Kinshasa, April 2nd, 2025 (CPA).- 8,500 bodies have been found since the attack by Rwanda and its M23-AFC proxies in the cities of Goma (North Kivu) and Bukavu (South Kivu), in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the governors noted Tuesday during a Human Rights Council morning viewing. « We can confirm the figure just given by the United Nations Committee of Experts, which states that 8,500 bodies have been found dead between Goma and Bukavu, » declared Jean-Jacques Purusi, Governor of South Kivu.
« We have made an effort to end the armed confrontation in the city of Bukavu, despite the fact that residents were massacred by Rwandan soldiers and their M23-AFC proxies. More than 422 people have been tortured, and there are several groups of corpses, » he added. The Governor of South Kivu announced, during this morning’s viewing of the Human Rights Council’s interactive dialogue on the situation in the DRC, that 29 children, ranging in age from 8 to 14, were shot at point-blank range by these attackers in the city of Bukavu. « Those who can’t find their family members have to go look for them in Grand Saïo. It costs $100; if you manage to find the body, you pay another $300 to get them back. There are barriers everywhere, » he lamented. Regarding the Goma and Bukavu airports, the governor of South Kivu expressed the hope that these airports would be reopened. « That the airports in Goma and Bukavu be open for humanitarian flights, properly monitored by the UN Humanitarian Commission, not flights to Rwanda and other neighboring states, » he expressed his hope.
Withdrawal of MONUSCO He also raised the issue of the withdrawal of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Congo (MONUSCO), previously initiated by Congolese politicians. « It should be noted that the ideas that led to MONUSCO’s departure from the DRC focused on the political interventions of politicians. I do not agree with this discourse, » he said. Civil protection of the population is a recognized role of the state, he added, before specifying that partners, such as MONUSCO, are there precisely to support the state in this mission.
Establishment of Transitional Justice Mechanisms
« We endorse the sanctions imposed on Rwanda, and then support our government’s efforts to establish transitional justice mechanisms to recognize the genocide that Rwanda continues to perpetrate in our country, » said Chantal Chambu Mwavita, DRC Minister of Human Rights. She further maintained that there is no collaboration between the DRC and the FDLR, often supported by Rwanda, which confuses them with the Wazalendo. « We are committed to this issue because we must put an end to a pretext often used by Rwanda to attack the DRC for almost 30 years. The Congolese government has always been very open to the physical mapping of the FDLR, to put an end to this FDLR issue, » she maintained. She reiterated that the Wazalendo are a national reconnaissance force to counter terrorists. « The Wazalendo are Congolese. « They constitute a national reconnaissance force to counter terrorists. This is a necessary response to the Rwandan aggression. The main goal of these Wazalendo is to protect the local population and also territorial integrity, » insisted the Minister of Human Rights. For her part, Bintou Keïta, Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, intervened to formulate three proposals for stability in eastern DRC, including regional dialogue. Finally, she called for the reopening of the Goma and Kavumu airports to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the population.ACP/