Rebel group's assaults victims in eastern DRC, claims M23 rejection of UN report detailing casualties
Congo: UN Report Accuses M23 of Mass Killings in North Kivu
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government has strongly condemned a recent UN report that accuses the M23 rebel group of killing over 300 civilians in North Kivu province.
In a statement, the Congolese government denounced the M23 for a "flagrant violation of the commitments signed in Doha," referring to a declaration of principles signed on March 19 in Qatar, committing to stop fighting and negotiate. The government emphasized that these atrocities occurred during the period of ceasefire.
The UN report reveals that between July 9 and 21, at least 319 civilians were killed by the M23 militia, supported by members of the Rwanda Defence Force, in North Kivu province. The victims were predominantly local farmers, including 48 women and 19 children, who were attacked while camping in their fields during the planting season.
The M23, however, has rejected the UN report, claiming there are methodological flaws and unjustifiable bias in the report, and that it relies on compromised and unreliable sources. The rebel group accuses the UN report of being a "blatant distortion of facts," a violation of impartiality, and a serious breach of institutional credibility.
The M23 also criticizes the report for the "deliberate omission of the documented atrocities of the Kinshasa regime," and denounces the "systematic massacres" of government forces and militias against the civilian population.
The attacks occurred despite an ongoing ceasefire agreed upon in a Qatar-mediated peace process between M23 and the DRC government, highlighting the fragile and volatile security situation in the region. The violence is part of a broader pattern of severe human rights abuses in eastern DRC, including widespread attacks by other armed groups such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and CODECO, which also target civilians and exacerbate displacement and insecurity.
The conflict’s perpetuation is fueled by competition over mineral resources and the weakness of state authority in North and South Kivu provinces. Following international pressure, including sanctions on Rwanda, a peace agreement was signed in late June between DRC and Rwanda to cease hostilities and end support to armed groups, but violence by M23 has continued, undermining peace efforts.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the attacks, calling for an immediate halt to all violence against civilians and for accountability for those responsible. The Congolese government added that "no peace process can prosper in silence before the horror," and warned the international community about the "fundamental contradiction between the rhetoric of the rebel group and its actions on the ground."
In summary, the UN report provides a detailed and grim account of the mass killings of civilians by M23 in North Kivu in mid-2025, underscoring ongoing violations of international humanitarian law and the fragility of peace initiatives in the region. The report calls for an end to hostilities and accountability for crimes against civilians.
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The Congolese government has denounced the M23 rebel group for a violation of the ceasefire and commitments signed in Doha, following a UN report that accuses the M23 of killing over 300 civilians in North Kivu province, during the planting season, with a significant number of women and children among the victims. The M23, on the other hand, has rejected the UN report, claiming biased sources and a distortion of facts, also criticizing the report for omitting documented atrocities of the DRC government.
