Independent Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in the South and North Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

GENEVA - The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Jürg Lauber (Switzerland), has announced the appointment of Arnauld Akodjenou of Benin, Maxine Marcus of Germany/United States of America and Clément Nyaletsossi Voule of Togo to serve as the three independent members of the recently established Independent Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in the South and North Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mr. Akodjenou will serve as chair of the commission. 

With resolution S-37/1 of 7 February 2025, adopted at a special session on the situation of human rights in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Human Rights Council decided to establish an independent commission of inquiry, comprising three experts appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council.  

The commission of inquiry was mandated to “investigate and establish the facts, circumstances and root causes of all the alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those affecting women and children, those involving sexual or gender-based violence and those committed against internally displaced persons or refugees, and of potential international crimes in the context of the most recent escalation of hostilities in North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces [of the Democratic Republic of the Congo] in January 2025.” 

The three-person commission was further requested to “identify, to the extent possible, the persons and entities responsible for violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, as well as any international crimes, in the context of the most recent escalation of hostilities in North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces in order to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.” 

The President of the Human Rights Council sought recommendations from various stakeholders and expressions of interest to find highly qualified and impartial candidates to fill these positions. 

In resolution 60/22, adopted on 7 October 2025 at its sixtieth session, the Council reaffirmed “that the mandate of the members of the independent commission of inquiry remains entirely as set out in resolution S-37/1” and requested that their appointment be made before the end of 2025. It further requested that they carry out their first field visit “at the earliest opportunity and, if possible, by January 2026 at the latest.”  

Resolution 60/22 also requested the members of the commission “present an oral update on the situation of human rights in North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces, within the framework of an enhanced interactive dialogue, at [the Human Rights Council’s] sixty-second session [in June-July 2026]” and to “submit a comprehensive report [to the Human Rights Council] on the situation of human rights in the above-mentioned provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, within the framework of an enhanced interactive dialogue, at its sixty-fourth session [in February-April 2027] and to the General Assembly at its eighty-second session [in 2027].” 

Biographies of the members of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in the South and North Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo  

Arnauld Akodjenou (Benin) is currently serving as Special Advisor for Africa at the Kofi Annan Foundation. From 2014 to 2015, he held the position of Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General at the Assistant Secretary-General level in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Prior to that, from 2011 to 2014, he served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI). Mr. Akodjenou dedicated over 25 years to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where he held several senior roles, including Regional Coordinator and Special Adviser to the High Commissioner for the South Sudan situation, Inspector General, Director of the Division of Operational Services, and Director of Emergency and Security Services. 

Maxine Marcus (Germany/United States of America) is co-Director and co-Founder of Partners in Justice International.  She is an international criminal prosecutor and investigator with 28 years field-based and courtroom-based practice. She spent nine years as a prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and prior to that served as an investigator at the Special Court for Sierra Leone. She served on the UN Commission of Inquiry for Guinea as the Gender and International Criminal Law Adviser; Senior Sexual and Gender-based Violence Advisor to the OHCHR Fact Finding Mission for Sri Lanka; and Senior Legal Investigator to the UN Secretary General's External Panel on Sexual Abuse by International Forces in the Central African Republic. Ms. Marcus is a faculty member of the Institute for International Criminal Investigations and is the 2018 recipient of the Prominent Women in International Law Award by the American Society of International Law. 

Clément Voule (Togo) is a jurist and human rights expert, and the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Prior to his appointment as Special Rapporteur, he served as Advocacy Director for Africa at the International Service for Human Rights, where he worked to support and protect human rights defenders across the region. Mr. Voule has held several leadership roles in civil society including for the Togolese Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, the Togolese Coalition for the International Criminal Court, and the Amnesty International section in Togo. From 2010 to 2018, he served as an Expert Member of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment, and Human Rights Violations under the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.  

ADF kills 8 in Manguredjipa!

 

ADF fighters killed eight people during an incursion into the village of Gwado, less than 5 km west of Manguredjipa, on Wednesday around 10:00 AM. Some villagers were tied up and then shot in a barza (a type of open area), while farmers heading to their fields counted eight dead and two wounded.

This attack follows a previous incursion on Tuesday in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Manguredjipa, where assailants targeting a health center were spotted and pursued. According to authorities, the ADF retreated towards Lingitana before crossing the Manguredjipa-Bandulu road (PK 105 of Butembo) in the early afternoon.

According to intelligence collections from the area, Residents are denouncing the "negligence" of the security services, accusing them of failing to protect the villages of Utiyaba and Gwado. They fear that the attackers will use either the Gwado-Utiyaba-Fatua route, or the Gwado-Biakongo-Bangio-Bhuela route, or even the Masayi-Malewe route leading to Kambau, villages where life was beginning to return to normal after the ADF attack last year.

The Bapere Civil Society, headed by Samuel Kagheni, reported this assessment and called on the authorities to strengthen security in the region to prevent further tragedies.

However,despite today's attack the operation shujaa continues to hunt the terrorists,a ccording to sources close to the army in the operation, Yesterday the  the army Pursued the ADF/MTM Islamist terrorists who were  responsible for the recent attempted looting of the Malunguma Health Center, west of Mangurejipa, the FARDC-UPDF coalition freed two (2) hostages and recovered six (6) cows on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.

Furthermore, during a reconnaissance and combat patrol near the Ituri River, joint units arrested ten (10) young men in Mambume, west of National Route 4. All were Muslim and from Oicha and Biakato.

Thirty-three female combatants from 15 United Nations Member States, including Uganda, have completed the 5th Women’s Outreach Course and the Micro Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Remote Pilot and Trainer of Trainers Course at the United Nations Regional Service Centre in Entebbe.

 The training was conducted by the United Nations C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations, with support from the Government of Canada.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, on behalf of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Chief of Joint Staff, the UPDF Director Women Affairs, Brigadier General Charity Bainababo, commended the collaboration between Uganda, the United Nations, and development partners in advancing the quality of peacekeeping training.

“As a proud host nation, Uganda stands at the forefront of global peacekeeping efforts, dedicated to fostering stability and security,” Brig Gen Bainababo said. “Our commitment is demonstrated through the provision of world-class training facilities and logistical support that ensure peacekeeping personnel are well prepared for deployment in complex environments.”

She highlighted the importance of the Micro UAS Remote Pilot and Trainer of Trainers Course, describing it as a key step in strengthening mission effectiveness through technological innovation.

“Technology now plays a critical role in modern peacekeeping operations. By equipping personnel with these capabilities, we enhance efficiency and ensure the safety of all involved,” she added.

Brig Gen Bainababo thanked the United Nations for its leadership and the Governments of Canada and Japan for their financial and technical support. She reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to supporting future peacekeeping initiatives and maintaining its role as a steadfast partner in global peace and security.

Her Excellency Pamela Kertland, Consul General of Canada to the Republic of Uganda, applauded the initiative as a vital effort in advancing gender equality and empowering women in peacekeeping.

“We believe that inclusive peacekeeping is effective peacekeeping, and the Women’s Outreach Course is a shining testimony to this belief,” she said. “Canada is proud to support this essential initiative, which paves the way for greater representation of women in peace operations across the globe.”

Ambassador Kertland emphasised that diversity strengthens peacekeeping missions, noting that the inclusion of women is not merely about numbers but about recognising the unique perspectives and skills they contribute.

She also appreciated the United Nations, the Government of Uganda, and the governments of Japan, France, Belgium, and Morocco for their collaboration and technical expertise.

“Equality and security go hand in hand,” she said, encouraging the graduates to apply their skills and leadership to shape the future of peacekeeping.

The Women’s Outreach Course trained 24 participants from 15 UN Member States, including Ugandans, who completed the Micro UAS Remote Pilot and Trainer of Trainers Course. Facilitators included Col Vincent Douniaux from Belgium, Lt Col Hind Jirari from France, Mr. Paulin Djomo Metanhi from Cameroon, and Mr. Emmanuel Ngor, Chief of Regional Technology Service, among others.

Who is Rashid Salim Mohammad,a Kenya ADF captured in DRC in 2022?Is he still held in the prisons of DRC??

 To date, the Congolese population has not yet been informed about the fate reserved by the Congolese military justice system for radical Islamist Rashid Salim Mohammed, aka Chotara or Turki, a Kenyan citizen responsible for beheading civilians and soldiers in ADF/ISCAP propaganda videos broadcast by the Islamic State.

A brilliant young student, Rashid Salim Mohammed was sent to Turkey to continue his computer science studies. Some time later, the Turkish authorities deported him to Kenya for attempting to reach Syria (the headquarters of Daesh).

Arriving in Kenya, he was charged and convicted of terrorism. Having escaped from prison, his country's Criminal Investigation Directorate announced on November 9, 2021, the availability of 10,000,000 Kenyan shillings as a reward for information leading to the arrest of this fugitive.

Arrested in January 2022 in Mantubi, a village located between the territory of Beni and the province of Ituri, Rashid Salim Mohammed will be taken to Kinshasa via the city of Beni. His trial had begun, but little is known about its future course.

After his arrest in DRC, Kenya's counterterrorism authorities contacted those of Congo Kinshasa via INTERPOL (USA) to also question Rashid Salim Mohammed.

Is it Rwanda or M23,How did M23 get these polish equipments?Rwanda's Electronic Warfare System Exposes Its Limitations

 

FARDC Regains the Advantage After Neutralizing Polish WB Group Equipment

Kalembe, Masisi Territory – October 21, 2025

Images authenticated by Congolese security sources show several electronic devices abandoned by the M23-RDF-AFC coalition forces on the Kalembe front, in Masisi Territory, North Kivu.

This equipment, branded MindMade WB Group (Poland), was reportedly used for jamming and electronic warfare operations before being neutralized or abandoned during the final advances of the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC).

Is Jamming Network Now Ineffective

The modules recovered on the ground, equipped with antennas and signal amplifiers, were part of a sophisticated system designed to jam the control frequencies of Congolese drones and intercept certain military communications. However, recent strikes by FARDC CH-4 drones, deployed from Goma, revealed that this electronic warfare system had lost its effectiveness.

"These devices were found intact, abandoned in haste. Their operators fled after Monday evening's drone strike," said a local military source.

"This proves that the Polish system was unable to withstand the FARDC's electronic countermeasures."

Is it a proof of Polish-Rwandan Cooperation 

The labels visible on the modules bear the words "MindMade – WB Group – SAS," a subsidiary of the Polish giant WB Electronics, a renowned supplier of communications and military jamming technologies. This discovery confirms suspicions of technological cooperation between Kigali and Warsaw, long cited in regional intelligence reports.

According to Congolese experts, these devices were used to disrupt GPS signals, destabilize CH-4 drone transmissions, and mask the position of rebel troops.

However, the recent adaptation of FARDC communication protocols has rendered these systems obsolete.

"The new frequencies of Chinese drones and the dynamic encryption adopted by the FARDC render these Western equipment calibrated for standard signals ineffective," analyzes a Nairobi-based electronic warfare specialist.

Is FARDC Regaining the Initiative on the Ground

The intensification of drone strikes since October 18, particularly around Kalembe, Mweso, and Tongo, demonstrates that the FARDC now controls the electromagnetic spectrum of the battlefield. By combining visual intelligence, digital interception, and targeted strikes, the Congolese army is thwarting the rebel groups' escape strategies.

Congolese officers claim that the Polish jamming system, used by forces allied with the RDF, did not prevent Congolese drones from detecting and striking several rebel logistics caches and arsenals. "We have crossed a threshold. Rwanda and its allies were losing their digital invisibility. What they were installing in our forests no longer protects them," commented a security analyst.

Is Symbolic to a setback for Kigali

Beyond the material loss, this episode represents a strategic and symbolic setback for the Rwandan military, renowned for its technological superiority in the region. The fact that these WB Group modules were abandoned on Congolese soil without having achieved their tactical objectives illustrates a reverse technological saturation effect: technical superiority no longer guarantees victory.

23 people sentenced for belonging to the ADF

 

The Beni military court handed down prison sentences of 5 to 20 years to 23 people convicted of belonging to or collaborating with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on October 6, 2025. The convicts must also pay 400,000 FCFA each.

Offenses: terrorism, participation in an insurrectional movement, financing of terrorism, illegal possession of weapons.

Acquittals: 7 defendants, insufficient evidence.

Deaths in custody: 5 defendants, prosecution discontinued.

Special case: 1 woman suspected of mental illness, case suspended.

Among those convicted are Kasereka Katrisia Judson (20 years old), Mumbere Birere Jérémie (20 years old), and two women (15 years each). The trial continues for the remaining .

UPDF Proposes Creation of Local Defense Forces to Secure Areas Liberated from the ADF

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The new commander of Ugandan troops operating jointly with the FARDC, Major General Stéven Mugerwa, has proposed the establishment of Local Defense Forces to strengthen security in areas affected by the ADF.

"I have asked the governor to inform his superiors to create Local Defense Forces to counter the ADF's maneuvers, which bypass our positions and then attack the population after the strikes," he said.

This approach aims to ensure continued community protection while the army continues its hunt for rebels. This system had already proven its worth in Uganda, during the fight against Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a group just as brutal as the ADF.

New clashes between M23 and Wazalendo in Luke.

Since the early hours of Monday, violent clashes have been taking place between AFC/M23 rebels and Wazalendo fighters in Masisi territory, North Kivu, causing panic and the flight of residents.

According to local sources, hostilities erupted around 5:00 a.m. in Luke, where heavy and light weapons fire is still being heard. The AFC/M23 rebels have reportedly launched an offensive aimed at dislodging the Wazalendo from their positions in order to extend their control over the area.

This new escalation comes barely a month after the return of residents of Luke, recently recaptured by the Wazalendo. Faced with the resumption of fighting, several families have fled to the bush, fearing for their safety.

The situation remains extremely tense and uncertain. The local population is calling for rapid intervention to ensure their protection and restore peace.

Furthermore, despite the resumption of negotiations in Doha between representatives of the AFC/M23 and the Congolese government, both sides continue to reinforce their positions with troops and equipment on the front lines in North and South Kivu.

How and Why Gen. Byamungu and Lt. Col Willy Ngoma, M23 Officers, Were Once Detained by Gen Makenga

The Commander-in-Chief of the AFC/M23 Army, Major General Sultani Makenga, has recently detained some of his senior officers for various crimes they committed in areas under his control.

These crimes include looting and illegal trade, mainly in precious minerals.

Those sentenced to short prison terms include well-known M23 soldiers, as well as Makenga's brother.

Among those sentenced by Gen. Sultani Makenga is the former M23 Army commander in Goma, Col. Jimmy Nzamuye, who has recently been released. Before his arrest and detention in Tchanzu, he was suspected of using his position to amass wealth.

After his release, Gen. Makenga immediately removed him from command of the army in Goma and made him responsible for planning operations in the second military region operating in Masisi.

My intelligence Sources also say that last September, Brigadier General Bernard Maheshe Byamungu, who is currently the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the M23 Army in charge of operations and intelligence, also spent a week in detention. The decision to detain him was reportedly taken by the M23 Disciplinary Commission.

Byamungu was allegedly being investigated for the seizure and sale of seven villas that once belonged to the DRC government.

Sources deep inside the M23 core military administration  also say that Gen. Makenga continues to closely monitor the land disputes Byamungu is implicated in, while also closely following the case of Basile Bashigwa, the head of intelligence in the city of Goma, who is said to lead a gang of thieves who steal cars in the cities of Goma and Bukavu and allegedly sell them in Uganda.

Another of those who have been in prison for some time, is Ibrahim Makenga, who is also the brother of Gen. Sultani Emmanuel Makenga.This man, who is currently the Deputy Director of the Directorate of Security and Intelligence (DSR) in South Kivu province, was reportedly imprisoned for crimes including corruption and embezzlement.

After his release, he reportedly returned to his duties, unlike Manzi Musonerwa, who was his boss who was arrested and imprisoned on charges of dealing in stolen cars.Manzi, who is the brother-in-law of the North Kivu provincial government, Bahati Musanga Erasto, was immediately sent to command Masisi after his release.

Those involved in the gold trade were also imprisoned

Among the AFC M23 senior soldiers who were imprisoned were those who were allegedly involved in the trade of precious stones, shortly after M23 had taken over the city of Bukavu.

Many of these stones are said to have been looted in the first major city in South Kivu province.

These include the AFC/M23 military spokesman, Lt. Col Willy Ngoma, who was detained for three weeks at the end of July this year on the orders of Gen. Makenga. He was allegedly involved in the illegal trade of gold that was allegedly looted in Bukavu.

Colonel Julien Mahano Barutuje, who is currently the deputy director of M23 intelligence, is said to have been investigated for corruption and dealing in gold with Chinese investors. Although he was able to remain in his position, he was eventually transferred and sent to work in Masisi.

Meanwhile, an officer named François Kazarama is said to be still in prison in Tchanzu for killing a person who lived in his house in the city of Bukavu.

Gen. Makenga continues to be a source of frustration for his aides, while he is often heard criticizing the corruption, theft and embezzlement of funds carried out by the DRC government; some of the reasons he cites as making him choose to take up arms and fight it..

Gen Makenga proves to be a no nonsense leader as WILLY NGOMA AND IBRAHIM MAKENGA, SULTANI'S YOUNGER BROTHER, BRIEFLY ARRESTED FOR GOLD TRAFFICKING AND CORRUPTION

 

On October 1, 2025, several members of the M23 movement were briefly arrested on charges of corruption and gold trafficking. Among them, Willy Ngoma, the group's military spokesperson, was imprisoned for nearly three weeks in late July for his alleged involvement in gold trafficking. Ibrahim Makenga, Sultani Makenga's younger brother, was also detained for several days in early July on suspicion of corruption, before being released and reinstated.

In an effort to strengthen discipline, General Sultani Makenga, the M23's military leader, disciplined certain officers involved in looting and embezzlement in areas controlled by the movement. Several senior officers, including the leader's brother, received short prison sentences. These measures are intended to project an image of integrity, despite accusations of widespread abuse and looting. The crackdown comes as the M23 consolidates its control over vast territories in eastern DRC, rich in precious minerals. According to UN reports, the group has illegally seized and trafficked large quantities of minerals such as tin, tantalum, and tungsten since the capture of Goma.

Other key members are also under investigation or in detention: François Kazarama, still in prison in Tchanzu for the murder of a Congolese citizen; Manzi Musonerwa, head of the DSR in Bukavu, arrested and demoted for alleged trafficking in stolen cars; and Jimmy Nzamuye, former commander in Goma, dismissed from his duties after an arrest for abuse of position.

The M23 movement is attempting to project an image of discipline while being accused of abuse and corruption.

Rwanda and DRC meet in Washington to discuss peace and the fate of FDLR

 

The respective representatives of the DRC and

Rwanda, meeting within the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (the body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Washington Agreement), recognized on this first occasion the importance of access by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to all prisoners to be exchanged between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23 as part of the Doha process.

The DRC and Rwanda committed to facilitating this access.

This committee affirmed the need to support the full implementation of the peace agreement in words and deeds, and the members reaffirmed their commitment to refrain from any hostile actions or rhetoric, particularly political attacks or language likely to undermine or complicate the full implementation of the peace agreement.

In Washington, before representatives of Presidents Félix Antoine Tshisekedi of Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, the State of Qatar provided an update on the ongoing negotiations in Doha between the DRC and the AFC/M23.

On this occasion, it was announced that direct talks between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 would resume during the week of October 6 in Doha.

The representatives of both countries expressed their support for these efforts and stressed the importance of advancing the Doha process as essential for the broader implementation of the Washington Peace Agreement.

Meeting in Washington on October 1, representatives of the DRC and Rwanda confirmed that October 1 would be maintained as the start date for the operational order to neutralize the FDLR and their proxies and the disengagement/lifting of Rwanda's defensive measures.

These representatives from Kinshasa and Kigali discussed the rising tensions in Uvira and Walikale, calling on all stakeholders to exercise calm and restraint.