DR Congo Death Toll Could Exceed 300 in M23 Attacks, UN Warns

Human Rights Watch says fighters from the M23 rebel group killed at least 140 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last month. The rights group described the massacre as one of the worst carried out by the Rwanda-backed rebels since their resurgence in late 2021.

Witnesses said residents, including women and children from the Hutu ethnic group, were executed in the Rutshuru area near Virunga National Park. HRW said the killings took place between 10 and 30 July as the rebels blocked roads to stop people from fleeing.

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The group added that the true death toll may exceed 300, in line with UN findings earlier this month. M23 has previously denied responsibility, calling such allegations a misrepresentation, and did not respond to HRW’s latest report.

Fighting between M23 and government troops escalated in January after the rebels seized large parts of mineral-rich North Kivu province, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians. The violence has continued despite a peace process brokered by the United States and Qatar.