More than 100 killed in massacre

Rebel fighters inflicted ‘unspeakable violence’ on men, women and children, UN investigation finds

Arbitrarily shooting, stabbing, raping and abducting people, rebels in eastern Congo have killed at least 131 people and inflicted “unspeakable violence” against civilians, a UN report said.

The M23 rebel group killed men, women and children in two villages in Congo’s Rutshuru territory in North Kivu province last month, according to a preliminary investigation by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in Congo and MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country.

The investigation, based on interviews with 52 victims and witnesses, details a brutal campaign of killings, rapes, kidnappings and looting in Kishishe and Bambo villages, between Nov. 29 and 30 by the rebels. At least 60 people were abducted, 22 women and girls raped, property looted and houses burned, the report said. The killings were among the latest in clashes between the rebels and a coalition of armed civilian protection militia, which have been fighting each other in eastern Congo for more than a year, since M23 rebels resurfaced after being dormant for nearly a decade.

The M23 rose to prominence 10 years ago when its fighters seized Goma, the largest city in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which sits along the border with Rwanda. The group derives its name from a March 23 peace deal in 2009, which it accuses the government of not implementing.

After the attacks, rebels prevented survivors from leaving ransacked villages and allegedly buried bodies of victims in what might have been an attempt to destroy evidence, said the UN report. Due to security constraints, investigators were unable to access the villages and instead spoke to survivors and witnesses at a UN peacekeeping base in a nearby town where people had sought refuge.

The report comes amid a spate of accusations by both groups accusing the other of atrocities. While a ceasefire was agreed to last month, analysts say the new attacks could lead to further violence.

“Despite M23’s recent statements expressing willingness to withdraw, the group’s attacks against civilians could potentially indicate an escalation of the conflict, and are likely to lead to further violence between M23 and other armed groups, some of whom have also committed violations. Civilians, as always, will pay the price,” said Daniel Levine-Spound a researcher focused on Congo with the Centre for Civilians in Conflict.

M23 said it is committed to abiding by the ceasefire agreed to in Angola in November. Lawrence Kanyuka, the rebel group’s political spokesperson asserted that M23 is entitled to defend itself if attacked. However, the group has gained ground in recent weeks, inching close to Goma and expanding into Masisi, increases in their territory that make it hard to believe the rebels are only acting in self-defence.

At least 60 people were abducted, 22 women and girls raped, and houses looted and burned by M23 rebels in two eastern Congo villages