The death toll in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has soared past 7,000 since January, with Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka sounding the alarm over a spiraling security crisis fueled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.

Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Tuluka painted a grim picture of a region unraveling under relentless violence.

“The security situation in eastern DRC has reached alarming levels,” Tuluka declared, confirming that over 7,000 people—many of them civilians—have been killed in the past month alone. She revealed the staggering scale of the carnage: over 2,500 unidentified bodies have been buried, while 1,500 more remain unclaimed in morgues. When pressed on the breakdown between civilian and military casualties, Tuluka admitted identification efforts are incomplete but stressed that “a significant mass of civilians” are among the victims.

The M23, bolstered by an estimated 4,000 Rwandan troops according to UN experts, has seized vast swathes of the mineral-rich east, including the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu. The rebels took North Kivu’s capital, Goma, last month—where over 3,000 deaths were reported—and followed up by capturing South Kivu’s capital, Bukavu, just over a week ago. The rapid advance has left the Congolese government reeling, unable to stem the tide of the well-armed insurgency.

The conflict has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe, displacing tens of thousands and deepening an already acute crisis in the region. Reports of mass killings, sexual violence, and looting have emerged as M23 consolidates control, drawing sharp condemnation from international observers.

The Congolese government's struggle to repel M23 has sparked urgent calls for action. Humanitarian agencies are scrambling to deliver aid to displaced populations, while diplomatic pressure mounts on Rwanda, accused of fueling the violence through its support for the rebels. The UN and other bodies have voiced fears of a broader regional conflict if the escalation continues unchecked.

As eastern DRC teeters on the edge, Tuluka’s plea in Geneva underscores the desperate need for intervention—both to halt the bloodshed and to address the root causes driving one of Africa’s deadliest ongoing conflicts. (ILKHA)