Rwanda-backed rebels killed over 140 civilians in eastern Congo, rights group says - Africa
The group said 141 people, predominantly ethnic Hutus, were feared dead or missing after the attacks near Virunga National Park in North Kivu province, citing local experts and witness accounts.
It said the killings appeared to be part of a military campaign by the M23 group, the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups in mineral-rich eastern Congo, against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a mostly Hutu armed group.
Nearly 2 million Hutus from Rwanda fled to Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed 800,000 Tutsi, moderate Hutus and others. Rwandan authorities have accused Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide, alleging that the Congolese army protected them.
The United States and others have been trying to achieve a permanent ceasefire since fighting between the M23 and Congolese forces escalated in January with the M23's seizure of two key cities. U.S. President Donald Trump this week asserted he had 'ended six wars' including this one, but experts say his impact isn't as clear cut as he claims.
The U.N. has called the decades-old conflict in eastern Congo 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.'
The Human Rights Watch report says the Rwanda Defense Force was involved in the M23 operations it describes, citing U.N. and military sources and witness accounts. There was no immediate comment from the Rwandan government.
'The M23 armed group, which has Rwandan government backing, attacked over a dozen villages and farming areas in July and committed dozens of summary executions of primarily Hutu civilians,' said Clementine de Montjoye, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Witnesses said M23 soldiers, accompanied by Rwandan soldiers who were identified by their accents, told them to 'immediately bury the bodies in the fields or leave them unburied, preventing families from organizing funerals,' the report said.
One woman described being marched in a group to a riverbank near the town of Kafuru. The group of around 70 people was lined up before the soldiers began shooting at them. Forty-seven of the dead, including children, were identified, the report added.
Willy Ngoma, military spokesperson for M23, called the report 'military propaganda.'
M23 was previously accused of extrajudicial killings during its seizure of major cities earlier this year.
A separate report by Amnesty International on Wednesday said the rights group found that both M23 and Congolese government-sponsored militias regularly committed mass atrocities and sexual violence against civilians, including gang rape.
'Rwanda and (Congo) cannot continue shunning responsibility; they must hold all perpetrators accountable,' said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International's regional director for East and Southern Africa.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
7 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Hungary says ready to host Ukraine peace talks - War in Ukraine
Hungary, Moscow's and Donald Trump's closest ally in the EU, said Thursday it was ready to host Ukraine peace talks. Budapest has been floated as one of the locations to host the US-led bid to end the war, but relations between Ukraine and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have been tense since he blocked Kyiv's bid to join the EU. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Budapest was ready to host any peace talks. "We will provide the proper, fair and safe conditions for such peace talks," he told a pro-government show streamed on social media. "I don't know of any European politician today, apart from Viktor Orban, who can speak equally with (US President) Donald Trump and (Russian President) Vladimir Putin," he added. Zelenskyy said on Thursday that possible venues for peace talks were Switzerland, Austria and Turkey, expressing reluctance to hold negotiations in Budapest. He also said that he had asked Trump to pressure Budapest to unblock Ukraine's accession negotiations with the EU. Last month, the Hungarian government put up fresh posters around the country opposing Ukraine EU membership and mocking Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy has previously said that a past deal signed in 1994 in Budapest "did not work". Under the Budapest memorandum, Russia committed to respect Ukraine's borders in exchange for its nuclear disarmament. The deal was also signed by the United States and the United Kingdom. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Egypt Independent
10 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
Egypt links Ukraine peace efforts to Gaza crisis, urges Israel to accept Hamas-approved deal
Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement announcing that it is closely following recent international efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful settlement for the Ukrainian crisis. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it values the efforts being made by US President Donald Trump to end the Ukrainian crisis and put a stop to the military operations and the negative repercussions they have caused. Egypt welcomed the US-Russian summit held in Alaska on August 15, as well as the meeting that brought the US President together with his Ukrainian counterpart and a number of European leaders in Washington on August 18. Egypt reaffirms that these efforts are in complete alignment with the Egyptian state's position, which calls for pushing for political and diplomatic solutions to international crises, as there is no military solution to this protracted crisis. The only way forward is through continued serious negotiation, a show of the necessary political will and flexibility, and adherence to the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter. Egypt also expresses its hope that these efforts will lead to an end to the war as soon as possible, given the severe political, security, humanitarian, and economic repercussions that have acutely impacted developing nations, which now face increasing pressure as a result of the war, especially concerning food security. While valuing the diplomatic efforts being made to reach a settlement to the Ukrainian crisis, Egypt also expresses its hope that the international community will continue to exert its efforts in the Middle East as well, aiming to achieve a decisive and final settlement of the Palestinian issue. It stresses the necessity for the Israeli side to accept the deal that the Hamas movement agreed to, based on the proposal of US Envoy Steve Whitkoff, in effort to swiftly reach a ceasefire in Gaza, allow access for humanitarian aid, and secure the release of hostages and a number of Palestinian prisoners. This would contribute to establishing security and stability and reviving the comprehensive settlement path on the basis of the two-state solution and relevant international legitimacy resolutions. Egypt renews its readiness to continue its constructive contribution, in cooperation with regional and international parties – particularly the US – to support the paths aimed at achieving international peace and security, out of a keenness to enhance regional and international security and stability.
Al-Ahram Weekly
10 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Uganda reaches agreement with US to take migrants: govt - International
Uganda has agreed to receive migrants who do not qualify to remain in the United States, a foreign ministry official said Thursday, in Washington's latest attempt to speed up deportations. US President Donald Trump's administration has negotiated arrangements to send people to third countries, among them El Salvador and Eswatini, which have been fiercely criticised by rights groups. At roughly 1.7 million Uganda already hosts the largest refugee population in Africa, according to the United Nations, and is the latest east African country to signal such a deal with Washington, joining Rwanda and South Sudan. "The agreement is in respect of Third Country Nationals who may not be granted asylum in the United States, but are reluctant to or may have concerns about returning to their countries of origin," the Ugandan foreign affairs ministry's permanent secretary, Vincent Bagiire, said in a statement on X. He said it was a "temporary arrangement", which specified that "individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted". Bagiire also stated Uganda's preference that "individuals from African countries shall be the ones transferred to Uganda". "The two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented," he added. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
