A/HRC/39/42 2017, at Kankwala (Nyunzu territory), at least 32 women were raped by Twa militia members during an attack on the village. An alarming spread of the conflict was observed during the reporting period in the Pweto territory, in the neighbouring province of HautKatanga. 40. Since September 2017, the human rights situation has deteriorated considerably in Maniema because of the activities of the Mai-Mai Malaika and the wide-scale deployment of FARDC to counter the activities of armed groups. In their operations, FARDC soldiers have used excessive and indiscriminate force, resulting in at least 86 victims of extrajudicial killings, including at least four women and five children. In the course of a single day, 12 December 2017, soldiers from the FARDC commando unit killed 40 civilians in Tenge Tenge, Mombese and Kibenga (Kabambare territory) in retaliation for the death of their commander in an ambush by Mai-Mai Malaika fighters on 10 December 2017. 41. The situation in the areas affected by the conflict has resulted in massive population displacements and exacerbated humanitarian needs. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo has 4.25 million displaced persons and more than 600,000 have fled to other countries.9 There is no national strategy or legislation, however, for the protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons. 42. For the first time since 2003, the annex to the latest report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (A/72/361-S/2017/821) makes no mention of FARDC as a party to the conflict by engaging in the recruitment and use of children. The High Commissioner does, however, deplore the large number of killings and maimings of children attributed to FARDC soldiers documented by the Joint Human Rights Office during the reporting period, in particular in the Kasaï region. 2. Action taken by the Joint Human Rights Office 43. The protection of civilians remains a central priority of MONUSCO and the Joint Human Rights Office, including in the context of violence between communities or ethnic or religious groups and during the elections. 10 44. The Joint Human Rights Office has continued its monitoring and investigation work in the conflict-affected areas and strengthened its presence in the Kasaï and Maniema provinces in order to enhance its capacity to prevent and respond to the challenges of protecting civilians in these areas. 45. The Joint Human Rights Office also organized several capacity-building activities related to protecting civilians and supported the establishment and empowerment of protection networks. These actions have contributed to the creation of 31 protection networks comprising 471 non-governmental organizations in 18 provinces. 3. Human rights due diligence policy 46. During the reporting period, the secretariat of the human rights due diligence policy, 11 placed under the authority of the Director of the Joint Human Rights Office, conducted 200 risk assessments that led to the authorization of United Nations support, often with conditions, for 729 State officials in leadership positions, and for several hundred units of the army, the police and, to a lesser extent, the National Intelligence Agency. 9 10 11 8 See www.unhcr.org/democratic-republic-of-the-congo.html (accessed 5 June 2018). See Security Council resolution 2409 (2018), para. 31 (a). The human rights due diligence policy seeks to prevent the risk of units of the Congolese security forces to which the United Nations provides support (logistical, operational or training) committing violations of international humanitarian law, human rights or refugee law. See A/67/775-S/2013/110. GE.18-13336