Latest news with #rebels
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rwanda-backed rebels in Congo executed civilians, Human Rights Watch says
By Jessica Donati and Sonia Rolley (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)
Reuters
3 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Rwanda-backed rebels in Congo executed civilians, Human Rights Watch says
June 3 (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.
New York Times
7 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Under Pressure From China, Myanmar Rebels Cede Hard-Won Territory
It was one of the biggest rebel victories of the four-year civil war in Myanmar. Thousands of resistance fighters from half a dozen rebel armies took the city of Lashio and overran a military command center 75 miles from the Chinese border. Facing junta artillery and airstrikes, the rebels attacked with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and drones, ultimately winning in intense street fighting. The triumph in August came at a cost of more than 500 fighters killed, the rebels said. But in a stunning reversal, resistance forces quietly abandoned Lashio, in northern Shan State, last month without a shot fired and handed their hard-won territory back to the junta. A military convoy of 200 vehicles flying the national flag rolled into the city in late April and reclaimed control. Rebel leaders say the sudden withdrawal was a result of pressure from China, which has been intervening in the civil war to help the junta. Beijing, rebel leaders and analysts say, is protecting its financial interests in Myanmar that are worth billions of dollars, including pipelines that transport crude oil and natural gas nearly 500 miles from the Bay of Bengal to China, and infrastructure projects being built under the umbrella of the Belt and Road Initiative. To force the rebels out of Lashio, China blocked border trade, cut off power and internet service in nearby towns and reportedly detained the commander of the main rebel group after he crossed into China. 'China claims not to interfere in Myanmar's internal affairs, but in Lashio, they clearly stepped in and managed the situation directly,' said Ni Ni Kyaw, spokeswoman for the People's Liberation Army, a pro-democracy force that joined in the battle for Lashio. 'China's approach to Myanmar's affairs is driven purely by self-interest.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
29-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Former Congolese leader Kabila meets with religious leaders in rebel-controlled city
GOMA, Congo — Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila , who is accused by the government of supporting Rwanda-backed rebels in the country's conflict-battered east, on Thursday met with top religious leaders in the rebel-controlled city of Goma. During the meeting — his first public engagement since Congolese authorities lifted his immunity amid a treason probe - Kabila expressed his desire to help achieve peace in the troubled region, according to one of the religious leaders.
Arab News
28-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Syria to re-open stock market starting June 2, finance minister says
CAIRO: Syria is set to re-open its stock market starting June 2, the state news agency SANA reported on Tuesday, citing Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh. Syria's stock market stopped trading on Dec. 5, SANA said, citing the need to assess the operational and financing status of contributing companies. In December, rebels ousted former President Bashar Assad.
