Attacks in 2023 displace 'nearly 1 million' in DRC

Attacks on civilians by non-state armed groups have increased, displacing one million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] since early 2023.

An estimated 6.1 million people are internally displaced, a 17 percent rise from October 2022, said the International Organization for Migration [IOM] in a statement on Thursday.

"A surge in attacks on civilians by non-state armed groups has newly displaced close to one million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC] since January," the statement said.

"As the conflict intensifies, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, and millions are facing acute food insecurity as well as other critical needs."

The organisation noted that at least 46 people, including children, were killed in an attack on June 11 by members of the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo [CODECO] militia on the Lala displacement site in Ituri province.

The attack resulted in the displacement of over 7,800 people and the loss of housing and personal items. The IOM strongly condemned this "grave violation" of international humanitarian law and said attacks on civilians may constitute war crimes.

"This recent gruesome attack is a testament to the intolerable dangers displaced people in the DRC face daily," said Federico Soda, IOM director for the Department of Emergencies.

"Concerted efforts are desperately needed to end the violence and help the Congolese people find peace," Soda added.

More than 120 armed groups operate in east

Armed groups have plagued much of eastern DRC for three decades, a legacy of regional wars that flared in the 1990s and 2000s.

The Tutsi-led M23 group has captured swathes of territory in North Kivu province since taking up arms in late 2021 after years of dormancy.

The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing the M23.

Despite denials from Kigali, independent United Nations experts and several western nations, including the United States, agree with Kinshasa.

The region has more than 120 armed groups, most fighting for land and control of mines with valuable minerals, and some trying to protect their communities.

Over 26 million people need humanitarian aid across the country, according to the IOM.