What’s happening in eastern Congo right now is heartbreaking.
A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has revealed shocking violence by M23 rebels, who are believed to be backed by Rwanda. Since January, the rebels have been advancing rapidly and have now taken control of two major cities, Goma and Bukavu. Thousands of people have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes.
The report focuses on February 22 and 23, when at least 21 civilians were executed in Goma. According to HRW, six men and one woman were shot in the head near Katindo military camp. One witness said the M23 was behind it. Nearby, other bodies were found dumped at a construction site, including that of a 15-year-old boy who had been taken from his home.
HRW believes the rebels targeted the Kasika neighborhood because it used to house army barracks. The violence continued the next day when M23 fighters rounded up about 20 young men from a sports field. They accused them of being soldiers. When the three tried to run, they were shot on the spot.
The overall death toll may be higher. Local medical workers told HRW that more than 50 bodies were collected from the area in just two days.
M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa said the group would investigate the claims. “HRW allows us to mirror ourselves,” he said in a statement to Reuters. “We respect the organization despite some past false accusations.”
But the suffering doesn’t stop there. Amnesty International reported that M23 rebels stormed hospitals and took 130 people, including caregivers. Some were tortured, and others are still missing.
UNICEF also reported a horrifying rise in sexual violence. Rape cases treated in clinics across eastern Congo surged five times higher in February. Nearly a third of the victims were children. In one case, a woman said her six daughters the youngest only 12 years old were raped by armed men looking for food.
This brutal conflict has deep roots, going back to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the fight over Congo’s rich mineral resources. While Rwanda denies backing M23, the United Nations and other groups have linked the two.
HRW says those who ordered or carried out these crimes should be held accountable.
By Lucky Anyanje
