The city of Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been left traumatized following a weeks-long occupation by the M23 rebel group and soldiers identified as Rwandan military personnel. A comprehensive report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) confirms that 53 civilians—including 46 men, one woman, and six children—were executed during door-to-door raids.
The investigation, which included interviews with 130 residents, details horrific accounts of summary executions and sexual violence. Witnesses described seeing family members gunned down, while others recounted harrowing tales of rape and abduction. In one instance, a woman reported that her husband was murdered after attempting to stop her attackers.
The report also highlights the targeting of children, including a 12-year-old boy who was shot and stabbed with a bayonet. HRW investigators identified three mass graves in the area, one of which was located at a site previously under the control of UN peacekeepers.
While Rwanda has consistently denied involvement in the conflict or support for the M23, UN experts have previously stated that Rwanda maintains 'de facto control' over the group, providing both training and high-tech weaponry.
Despite the M23 withdrawing from Uvira in January under intense diplomatic pressure, the region remains in a state of crisis, with nearly two million people displaced in South Kivu alone. Neither the Rwandan government nor M23 leadership responded to requests for comment regarding these documented war crimes.
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