At least 21 civilians were executed by M23 rebels over two days in February in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, according to a new report released on Tuesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The report documents killings on 22 and 23 February, amid the latest wave of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s decades-long conflict.
“Commanders and combatants who directly ordered or carried out abuses should be held criminally accountable,” the rights group stated.
The executions are part of what HRW described as a snapshot of broader atrocities committed during M23’s offensive, which began in January and has since seen the rebel group seize Goma and Bukavu—eastern Congo’s two largest cities. The advance has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Among the victims were six men and one woman shot in the head near the Katindo military camp on 22 February. A witness cited by HRW attributed the killings to M23 fighters. In another incident, bodies of victims—among them a 15-year-old boy abducted from his home—were found at a construction site less than 100 metres from the same camp, according to accounts from a relative and a neighbour.
HRW noted that Goma’s Kasika neighbourhood was targeted due to its former use as a base for the Congolese army. Violence in the area continued the next day, when M23 rebels reportedly rounded up around 20 young men at a local sports field. A witness said the rebels accused them of being army members, and shot three who tried to flee.
An M23 leader, Bertrand Bisimwa, responded to the allegations, telling Reuters, “HRW gives us an opportunity to mirror ourselves. We respect this organization despite its past accusations which proved to be false.” He added that the group would investigate the claims and release its findings.
HRW believes the death toll from the violence in Goma could be far higher, with medical workers reporting that over 50 bodies were retrieved from Kasika during the two-day period.
Other human rights groups have also flagged severe abuses since M23 captured significant swaths of territory. Amnesty International reported in March that rebels stormed hospitals in Goma, abducted 130 individuals—including caregivers—and tortured many, with some still missing. Meanwhile, UNICEF noted a five-fold increase in rape cases across 42 health centres in the region during February. Almost one-third of the victims were children.
In a particularly harrowing account, a mother told UNICEF that her six daughters, the youngest only 12, were raped by armed men searching for food.
The ongoing conflict in eastern Congo is deeply rooted in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the fierce contest over Congo’s mineral wealth. Despite repeated U.N. allegations, Rwanda denies supporting M23, claiming its involvement is limited to self-defence operations against Congo’s army and allied militias.
Follow us on:
