HRW: M23 Rebels Killed at Least 140 Civilians in Eastern DR Congo
Human Rights Watch reports that in July M23 rebels killed at least 140 civilians across more than a dozen villages near Virunga National Park, despite ongoing peace talks.
Human Rights Watch says M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo killed at least 140 civilians in July, marking one of the deadliest episodes since the group's revival in late 2021.
The killings took place across 14 villages near Virunga National Park. Witnesses reported that rebels used guns and machetes, targeting mainly ethnic Hutus and preventing escape by blocking roads.
One witness recalled: 'On 11 July, M23 fighters were already on our doorstep. They killed people with guns and machetes.' Another survivor described seeing fighters kill her husband with a machete before chasing women and children to a riverbank and opening fire.
Locals said rebels forced them to bury bodies in fields or leave them unburied, with some corpses thrown into the Rutshuru River. Evidence gathered from 25 eyewitnesses, medical staff, UN and military sources suggest the Rwanda Defence Force backed the operation.
The UN recorded over 300 killings in the same period and called for accountability. The M23 and Rwandan government have denied involvement, blaming other armed groups.
Ongoing Conflict and Peace Efforts
Despite US- and Qatar-mediated peace talks, fighting has escalated since January as M23 seized strategic areas, including Goma. A ceasefire signed in Qatar collapsed when M23 withdrew, citing broken commitments by Kinshasa.
Humanitarian groups report thousands killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in the protracted conflict. HRW urges the UN Security Council, EU and member states to impose sanctions on those responsible and pursue prosecutions of commanders implicated in atrocities.
M23’s July attacks on villages near Virunga National Park mark a significant escalation in civilian targeting, underscoring the urgent need for international action.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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