On February 28, 2025, the M23 rebel group abducted over 130 sick and wounded patients from CBCA Ndosho Hospital and Heal Africa Hospital in the eastern Congolese city of Goma in a disturbing act that has drawn global outrage. According to Reuters, the abductees were believed by the rebels to be Congolese soldiers or members of the pro-government Wazalendo militia, though many were receiving treatment for unrelated conditions.
The United Nations swiftly condemned the incident. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, labeled the abductions as “deeply distressing” and called for the hostages’ immediate, unconditional release. All individuals taken remain held incommunicado.
This mass abduction marks a chilling escalation in M23’s ongoing campaign in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since capturing Goma in January 2025, the Rwandan-backed rebel group has expanded its territorial control, reigniting a crisis rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and Congo’s vast mineral wealth. While Rwanda denies supporting the group, claiming to be acting in self-defense against Hutu militias targeting Tutsis, Congo, the UN, and several Western nations assert that Rwanda is actively fueling the rebellion.
A Clear Violation of the African Charter
Beyond the immediate humanitarian catastrophe, these events strike at the heart of continental legal norms enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The abduction of hospital patients—many of whom were non-combatants and gravely ill—violates multiple provisions of the Charter:
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Article 4 guarantees the right to life and the integrity of the person.
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Article 5 prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
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Article 18(3) obliges states—and, by extension, armed groups operating within their borders—to ensure the protection of vulnerable groups, including the sick and disabled.
Furthermore, the Principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which the African Charter reinforces through regional mechanisms, strictly prohibit the targeting of medical facilities and the abduction of those not directly participating in hostilities.
This act is not just a war crime under international law; it is an affront to Africa’s own human rights framework. It undermines the vision of the African Union and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), whose mission is to foster peace, justice, and respect for human dignity across the continent.
Human Toll and Diplomatic Stalemate
Since the start of 2025, more than 7,000 people have been killed in eastern Congo, with thousands more displaced or missing. Yet, despite mounting pressure, including sanctions, ICC investigations, and AU-led mediation, efforts to halt M23’s advance have failed.
The international community now faces a critical choice: allow the further erosion of human rights and regional law, or respond with coordinated action that reflects both humanitarian urgency and the moral weight of Africa’s own legal commitments.
