African News
UN Accuses Congo Rebels Of Killing Dozens Of Farmers, M23 Dismisses Allegation As ‘Smear’
A United Nations body has accused M23 rebels of killing at least 169 farmers and other civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this month, marking one of the deadliest incidents since the Rwanda-backed militia resumed hostilities in the region.
The report by the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), which has not been previously disclosed, was shared with Reuters. It stated that the attack began on July 9 in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province and targeted suspected members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group that includes remnants of forces responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
“Civilians, mainly farmers temporarily camping in their fields for the ploughing season, have been attacked. The human toll has been particularly high: at least 169 people have been killed,” the UNJHRO said, citing credible information from multiple independent sources. It added that the victims were “far from any immediate support or protection.”
Local activist groups also pointed to witness reports describing M23 fighters using guns and machetes to massacre civilians. Reuters said it could not independently verify the killings.
M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa told Reuters that the group had received a letter from the UNJHRO and would launch an internal investigation. However, he suggested the report could be an orchestrated “smear campaign” by Congolese staff within the UN office.
“We believe that before imposing sanctions, the facts must first be established by verifying their actual existence through an investigation,” Bisimwa said. “This rush to publish unverified information is propaganda whose purpose is known only to the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office.”
The UNJHRO combines the human rights division of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo with the former office of the UN high commissioner for human rights in the country.
The revelation comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump ramps up efforts to broker peace between Congo and Rwanda, aiming to unlock billions in mineral investments. The M23 and the Congolese government have pledged to work toward a peace agreement by August 18, after months of renewed conflict that has led to thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
