M23 rebels killed at least 131 civilians in eastern DRC, UN says

Victims were ‘arbitrarily executed’ during a massacre in two villages in North Kivu in late November, a preliminary investigation has found.

M23 rebels killed at least 131 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo late last month as part of a campaign of murder, rape, kidnapping and looting, the United Nations has said.

Authorities in Kinshasa had earlier said more than 270 people were killed in the M23 attacks in North Kivu province. The group denied being behind the massacre, blaming “stray bullets” for the deaths of just eight civilians.

In a preliminary investigation released on Thursday into the November 29-30 massacres in the villages of Kishishe and Bambo, the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, and the Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) found the killings were undertaken in retaliation for clashes between M23 and rival armed groups.

“The victims were arbitrarily executed with bullets or bladed weapons,” the UN said in a statement.

It said that 102 men, 17 women and 12 children were killed by bullets or other weapons.

“Eight people were wounded by bullets and 60 others kidnapped. At least 22 women and five girls were raped,” it added.

“This violence was carried out as part of a campaign of murders, rapes, kidnappings and looting against two villages in the Rutshuru territory as reprisals for the clashes between the M23” and other armed groups, the UN statement said.

“MONUSCO condemns in the strongest terms the unspeakable violence against civilians and calls for unrestricted access to the scene and the victims for emergency humanitarian assistance,” it added.

Agencies