Photo Credit:AFP
A human rights watchdog has accused Rwanda-backed M23 rebels of killing more than 140 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo during July, describing the incidents as “summary executions” carried out in farming communities near Virunga National Park.
In a report released Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that 141 people, most of them ethnic Hutus, were confirmed dead or missing
following coordinated attacks across at least a dozen villages in North Kivu province. The organization cited accounts from survivors, medical workers, and local authorities, stressing that the actual number of victims could be significantly higher.
The killings appear tied to M23’s ongoing campaign against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a largely Hutu militia. The FDLR was formed by individuals accused of involvement in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, during which an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered. Rwandan officials have long accused Congolese authorities of sheltering the group, while Kinshasa denies providing direct support.
Witnesses recounted harrowing scenes. In one case, about 70 villagers were forced to the banks of a river, lined up, and then fired upon; at least 47 bodies were later identified. Survivors reported that M23 combatants ordered them to bury the dead hastily or abandon them in the fields, preventing proper funerals. HRW said Rwandan soldiers were also present, identifiable by their speech and military equipment.
M23 has denied responsibility, with spokesperson Willy Ngoma dismissing the allegations as “propaganda.” Kigali has yet to issue an official response, though Rwanda has repeatedly rejected claims of backing the group.
The atrocities come amid stalled peace efforts. Earlier this year, the Congolese government and M23 signed a ceasefire in Qatar, but talks have faltered and fighting resumed in January, displacing hundreds of thousands. The United Nations has called eastern Congo “one of the most protracted and serious humanitarian crises on Earth.”
HRW urged international bodies, including the UN Security Council and the European Union, to impose sanctions and pursue accountability for commanders linked to the massacres.