UN rights council addresses violence in eastern Congo as rebels capture Goma

The U.N. Human Rights Council held an urgent session on violence in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed rebels recently captured Goma. Since late January, around 3,000 people have died and nearly as many have been injured. Congo's government called for accountability from Rwanda and the M23 rebels for crimes against humanity. They also requested a fact-finding mission to investigate rights abuses in the region. Rwanda's representative claimed that armed groups from the 1994 genocide pose a threat to their security. The council is expected to consider a draft resolution for an independent investigation into the situation.