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Switzerland on Monday, Suminwa warned that “the security situation in eastern DRC has reached alarming levels.” She reported some 3,000 deaths in Goma, the capital of the eastern DRC’s North Kivu province.
Suminwa further stated that over 2,500 bodies were buried without identification, and another 1,500 remain in morgues.
Since January, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has seized large portions of eastern DRC, including the strategically important cities of Goma and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.
The M23’s rapid advance has sparked concern among international leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who recently cautioned that the fighting could “push the entire region over the precipice.”
The DRC, the UN, and Western governments have accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels with weapons and troops, allegations Rwanda denies.
During her address in Geneva, Suminwa urged the international community to take action and impose “dissuasive sanctions” on Rwanda amid reports of mass displacement and summary executions.
Rebel forces captured Bukavu just over a week ago, following the capture of Goma last month. The UN reported on Friday that around 40,000 people have fled the violence to neighboring Burundi over a two-week period.
The M23 is the most prominent of over 100 armed groups competing for control of the eastern DRC’s vast mineral wealth, estimated to be worth trillions of dollars.
According to UN experts, the rebels are supported by around 4,000 soldiers from neighboring Rwanda.
