The Rwanda-backed M23 militia has been implicated in a series of “mass killings” of Congolese civilians in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a recent report from Human Rights Watch (HRW). The group has gained substantial control over the area, including the key city of Goma, which it captured in late January during a rapid military advance.
Since establishing its presence, the M23 has sought to exert long-term authority over the territories it controls, taking advantage of the disarray within the Congolese military, where numerous soldiers have fled to avoid capture. In a display of its growing power, the militia has conducted regular raids to reinforce its dominance.
In a particularly brutal incident on February 22 and 23, HRW reported that M23 fighters “summarily executed at least 21 civilians,” with the number likely higher. The executions took place near former Congolese army barracks in Goma’s Kasika neighborhood. Disturbingly, one of the victims included a 15-year-old boy, whose body was found at a construction site nearby. The nature of the injuries sustained by the victims, along with the lack of any ongoing combat during the incident, suggests a deliberate execution by the armed group, leading HRW to classify these actions as “war crimes.”
Witnesses who spoke to HRW via remote communication indicated that the M23 targeted this area due to intelligence suggesting the presence of Congolese military forces and pro-government militias, known as “Wazalendo,” or “patriots” in Swahili. These fighters often dress in civilian clothing, making it challenging to identify their allegiance.
Clementine de Montjoye, a senior researcher for HRW focused on the African Great Lakes region, emphasized that the terror inflicted by the M23 over Goma has fostered a pervasive atmosphere of fear among individuals seen as supportive of the Congolese government. She remarked that the mass killings appear to be systematic efforts orchestrated by the M23 leadership rather than actions of rogue fighters, aimed at consolidating control through violent means.
HRW has called on the international community to exert pressure on Rwanda, asserting that the Rwandan government could be complicit in these atrocities by directly supporting the M23. The organization has reported utilizing 22 eyewitness accounts, alongside authenticated video and photographic evidence, to substantiate its findings.
On May 23, HRW reached out to the M23’s spokesman, Lawrence Kanyuka, for comment but received no response prior to the publication of the report. Kanyuka later responded on social media, dismissing HRW’s findings as a “propaganda instrument” and critiquing the credibility of certain human rights organizations. He also challenged allegations made by Amnesty International regarding the M23’s treatment of imprisoned civilians, labeling those claims as “grotesque and unsubstantiated.”
The situation in eastern DRC remains precarious, with growing concerns over human rights violations and the civilian population’s safety amid the ongoing conflict.
