Red Cross envoy: Congo conflict has worsened with sharp increases in sexual violence and wounded

The decades-old conflict in Congo’s mineral-rich east has “drastically deteriorated” since early 2022 and gotten even worse since last October, with sharp increases in sexual violence, the number of wounded and child recruitment, the top Red Cross official in the country says. Francois Moreillon called Congo a “double-edged crisis,” with the last 30 years of conflict weakening the capacity of government, including at local levels, to deliver basic services such as water, education and food. When it came to protecting civilians, Moreillon said the crisis was “extremely acute.” Moreillon told several reporters Wednesday that “all indicators are going through the roof” since Oct. 1 when fighting resumed between Congolese government forces and their allies and the M23 rebel group.