The United Nations has accused the M23 insurgent group of killing 169 civilians, largely farmers, in a lethal assault earlier this month within the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province, japanese Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). If confirmed, it will be one of many deadliest assaults because the Rwanda-backed militia resurfaced within the area.
An area activist cited witnesses as describing M23 combatants utilizing weapons and machetes to kill scores of civilians.
The M23 and Congolese authorities have pledged to work in the direction of peace by August 18 after the rebels this 12 months seized extra territory than ever earlier than in combating that has killed 1000’s and displaced a whole bunch of 1000’s extra.
According to findings by the U.N. Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), which displays Congo, the M23 operation that led to the farmers’ killings started on July 9 within the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province.
It focused suspected members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Congo-based group that features remnants of Rwanda’s former military and militias that carried out the 1994 Rwandan genocide, UNJHRO stated.
“Civilians, primarily farmers quickly tenting of their fields for the ploughing season, have been attacked. The human toll has been notably excessive: no less than 169 folks have been killed,” UNJHRO stated in findings shared by Reuters.
The victims have been “removed from any speedy help or safety,” UNJHRO stated, citing credible data from a number of impartial sources.
In response, M23’s Bisimwa stated the group had been notified about UNJHRO’s findings in a letter and would type a fee to research the unconfirmed accusations.
“We consider that earlier than imposing sanctions, the details should first be established by verifying their precise existence by an investigation,” he stated.
“This rush to publish unverified data is propaganda whose function is understood solely to the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office,” he stated, including that the allegations may very well be a part of a “smear marketing campaign” by Congolese staff of UNJHRO.
UNJHRO is made up of the human rights division of Congo’s U.N. peacekeeping mission and the previous workplace of the U.N. excessive commissioner for human rights in Congo.
It has each Congolese and overseas workers members.
The activist in Rutshuru, who didn’t need to be named for security causes, informed Reuters the M23 combatants killed greater than 100 civilians, largely Congolese Hutu farmers.
The victims had initially fled when M23 superior on the territory, however they returned after M23 promised them security, the activist stated.
U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk stated final month that M23, Congo’s military and allied militias had all dedicated abuses in japanese Congo, lots of which can quantity to conflict crimes.
