Press briefing notes on the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:  Ravina Shamdasani
Location:     Geneva
Date:  16 August 2016

We urge the Congolese authorities to promptly investigate a massacre that occurred in Beni territory in Northern Kivu province on Saturday. At least 47 civilians, including two children, were reportedly killed by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) members, four wounded and 10 houses burnt down. This brings to more than 645 the total civilian death toll resulting from presumed ADF attacks since 1 January 2014. This is the most serious violence to affect the area since late 2014, when the UN documented at least 237 civilian deaths in a three-month period between 1 October and 31 December 2014.

We urge the Government of the DRC to enhance its efforts to protect civilians, to investigate these serious violations of international humanitarian law and to ensure the perpetrators of human rights abuses and violations on all sides are brought to justice.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact please contact Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org)

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