In July, Rwanda-backed rebels were responsible for the deaths of at least 140 people in farming communities located in eastern Congo. Human Rights Watch released a report detailing the events, characterizing the killings as "summary executions." The organization indicated that 141 individuals, primarily ethnic Hutus, were feared dead or missing following the attacks near Virunga National Park in North Kivu province. This information was based on accounts from local experts and witnesses.
The killings are believed to be part of a military campaign conducted by the M23 group. M23 is the most prominent of over 100 armed groups operating in the mineral-rich eastern Congo. The target of the campaign was the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a predominantly Hutu armed group. Following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which resulted in the deaths of 800,000 Tutsi, moderate Hutus, and others, nearly 2 million Hutus from Rwanda sought refuge in Congo. Rwandan authorities have accused the fleeing Hutus of participating in the genocide, alleging that the Congolese army provided them protection.
Efforts to establish a permanent ceasefire have been ongoing since January, when fighting between the M23 and Congolese forces intensified, leading to the M23's seizure of two key cities. The United Nations has described the decades-long conflict in eastern Congo as a severe humanitarian crisis. The Human Rights Watch report suggests the involvement of the Rwanda Defense Force in the M23 operations, citing U.N. and military sources, as well as witness accounts.
According to the Human Rights Watch report, the M23 armed group, with support from the Rwandan government, attacked numerous villages and farming areas in July. The attacks included numerous summary executions of primarily Hutu civilians. Witnesses reported that M23 soldiers, accompanied by Rwandan soldiers identified by their accents, ordered them to bury the bodies immediately or leave them unburied, preventing families from organizing funerals.
One witness described being marched with a group to a riverbank near Kafuru, where soldiers opened fire on them. Forty-seven of the dead, including children, were identified. M23 has previously been accused of extrajudicial killings during its seizure of major cities earlier this year.
A separate report by Amnesty International revealed that both M23 and Congolese government-sponsored militias regularly committed mass atrocities and sexual violence against civilians, including gang rape. Amnesty International called on Rwanda and Congo to take responsibility and hold all perpetrators accountable.
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