Rwanda on Friday strongly rejected accusations that M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Kigali, massacred civilians in eastern Congo. The killings, first reported by Reuters, targeted farmers in Rutshuru territory, according to the U.N. Joint Human Rights Office.
Human Rights Watch and the U.N. high commissioner for human rights provided additional reports detailing the alleged mass killings. Rwanda’s government said in a statement the accusations “have no basis in fact and lack any credible supporting evidence.”
The rebels reportedly killed at least 319 civilians, including 48 women and 19 children, during attacks from July 9 to 21. Most victims were farmers caught in their fields, according to Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.
Human Rights Watch documented at least 140 deaths but acknowledged that the toll may exceed 300, reflecting ongoing uncertainty. Eastern Congo has long suffered violence, threatening U.S. President Donald Trump’s regional vision and its mineral-rich landscape, including gold and cobalt.
A peace agreement signed on June 27 in Washington tasked Congo with neutralising the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. The FDLR includes remnants of Rwanda’s former army and militias implicated in the 1994 genocide, according to international observers.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting M23, insisting its forces operate solely in self-defence amid persistent cross-border tensions. The unfolding crisis underscores deep-rooted instability in eastern Congo, where armed groups exploit weak governance to commit violence with impunity.
