A United Nations human rights body has accused the M23 rebel group of killing at least 169 civilians, mostly farmers, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) earlier this month — one of the deadliest incidents since the militia, allegedly backed by Rwanda, resumed fighting in the region.
The previously undisclosed report by the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), obtained by Reuters, detailed that the killings began on July 9 in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province. The victims were reportedly targeted as suspected members or sympathizers of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group composed in part of individuals linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
“Civilians, mainly farmers temporarily camping in their fields for the ploughing season, have been attacked,” the UNJHRO report stated. “The human toll has been particularly high: at least 169 people have been killed,” it added, citing credible information from multiple independent sources. The report noted that the victims were isolated and lacked access to immediate protection or support.
Local civil society groups and eyewitness accounts cited by the UN and rights organizations allege that M23 fighters used both firearms and machetes to carry out the killings. Reuters said it could not independently verify the accounts.
In response, M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa told Reuters that his group had received a letter from the UNJHRO and would initiate its own investigation. He cast doubt on the report, alleging it might be part of a “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 comprises the human rights division of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the country.
The report emerges at a sensitive time, as the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to mediate peace between Congo and Rwanda. Washington is pushing for stability to unlock billions of dollars in critical mineral investments. Both the M23 and the Congolese government have pledged to pursue a peace agreement by August 18, amid a resurgence of conflict that has already killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
