As fighting between M23 rebels and government forces escalates in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reports of widespread sexual violence have surged across villages near Lake Kivu. In areas like Bukavu, Goma, and surrounding communities, local activists and civil society groups are raising alarm over the increasing use of rape as a weapon of war.
During the months of January and February, armed clashes turned multiple villages into battlegrounds. While atrocities have been committed by various armed groups, local reports particularly point to Congolese army troops and allied Wazalendo militias from North Kivu as being responsible for numerous rapes of women and children.
One survivor, Riziki (name changed), recounted a terrifying incident in February when three soldiers stormed her home in Kavumu, a village near Bukavu. “They came to loot,” she said. “One of them tried to rape me while the others looted. My son intervened, and they fled—but they left us with nothing.”
Riziki fled to Bukavu, hoping for justice through a planned court trial. But as M23 fighters advanced and took control of the city, courts were shut down, and legal staff and victims scattered.
“I started trading to survive,” Riziki added, “but even in my new neighborhood, armed men returned. They killed two of my neighbors. I had to flee again.”
In M23-occupied cities like Bukavu and Goma, reports of sexual violence continue. Survivors say women—especially married women and young girls—have been forced into sexual acts in exchange for basic services. Most victims do not file complaints due to fear of retaliation or shame.
One anonymous young woman told DW about her detention in a secret service prison, where she narrowly escaped rape. “When I resisted a guard, he hit me. I screamed, and a superior officer arrived just in time,” she said. Others told her that rapes were common inside the facility.
Humanitarian agencies are seeing a dramatic rise in sexual violence cases. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports treating over 7,400 survivors in North Kivu between January and April 2025 alone, and nearly 40,000 in 2024. In South Kivu, 700 victims have already received assistance this year.
“The use of rape as a weapon of war is a targeted tactic to break communities and spread terror,” said Amadou Bocoum, the DRC country director for Care International. The organization has recorded 67,000 cases of sexual violence against women and girls in the first four months of 2025—up 38% from the previous year.
With international funding cut, especially from the U.S., health centers are struggling to provide essential post-rape treatment, including medication to prevent HIV.
Women’s rights advocates are calling for urgent international intervention. “This war has dragged on for 30 years,” said Willermine Ntakebuka, coordinator of women’s rights group Vision Communautaire. “Women continue to suffer the heaviest burden. Enough is enough.”
