No government supplying military and security equipment to the region is known to have taken any steps to ensure that these would not be used to perpetrate human rights abuses. Civilians are targeted by combatants out of reprisal for losses suffered or simply to punish alleged collaborators and informants. In the DRC women have been particularly targeted for human rights abuses and reports of rape and other acts of sexual violence by combatants have recently escalated. Sexual violence appears to be used as a weapon of war by combatants at times preceding or accompanying the massacre of civilians. In addition to abuses perpetrated in the context of insurgency and counter-insurgency operations, numerous human rights violations occur in the context of law enforcement and the administration of justice.
Many arrests appear to be arbitrary without substantive evidence resulting in unlawful detentions.
Others are apparently politically motivated and result in prolonged detention without charge or trial. There are widespread reports of detainees suffering beatings and other forms of ill-treatment. In the context of fair trial procedures, serious concerns arise in all three countries. In Burundi, for instance, most of the trials which have taken place continue to fall far short of international standards for fair trial, despite the activities of the UN Program of Judicial Assistance. Many detainees are tortured.