Congo says Rwanda-backed rebels killed 80 civilians amid peace talks

At least 80 civilians have been killed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in recent weeks by rebels backed by Rwanda, Congolese officials said, despite ongoing Qatar-mediated peace efforts aimed at halting the violence.

Eastern Congo has faced decades of conflict, and tensions escalated earlier this year when the M23 insurgent group supported by Rwandan forces captured two major cities. The region remains home to over 100 armed groups competing for control of its vast mineral resources.

The continued bloodshed threatens hopes of finalizing a permanent peace agreement by August 18. One of the deal’s key provisions is ensuring civilian safety and enabling the return of millions displaced by the fighting.

In a statement late Friday, the Congolese army condemned what it called “a series of mass murders of civilians in South Kivu.” It said 80 people were killed on August 4 in the village of Nyaborongo, while six others, including two minors, were murdered on July 24 in Lumbishi.

It blamed the the RDF/M23-AFC coalition, which includes the rebel groups M23 and AFC backed by the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF).

“In addition to this excessive criminality, the M23/AFC is engaged in the forced recruitment of young people, including minors, to join their illegal organization,” the statement said.

There was no immediate comment from M23. When asked for a comment, the Rwandan foreign minister Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe told The Associated Press that he could not comment on “any stupidity coming from DRC,” using the acronym of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Earlier this month, the U.N. human rights chief said that M23 killed 319 people over the past month in a different part of the region, describing the toll as one of the largest documented of such attacks since the M23 rebels resurfaced in 2022.

Citing firsthand accounts, U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said in a statement that the rebels, backed by members of the Rwandan Defense Force, targeted four villages in North Kivu province’s Rutshuru territory between July 9 and July 21.

M23 denied the accusations and called the U.N. statement “unverified and politically motivated.”

“These allegations constitute a blatant manipulation of the facts, a violation of basic principles of impartiality, and a serious attack on the credibility of U.N. institutions,” said Lawrence Kanyuka, the spokesperson for the Congo River Alliance, an umbrella organization which includes M23. “We call for the opening of an independent investigation and hope that the organizations that published this report can participate in it.”

The two sides on July 19 signed a declaration of principles in Qatar to end the fighting and commit to a comprehensive peace agreement that would include the restoration of state authorities in key eastern cities controlled by the insurgents.

With inputs from agencies