DR Congo Rebels Accused of Killing 140 Civilians Despite Peace Talks

Tone & Political Bias: Moderately Center-Leaning

Why: The report presents facts from Human Rights Watch and the UN, while also including denials and responses from Rwanda and M23, showing an effort to balance perspectives.

Rights Group Alleges Mass Killings

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says M23 rebels killed at least 140 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last month. The rights group described it as one of the deadliest attacks by the rebel movement since its return in late 2021.

The killings reportedly happened between July 10 and 30 in Rutshuru territory, near Virunga National Park. Witnesses told HRW that Rwanda-backed M23 fighters used machetes and gunfire to attack people across 14 villages and farming areas. Many victims were women and children from the Hutu ethnic community.

Accounts of Violence

Eyewitness testimonies gathered by HRW point to systematic violence:

• Villagers said M23 fighters blocked roads to stop people from escaping.

• Survivors recounted that entire families were killed in front of them.

• One woman said rebels forced around 70 women and children to sit by a riverbank before opening fire. She survived by falling into the water.

• Locals were told to bury bodies in fields immediately, and in some cases, corpses were thrown into rivers.

  
  

Medical workers, UN staff, and Congolese army personnel corroborated the accounts. HRW estimates the real death toll could be more than 300.

Rwanda’s Alleged Role

HRW’s report and earlier UN findings allege the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) supported the M23 during the July massacre. Rwanda has strongly denied these claims, calling them “gratuitous” and “sensational.”

Kigali has argued that other armed groups hostile to M23 are responsible for such violence. M23 itself has also rejected the accusations, calling them a “blatant misrepresentation of the facts.”

Background on the Conflict

The DRC’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by fighting for decades. M23, a group largely made up of ethnic Tutsis, resurfaced in 2021 after years of dormancy. Fighting escalated in January when rebels seized large parts of North Kivu province, including areas close to the city of Goma.

The group says it is fighting to protect Tutsis from armed Hutu groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The FDLR includes some who took part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Since the start of this year, thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, according to the United Nations.

Peace Efforts Under Strain

The reported atrocities come despite ongoing peace efforts.

• The United States and Qatar have brokered talks between the DRC government and M23.

• Rwanda and DRC also agreed that Kinshasa would work to neutralize the FDLR.

• In July, M23 and the DRC government signed a ceasefire deal in Qatar.

  
  

However, the ceasefire quickly fell apart. M23 pulled out of the talks last week, accusing Kinshasa of failing to meet commitments. While the group has since sent a “technical team” to Doha, clashes with the army continue.

International Response

Human Rights Watch has called on the UN Security Council, the European Union, and governments worldwide to:

• Condemn the killings.

• Impose sanctions on responsible commanders.

• Press for prosecutions of those implicated in war crimes.

  
  

The United Nations has also raised alarms, reporting earlier this month that at least 319 people were killed in Rutshuru over a two-week span in July. The ongoing violence highlights the difficulty of enforcing peace in a region where multiple armed groups, international rivalries, and resource competition fuel instability.