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The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Rwanda-backed rebels in Congo executed civilians, Human Rights Watch says
Members of the M23 rebel group stand guard as people attend a rally addressed by Corneille Nangaa, Congolese rebel leader and coordinator of the AFC-M23 movement, in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge/File Photo (Reuters) -Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo executed at least 21 civilians over two days in February in the eastern city of Goma, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Tuesday. The report covers incidents on February 22-23 in a Goma neighborhood, offering a snapshot of the violence during the latest escalation of the decades-long conflict. 'Commanders and combatants who directly ordered or carried out abuses should be held criminally accountable,' Human Rights Watch said in the report. M23 rebels have seized eastern Congo's two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu, in an offensive that began in January. The unprecedented advance has killed thousands of people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee. The 21 slain civilians included six men and one woman shot in the head near Katindo military camp in Goma on February 22. HRW said M23 were responsible, citing a witness. In a separate incident, M23 killed people and dumped their bodies at a construction site less than 100 metres away from the camp. These included a 15-year-old who was taken from his home and later found dead at the site, HRW said, citing a relative and a neighbour. Goma's Kasika neighbourhood was targeted because it had previously housed Congolese army barracks, HRW said. The violence continued in the neighbourhood a day later on February 23 when M23 rounded up around 20 young men at a nearby sportsfield. A witness told HRW the rebels accused the young men of being members of the army. Three that tried to run away were shot. An M23 leader said the group would look into the allegations and publish the findings. 'HRW gives us an opportunity to mirror ourselves. We respect this organization despite its past accusations which proved to be false,' M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa told Reuters. The overall toll in Goma is likely to be higher, HRW said, with medical workers reporting that over 50 bodies were collected from the Kasika area over the two-day period. Other organizations have previously reported grievous crimes committed in eastern Congo since M23 seized swaths of territory. Amnesty International in March said rebels had raided hospitals in Goma for wounded Congolese soldiers and taken 130 people including caregivers. Many were tortured and some are still missing. UNICEF reported a five-fold surge in rape cases treated across 42 health centers in eastern Congo, in February, describing it as the worst sexual violence seen there in years. Almost a third of the victims were children, UNICEF said. In one example, a mother reported that her six daughters, the youngest just 12 years old, were raped by armed men searching for food. The conflict in eastern Congo is rooted in the spillover of Rwanda's 1994 genocide and the struggle over Congo's vast mineral resources. Rwanda denies U.N. allegations that it backs the M23, saying its forces are acting in self-defence against Congo's army and allied militias. (Writing by Jessica Donati; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Illegal logging in rebel-held Congo threatens gorillas, alarms environmentalists
A general view shows trees felled for charcoal in Kabare, as improved access to markets drives up supply, raising alarm over environmental degradation and the growing threat to Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to endangered Grauer's gorillas, in the Bukavu, South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge Vendors trade at the charcoal market in Murhesa, as improved access to markets drives up supply, raising alarm over environmental degradation and the growing threat to Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to endangered Grauer's gorillas, in the Bukavu, South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge Vendors trade at the charcoal market in Murhesa, as improved access to markets drives up supply, raising alarm over environmental degradation and the growing threat to Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to endangered Grauer's gorillas, in the Bukavu, South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge Vendors collect bags of charcoal for sale at the charcoal market in Murhesa, as improved access to markets drives up supply, raising alarm over environmental degradation and the growing threat to Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to endangered Grauer's gorillas, in the Bukavu, South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge Vendors trade at the charcoal market in Murhesa, as improved access to markets drives up supply, raising alarm over environmental degradation and the growing threat to Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to endangered Grauer's gorillas, in the Bukavu, South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge KABARE, Democratic Republic of Congo - Tropical forests in eastern Congo that fell into rebel hands this year have seen a spike in illegal logging to produce charcoal and timber, residents and environmentalists said, raising fears of large-scale degradation. The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site west of Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Congo, which was seized by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in February. It is home to hundreds of species of birds and one of the last groups of eastern lowland gorillas, also known as Grauer's gorillas. The advance this year of M23, which now holds more territory than ever in eastern Congo, has reopened roads that were once restricted due to government checkpoints, enabling more efficient transport of goods - including charcoal, known locally by the Swahili word makala. That has led to more trees being felled in and around the park, charcoal producers and traders told Reuters. "We plant trees for clean air, but also to make charcoal, produce planks and for construction," said Espoir Gedeon, who transports timber from the forests near Bukavu. The producers and traders said charcoal prices have plunged as supply has surged. Bags weighing up to 70 kg that once fetched 120,000 Congolese francs (about $40) now sell for less than half that. In the Murhesa charcoal market, 27 km (17 miles) north of Bukavu, vendors said they now buy bags for around 45,000 francs and resell them in Bukavu for a modest markup. "That's how God is helping us. We manage to feed our children and also get soap for laundry," said vendor Sifa Bahati. But conservationists warn that the charcoal boom is coming at a steep ecological cost. Environmental groups have appealed in a letter to M23 leaders to stop illegal logging, warning of possible irreversible damage to biodiversity and forest ecosystems. Neither the M23-appointed governor of South Kivu province nor an M23 spokesperson responded to a request for comment. "At least 3,000 bags (of charcoal) enter Bukavu daily, or head towards Goma," said Josue Aruna, head of the NGO Environmental and Agro-Rural Civil Society of Congo in South Kivu. Goma is the largest city in eastern Congo. "If this continues, we will lose the park, this unique habitat for the Grauer's gorilla." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
