The United Nations has accused the AFC/M23 coalition of systematically targeting civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and the fallout is already reshaping daily life for millions. According to a newly released UN report, military operations against the FDLR have repeatedly spilled over into reprisals against villages, leaving families displaced, businesses shuttered and an already fragile regional economy under mounting strain.

How the violence is hitting households in North and South Kivu

UN investigators describe a consistent pattern: rather than confining themselves to clashes with the FDLR, AFC/M23 offensives have been accompanied by reprisals against communities suspected of harbouring or supporting the Rwandan armed group. Summary executions, forced displacement and the destruction of homes are among the violations documented. These actions form part of a territorial occupation strategy that has redrawn the security map of eastern Congo since fighting resumed in 2022.

The report highlights how difficult it is on the ground to distinguish combatants from Congolese Hutu civilians who are sometimes wrongly associated with the FDLR. That confusion feeds a cycle of communal violence that humanitarian actors are struggling to contain. UN agencies in Goma and Bukavu report a continuous influx of displaced people, even as humanitarian access remains hampered by fighting and restrictions imposed by the warring parties.

What the report means for jobs, trade and mining supply chains

The economic consequences stretch well beyond the immediate conflict zones. For the DRC’s strategic mineral sectors — coltan, cobalt and tin — persistent insecurity in the Kivus represents a major challenge. Traceability schemes promoted by the European Union and major technology companies run up against the reality of a war economy in which armed groups continue to capture supply routes. The UN’s detailed documentation of abuses could intensify pressure on international buyers and on neighbouring states involved in cross-border flows.

Meanwhile, local businesses in affected areas face destroyed infrastructure, disrupted transport corridors and a shrinking customer base as populations flee. The report’s findings add urgency to debates over how trade and investment can function in a region where armed actors control key economic chokepoints.

Kinshasa’s disarmament plan under scrutiny

In response to the crisis, Congolese authorities are defending a voluntary disarmament process for the FDLR, presented as the fundamental answer to the presence of the Rwandan armed group on their territory. Kinshasa argues that some fighters have already been cantoned and that repatriation mechanisms are being studied in coordination with MONUSCO and several regional partners.

Kigali rejects this approach outright, viewing the FDLR as an existential threat and accusing the Congolese government of de facto collusion with the group. Rwanda uses that argument to justify its support — documented in earlier UN expert reports — for AFC/M23 operations. The latest report does not fundamentally alter that equation, but it shifts the debate towards the human cost borne by Congolese civilians.

Regional diplomacy and the search for accountability

The UN findings come at a pivotal moment for regional diplomacy. The Luanda process, led by Angola, and the Nairobi process, sponsored by the East African Community, aim to link ceasefire arrangements, the withdrawal of foreign forces and the neutralisation of armed groups. Accusations against AFC/M23 complicate any prospect of the movement’s political integration, a scenario nonetheless mentioned in some mediation tracks.

On the judicial front, previous expert panel reports have rarely led to prosecutions, despite regular referrals of the Congolese situation to the International Criminal Court. Human rights organisations are urging that the evidence gathered feed concrete proceedings, both in Kinshasa and The Hague. The UN document is expected to be examined in the coming weeks by the relevant Security Council bodies.

By Boureima Amadou — Reporter