A recent report by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) claims that M23 rebels killed 169 civilians, mostly farmers, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this month.
The attack, which occurred in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province, targeted suspected members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa has vowed to investigate the incident but suggested it could be a “smear campaign” by Congolese employees of UNJHRO.
The UNJHRO report highlights the ongoing violence in eastern Congo, which threatens the peace agreement signed on June 27 in Washington by the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers. The agreement requires Congo to “neutralize” the FDLR as Rwanda withdraws from Congolese territory.
However, the progress of this agreement remains unclear.
Local activists corroborate the UN’s findings, stating that M23 combatants killed over 100 civilians, mostly Congolese Hutu farmers, who had returned to their fields after being promised safety by the rebels.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, has condemned the abuses committed by M23, Congo’s army, and allied militias in eastern Congo, warning that many of these acts may amount to war crimes.
The violence in eastern Congo jeopardizes US President Donald Trump’s vision for peace and mineral investment in the region.
A report by UN experts suggests Rwanda exercises command and control over M23, backing the group to conquer territory in eastern Congo.
Rwanda denies these claims, stating its forces act in self-defense against Congo’s army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
