Rebels in Congo Used Containers to Hold Journalists in Brutal Conditions, Advocacy Group Says

A rebel group in eastern Congo has detained civilians, including two journalists, in metal shipping containers without light or ventilation, an advocacy group said Tuesday. 
  
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the Rwanda-backed M23, which controls parts of eastern Congo, used the containers in the city of Goma as makeshift detention cells under “inhumane” and “degrading” conditions. 
  
Using witness accounts, satellite imagery, and photos collected in 2025, RSF said at least two journalists were among those detained in the containers, which were installed at the compound of the province’s legislative assembly in Goma.  
  
According to the testimonies, conditions were extreme—suffocating heat by day and cold at night—with deaths reported.  
 
The rebels’ takeover of Goma last year has worsened conditions for journalists operating in eastern Congo, where threats and attacks were already widespread. Reporters Without Borders said the M23 has tightened control over media coverage, including imposing restrictions on the language used to describe its presence. 
 
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