The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group carried out mass killings of more than 140 civilians, mostly ethnic Hutu, in at least 14 villages and farming areas of Rutshuru territory, North Kivu, between 10 and 30 July 2025, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. Witness accounts, UN reporting, and military sources indicate that soldiers from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) also participated in the operations.

HRW described the massacres as among the worst atrocities committed by the M23 since its resurgence in late 2021, with credible reports suggesting the death toll may exceed 300. Civilians, including women and children, were executed in their homes, fields, and near the Rutshuru River. Bodies were either buried hastily under orders from M23 fighters or thrown into the river, depriving families of the chance to hold funerals.

The killings appear linked to the M23’s military campaign against rival groups, particularly the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Rwandan Hutu armed group founded by participants in the 1994 genocide. Most victims were Hutu, with some Nande, raising fears of ethnic cleansing in Rutshuru.

HRW investigations identified specific M23 units and commanders, including Brig. Gen. Baudoin Ngaruye, already under UN sanctions, as well as Col. Samuel Mushagara. Residents and UN sources confirmed RDF involvement, recognising soldiers by their uniforms and language.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on 6 August that at least 319 civilians were killed between 9 and 21 July in four Rutshuru villages, figures consistent with HRW’s findings. HRW also documented further executions of 41 civilians in early August, though these could not be independently verified.

Both the Rwandan government and the M23 denied involvement, rejecting UN allegations. Kigali claimed that rival groups opposed to the M23 were responsible.

Human Rights Watch called on the UN Security Council, the EU, and governments to condemn the killings, impose sanctions on those responsible, and ensure prosecutions of implicated commanders. It urged donor countries to reassess military support to Rwanda and pressed for international forensic experts to investigate mass graves and preserve evidence.

The massacres occurred only weeks after a US-brokered peace deal between Rwanda and Congo, signed on 27 June 2025, which pledged civilian protection and coordination through a Joint Security Mechanism. HRW warned that the atrocities reveal stark gaps between diplomatic promises and the reality facing civilians in eastern Congo.

“The Rwanda-backed M23’s mass killings underline the urgent need for accountability,” said Clémentine de Montjoye, HRW’s senior Great Lakes researcher. “Peace agreements cannot excuse war crimes, and those responsible at every level must face justice.”

https://i0.wp.com/inyenyerinews.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/m23-rebles.jpg?fit=290%2C174&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/inyenyerinews.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/m23-rebles.jpg?resize=110%2C110&ssl=1Placide KayitareHUMAN RIGHTSRWANDAThe Rwanda-backed M23 armed group carried out mass killings of more than 140 civilians, mostly ethnic Hutu, in at least 14 villages and farming areas of Rutshuru territory, North Kivu, between 10 and 30 July 2025, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. Witness accounts, UN reporting, and military sources indicate...PUBLISHING YOUR NEWS WITH CUTTING EDGE STYLE