Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a damning report documenting the execution of more than 140 civilians by the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during July.
The latest findings come just days after a separate report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on similar atrocities in the region.
According to HRW, the killings occurred across at least 14 villages and farming communities near Virunga National Park in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu. Clémentine de Montjoye, a senior researcher at the organisation, described the scale of the violence: “We have documented cases where M23 fighters surrounded fields and then proceeded to execute entire families. This includes women, children, and even nine-month-old babies.”
Most of the victims were Hutu civilians, allegedly accused by the M23 of collaborating with the FDLR, a Rwandan armed group operating in eastern DRC.
HRW classified the attacks as “war crimes” and urged the international community to exert pressure on Kigali, which has been accused in multiple UN reports of militarily supporting the rebel movement.
The organisation called for the arrest and prosecution of commanders responsible and stressed the importance of granting UN investigators rapid access to affected areas to preserve evidence.
The revelations echo warnings issued by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege, who criticised recent ceasefires brokered in Washington and Doha as largely ineffective.
“As long as ceasefires are not accompanied by binding mechanisms and effective guarantees, they will remain paper agreements,” Mukwege said, highlighting the disconnect between diplomatic commitments and the reality on the ground.
An earlier OHCHR report documented 319 civilians killed between July 9 and 21 in four villages of Rutshuru territory.
Both HRW and UN reports underscore the persistent insecurity in eastern DRC, with civilians continuing to bear the brunt of armed conflict despite international efforts to broker peace.
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