Escalating violent conflict in eastern DRC: journalists and HRDs targeted; censorship and internet cuts

General

Escalating conflict in eastern DRC

Civic space is under severe threat in eastern DRC as the armed group M23 has intensified its military offensive. In late January 2025, M23 entered and captured Goma, the capital city of North Kivu province, and later, on 15th February 2025, the city of Bukavu, South Kivu, now effectively occupying Lake Kivu region, while continuing their attacks. The military offensive and fighting between the Armed Forces of DRC (FARD), supported by pro-government armed militia alliance Wazalendo (patriots in Kiswahili), and M23 has cost the lives of at least 8,500 people, according to authorities, including civilians. Meanwhile, the escalating crisis has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. Existing Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps around Goma continue to be evacuated, destroyed or abandoned as people flee the insecurity. Reports indicate increasing use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war, including of children.

The armed rebel group M23 (Mouvement du 23 mars, referring to the date of an earlier peace agreement in 2009 the group claims the DRC government failed to honour), which United Nations experts and other observers say is backed by Rwanda, is one of more than 100 armed groups operating in the mineral-rich eastern part of DRC near the border with Rwanda. Since its resurgence in 2021, it has occupied swaths of territory in eastern DRC, now expanded to also include the cities of Goma and Bukavu. Although Rwanda has long denied having military troops in eastern DRC, UN experts believe between 4,000 and 7,000 Rwandan soldiers are present in DRC to assist M23, along with drones, armoured vehicles, GPS-jamming equipment and surface-to-air missiles.

On 21st February 2025, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution demanding that M23 immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from all areas that it controls, “and fully reverse the establishment of illegitimate parallel administrations in the DRC territory”. Furthermore, it called on the Rwandan Defence Forces to stop supporting M23 and to immediately withdraw from the DRC territory “without preconditions”. Previously, on 7th February 2025, during a special session, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) agreed to create a commission of inquiry and launch a fact-finding mission into the atrocities committed by all warring parties to the armed conflict.

Abuses in M23-occupied areas have been challenging to document as the armed group has traditionally targeted HRDs and restricted freedom of expression, movement and association. Additionally, journalists have been intimidated and subjected to threats, including death threats, forcing them to flee, while DRC authorities have instilled censorship, including by the suspension or threats of suspension or sanctions against media outlets reporting on the M23 and the conflict. Restrictions on access to internet and social media platforms X and TikTok exacerbate the situation, limiting the access to vital information.

The CIVICUS Monitor reported previously on some of the civic space violations, including censorship and threats against and killing of journalists, perpetrated in areas controlled by M23 since its resurgence in 2021. This came in addition to civic space violations committed under the State of Siege, which imposed martial law in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu since May 2021 in response to the armed groups, including the arbitrary arrests and prosecution of HRDs and journalists and the use of lethal force to stop peaceful protests.

Association

HRDs threatened, intimidated, forced into hiding

HRDs in eastern DRC have been targeted by M23 armed members, and continue to be subjected to intimidation, threats and targeted violence in eastern DRC, undermining their ability to document human rights abuses during the escalating conflict. Human rights organisations, such as Front Line Defenders, have received numerous reports of HRDs forced into hiding or subjected to threats against them and their families. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, said that reports on attacks on HRDs in eastern DRC she received have increased substantially in the past few months, including reports of M23 rebels ordering the suspension of civil society activities and HRDs going into hiding or fleeing the area.

In a press statement, Lawlor further said that she “had received credible reports of human rights defenders being detained incommunicado, forcibly disappeared and tortured in Rutshuru and Masisi in North Kivu, while at least six human rights defenders are reported missing following their attempt to flee Goma after the city was taken by M23.”

Activists killed

According to social movement LUCHA, M23 operatives killed one of their members Byamungu Katema Pierre, along with four other people who were part of a local youth council, in Muhongoza village, South Kivu, on 12th February 2025. LUCHA said the victims were part of a group of eight who were arrested by M23 and forced to transport equipment. They believe the five were targeted for their peaceful activism.

On 13th February 2025, politically outspoken musician Delcat Idinco (Delphin Katembo Vinyasiki), known for his songs addressing corruption and the armed conflict, often criticising authorities and armed groups, was fatally shot while filming a music video in Goma. His last song, Bunduki za Kwetu (‘Our weapons’ in Swahili), denounced the actions by M23. Previously, in October 2021, security forces detained the musician in Butembo, North Kivu, reportedly in connection with his songs.

Humanitarian aid workers killed

On 21st February 2025, humanitarian aid worker Jerry Muhindo Kavali, who worked for Doctors without Borders (MSF), died as a result of gunshot injuries in Masisi, North Kivu. On 6th February 2025, Swiss aid organisation Heks said three of its employees, who were on a humanitarian mission, had been killed in the territory of Rutshuru, North Kivu.

Expression

In the context of the escalating conflict in eastern DRC, journalists have been subjected to threats, including death threats and other forms of intimidation.

Press freedom group Reporters without Borders (RSF) noted that a deteriorating security situation had affected journalists even before the capture of Goma by M23. Between January 2024 and January 2025, the group recorded 52 press freedom violations in the province of North Kivu alone, the hardest hit province. This includes the looting of at least 26 community radio stations, of which at least ten were directly attacked by M23. Ahead of the armed group’s arrival, radio stations have often shut down, either forcefully or as a prevention measure, while journalists have been receiving threatening messages or calls. According to the Congolese National Press Union (UNPC), around 90 journalists were forced to flee, and some even chased by M23. One community radio journalist was killed in November 2024.

Access to vital information has further been hampered by internet cuts and restrictions on social media platforms X and Tiktok, in addition to attempts to censor media reporting on the conflict.

Death threats against and assaults, killing of journalists

On 9th January 2025, Labeur Info journalist Jonas Kasula and Molière TV reporter Jonathan Mupenda were forced into hiding after receiving text messages with death threats, after they reported on ongoing fighting in Bweremana, 40 km away from Goma. Freelance journalist Daniel Michombero, who is based in Goma, received threatening replies to his post on X – a photo of his family – including the suggestion that he should flee to Rwanda, along with other refugees, or seek protection from M23 to escape retribution.

There also have been reports of attacks on journalists. For example, On 26th January 2025, unidentified individuals attacked Sky News journalist Yousra Elbagir while he was covering the mass displacement of people following M23’s military offensive in a village north of Goma. Elbagir’s equipment was stolen by the perpetrators. Wazalendo militia members reportedly attacked radio journalist Samuel Adiba of Go FM, a radio station focused on women’s rights, and stole his equipment.

On 6th November 2024, community radio journalist Yoshua Kambere Machozi of the Mpety community radio station, was found dead in Katobi, 180 km away from Goma, eight days after he was ‘arrested’ by members of M23. The Mpety community radio station was looted.

In another development, a court in Lubumbashi, in southeastern DRC, sentenced eight people to death for the murder of Patrick Adonis Numbi, who was found dead on 7th January 2025 with marks of machete blows to the head and stab wounds. Another three people were sentenced to two years in prison for aiding the perpetrators. Despite the convictions, the motive for the journalist’s murder remains unclear.

Patrick Adonis Numbi, co-founder and director of Pamoja TV, was reportedly returning from filming a report on the illegal seizure of part of a river near Lake Kipopo on the day he

Suspension of, threats of sanctions against media outlets

On 13th January 2025, DRC’s media regulator, the Higher Council for Audiovisual and Communication (CSAC), suspended Al Jazeera for a period of 90 days as a ‘precautionary measure’ for ‘destabilising institutions of the republic’ after the outlet aired an interview with Bertrand Bisimwa, the M23 rebel leader for eastern DRC. On 9th January 2025, Communication Minister Patrick Muyaya had already announced the withdrawal of the media accreditation of Al Jazeera’s journalists. A few days before, on 7th January 2025, the head of CSAC, Christian Bosembe, warned, on his Twitter account, that French broadcasters France 24, RFI and TV5 Monde would receive sanctions for reporting on ‘alleged advances’ by M23, which he described as ‘apology for terrorism’. The same day, the CSAC reportedly sent letters to the same outlets, accusing their reporting of lacking ‘objectivity and balance’, while threatening them with ‘exemplary and severe sanctions’.

On 30th January 2025, during a press conference, Bosembe further issued a stern warning to national and international media outlets covering the conflict to report ‘with professionalism’ to avoid instilling fear among citizens. Any media giving airtime to M23 supporters to ‘justify the seizure of territory’ could face sanctions, including closure. The CSAC also imposed restrictions on media coverage of discussions on DRC’s military operations, stating that such subjects could only be addressed in the presence of a military expert. Anthony Bellanger, Secretary General of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) commented:

In a separate incident, on 19th December 2024, CSAC suspended eight TV channels of Canal+ on grounds of ‘preserving good morals’. Canal+ POP, Canal+ Elles, E, SYFY, MTV, Canal+ ACTION, AB1 and Canal+ Cinéma were suspended for 45 days on accusations of ‘broadcasting of programmes deemed “immoral” which would encourage young people to “irresponsible sexuality.”’ In September 2024, CSAC suspended Canal+ POP for 45 days after it broadcast the reality TV show ‘The Bachelor Africa’, deemed immoral by the regulator, despite its earlier ban on 5th September 2024.

Restrictions on access to internet and social media

On 25th January 2025, amid the M23 attack and advance on Goma, internet access was cut, reportedly on orders of authorities. According to the #KeepItOn coalition and media sources, social media platforms X and TikTok were also reportedly blocked since 1st February 2025. On 3rd February 2025, NetBlocks said that metrics show that the Google Play Store is restricted, reportedly to avoid users downloading VPN services to circumvent the restrictions targeting X and TikTok.

Justice Minister threatens journalists, civil society actors with prosecution, including the death penalty

On 7th January 2024, the Justice Minister threatened, through a post on X, the following with prosecution, including the death penalty: ‘Any political, civil society, journalist or religious actor who relays the activities of the Rwandan army and its M23 auxiliaries will now be subject to the full force of the law (DEATH PENALTY)’. As reported previously on the Monitor, the moratorium on the execution of the death penalty was suspended in March 2024.

Peaceful Assembly

Protests against M23 military offensive and escalating conflict in eastern DRC

Several protests took place following the escalation of the violent conflict in eastern DRC. For example, in Maniema, a protest to show solidarity and support for the DRC armed forces (FARDC) and Wazalendo took place on 30th January 2025. Similar protests in the province of Haut-Katanga were cancelled after an extraordinary provincial security council banned all meetings and political gatherings until further notice on 29th January 2025. On 28th January 2025, protests in Kinsasha became violent as some protesters attacked the embassies of France, Belgium and USA, - accused of inaction in the face of events in eastern DRC - and the embassy of Rwanda.

A dozen killed during public meeting of M23 armed group and dozens injured

At least 11 people were killed and dozens injured when two bombs went off during a public gathering organised by M23 and its supporters, including the Congo River Alliance, on 27th February 2025 in Bukavu. The Congo River Alliance (AFC) is a politico-military coalition of rebel groups, including M23.