Human Rights Watch Wednesday claimed that the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group and the allied Alliance Fleuve Congo have threatened, detained, and attacked journalists, critics, and civil society activists since capturing Goma in January.
The M23 rebels are part of the Alliance Fleuve Congo politico-military coalition.
According to HRW in a statement, in North and South Kivu provinces, M23 fighters raided homes, made death threats, and threatened reprisals, undermining independent media and the work of civil society groups. It claimed M23 fighters have also detained civil society leaders and committed summary executions, including killing a singer and activist at his home and five men doing forced labor.
“The Rwanda-backed M23 is harassing and attacking activists, journalists, and peaceful critics in areas the armed group controls in eastern Congo,” said Clémentine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“Restoring a measure of normalcy to the captured cities of Goma and Bukavu will mean allowing journalists and civil society activists to do their jobs without threats, violence, or worse.”
HRW said it has interviewed since late January over two dozen Congolese activists as well as domestic and foreign journalists in the cities of Goma, Kinshasa, and Bujumbura, and reviewed audio recordings of phone calls, screenshots of messages, and video and audio recordings of speeches given by AFC and M23 officials.
The rights defender said it received credible information that over 200 activists have sought protection support since the M23 began its offensive on Goma in January and later captured South Kivu’s provincial capital, Bukavu, in February.
”The M23 and AFC authorities as well as the Rwandan government are obligated to abide by international humanitarian law in areas they occupy. They should permit civil society activists and journalists to work and move freely except for imperative reasons of security, and hold to account their personnel responsible for abuses” the HRW statement said.
On March 5, HRW emailed its preliminary findings to the Rwandan authorities and asked for comment, but has received none at the time releasing this statement.
According to HRW after the M23 and Rwandan forces captured Goma on January 27, the AFC replaced the police and other national government institutions across the city.
”Since then, M23 fighters have beaten and summarily executed alleged supporters of the Congolese armed forces and its allies, as well as alleged criminals, and looted homes” it said.
HRW quoted a Goma resident as saying that a group of M23 fighters came to his home on January 29 and accused him of helping their enemies kill their “friends” on the front line.
“They beat me with sticks on my back all day,” he said.
“I can’t walk anymore. They beat me, attacked me, and looted my house”
On February 13, M23 fighters fatally shot the singer and activist Delphin Katembo Vinywasiki, known as Delcat Idengo, at his home in an apparently noncombat situation.
On February 20, the AFC spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, accused Idengo of being a member of the youth movement Lutte pour le Changement (Struggle for Change, or LUCHA) and told Human Rights Watch that the fighters killed him for wearing “military insignia.”
In a separate incident, an independent source said M23 fighters summarily executed an activist along with four other men after they carried out forced labor for the armed group.
HRW also claimed the Congolese government threatened action against journalists who cover the country’s conflict.
On January 7, the president of the Communication and Broadcasting Board (Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel et de la communication, CSAC) announced that Radio France Internationale, France 24, and TV5Monde’s Africa program faced suspension for reporting on “alleged advances of terrorists.”
Justice Minister Constant Mutamba warned that anyone, including journalists, who shares information about the M23 and Rwandan forces would face severe legal consequences, including possibly the death penalty.
HRW reminded the parties to the armed conflict in eastern Congo, including Rwanda and the M23, and Congo and its allied armed groups that they are bound by international humanitarian law, or the laws of war.
WN/as/APA