For several years, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been the scene of violence by armed groups.
A preliminary investigation by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco) and the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) claims that at least 131 civilians (102 men, 17 women, and 12 children) were killed on November 29 and 30 in eastern DRC.
UN investigators, who have no access to the villages concerned, do not rule out a change in the death toll, especially as the government accuses the M23 of having killed at least 272 civilians during these assaults.
According to the UN mission’s statement released on Wednesday, December 7, these acts were perpetrated in Kishishe and Bambo, two villages in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province, “as part of a campaign of murder, rape, abduction and looting against these two villages in retaliation for clashes between the M23 and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda – FDLR-FOCA) and Mayi-Mayi Mazembe and Nyatura Coalition of Movements for Change (Coalition des mouvements pour le changement) groups.”
“The victims were arbitrarily executed with bullets or bladed weapons,” said the UN investigators, who also counted “eight people wounded by bullets and 60 others abducted,” with another “22 women and five girls raped.”
Under the aegis of the Economic Community of Southern African States (SADC), talks are underway in Kenya to restore peace in the eastern DRC.
Absent from the meetings in Nairobi, the M23 rebels have agreed to a cease-fire.
The Rwandan and Congolese presidents took part in the meetings by videoconference and expressed their wish for a return to lasting peace in the eastern DRC.
Paul Kagame welcomed “the rapid response of the region” and the “mechanisms put in place to save lives in eastern DRC.”
In early November, the United States accused Rwanda of supporting the M23.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta responded, saying “the U.S. has a wrong and misguided view of the conflict.”
AC/fss/as/APA