War in Eastern Congo: Human Rights Watch accuses Rwanda and M23 of bombing civilian areas

On September 26, Human Rights Watch released a damning report on the security situation in eastern DRC. The international human rights organization accuses the Rwandan army and M23 of bombing civilian areas. The Congo River Alliance, to which the armed group is affiliated, speaks of a report full of lies and insincerity. The Congolese armed forces and their auxiliaries are accused of setting up military positions near displaced persons camps, which exposes the latter to insecurity.

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Human Rights Watch claims that the Rwandan army and the M23 have indiscriminately bombed displaced persons camps and other densely populated areas near Goma, the capital of North Kivu.

In addition, the Congolese army and its allied militias have exposed displaced persons in the camps to insecurity, according to the document.

“[…], both parties have killed camp residents, committed rapes, obstructed the delivery of aid and committed other abuses,” says one of the largest human rights organizations.

Reduced right to assistance…

Human Rights Watch regrets that war displaced persons are increasingly less assisted because of the blockade of transport routes.

“In January, the Rwandan Defense Forces and the M23 armed group approached the town of Sake, 25 kilometers west of Goma, cutting off supply routes to the North Kivu provincial capital. Residents in the area and more than half a million displaced people face increasing risk of being caught up in the fighting and cut off from humanitarian assistance,” said Clémentine de Montjoye, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch.

She calls on Rwandan and Congolese authorities to stop supporting abusive armed groups, respect their own obligations under the laws of war, and allow humanitarian aid to flow unhindered.

Serious Abuses

Citing serious abuses and war crimes, Human Rights Watch calls for sanctions against the actors.

“The United Nations, the African Union, and concerned governments should pressure the parties to the conflict, including non-state armed groups, to cease violations of international humanitarian law, ensure the protection of civilians, and support sanctions and prosecutions of commanders responsible for war crimes,” the report reads.

M23 rebels hand over Rumangabo base to EAC regional force (SOS Médias Burundi)

The detailed report has been transmitted to the Congolese and Rwandan authorities since September 2, according to the Organization.

The Organization calls on the parties to the conflict in North Kivu to show respect for the lives of civilians, whose protection is guaranteed by international law. It calls on Kinshasa and Kigali to end their support for armed groups responsible for abuses and bring to justice anyone responsible for war crimes.

Response from the Congo River Alliance

The Congo River Alliance (CRA), a political-military coalition to which the M23 is affiliated, accuses Human Rights Watch of being biased.

“This is a biased, partial report riddled with insincerity and gratuitous assertions,” the coalition responded in a related statement.

A man injured in a bomb attack in North Kivu, February 2024 (SOS Médias Burundi)

The AFC accuses the Organization of underestimating the atrocities of Kinshasa in several regions, especially in the east of the vast Central African country.

The war in eastern Congo has caused the displacement of nearly 7 million inhabitants, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi recently told the United Nations General Assembly.

The M23 is a former Tutsi rebellion that took up arms again at the end of 2021, accusing the Congolese authorities of not having respected their commitments on the reintegration of its fighters. The Congolese authorities remain convinced that it benefits from support from Rwanda, something that the Rwandan government continues to dismiss out of hand.

On September 26, Congo filed a complaint against Rwanda before the EAC (East African Community) Court of Justice, an initiative that Kigali describes as a “non-event”.

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Congolese soldiers deployed in North Kivu (SOS Médias Burundi)