At least 130 patients, many of them sick and wounded, were forcibly taken from two hospitals in Goma by M23 rebels in a brazen overnight raid, according to the United Nations.
The attack, which occurred on February 28, targeted CBCA Ndosho Hospital and Heal Africa Hospital, where 116 and 15 patients, respectively, were abducted.
The U.N. Human Rights Office stated that those taken were suspected of being soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or members of the pro-government militia known as Wazalendo.
The U.N. has condemned the abductions as deeply troubling, calling for the immediate release of the patients. “It is alarming that M23 is seizing people from hospital beds and keeping them in secret locations,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office.
M23, a Tutsi-led rebel group with historical ties to Rwanda, has been advancing rapidly in eastern Congo since December, capturing key territories and positioning itself in mineral-rich areas.
The group’s resurgence is linked to longstanding regional tensions stemming from Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the battle for control over the DRC’s vast natural resources.
Congo and Western governments have accused Rwanda of backing the rebels, a claim Rwanda denies, asserting that its military actions are aimed at neutralizing Hutu militias that pose a security threat.
