African Commission on Human and People's Rights

Introduction This article offers a critical analysis of the uniqueness, legal significance, and silences in Resolution 627 on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission or Commission) on 11 March 2025 during its 82nd Ordinary Session. Resolution 627 is the first the African Commission adopts since the resumption of M23 military activities in eastern DRC in November 2021 (S/2022/967, para 47). The Commission urged all parties to uphold the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and to engage in dialogue for a swift resolution of the conflict. It also strongly condemned acts of violence against civilians, including rape, the conscription of child soldiers (Abelungu 2019), the burning of prisons, and targeted killings. It reminded all parties of their obligations to respect the principle of border intangibility and the prohibition of unconstitutional changes of government. These recommendations are far-reaching than those the African Commission made under Resolution…