Human Rights Watch accused the M23 rebel group of killing at least 140 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in July, one of its deadliest sprees since the movement resurfaced in late 2021. The alleged massacre unfolded amid a US- and Qatar-brokered effort to halt the fighting.
In a report released Wednesday, HRW said Rwanda-backed M23 fighters used machetes and gunfire to attack residents—largely Hutu—in at least 14 villages and farm areas around Rutshuru near Virunga National Park between July 10 and 30. Witnesses described roadblocks that trapped civilians and killings carried out at close range. Bodies were thrown into the Rutshuru River, they said.
HRW said the July death toll could exceed 300, aligning with a UN rights office finding earlier this month that at least 319 people were killed between July 9 and 21 in four villages. The group also cited accounts from medical workers, UN staff and Congolese military personnel alleging members of Rwanda’s Defence Force supported the operation. Kigali has denied UN allegations and rejects claims it backs M23.
M23 has previously called accusations of mass killings a “blatant misrepresentation” and did not respond to HRW’s latest findings, the group said.
Fighting between government forces and M23 intensified in January as the rebels seized swathes of mineral-rich North Kivu, including the regional capital Goma. The violence has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands, according to the UN.
Regional diplomacy has stalled. Rwanda and Kinshasa agreed to “neutralise” the Hutu FDLR militia, while in Qatar last month the DRC government and M23 signed a ceasefire intended to lead to a broader deal. The rebels later walked away from talks, accusing Kinshasa of failing to honor commitments, but have since said they will send a technical team to Doha to discuss truce arrangements. The army says M23 has already violated the ceasefire.
HRW urged the UN Security Council, the EU and governments to condemn the abuses, expand sanctions and push for arrests and prosecutions of commanders implicated in atrocities.