'They shot my neighbour in the head' - the lakeside city traumatised by war
Summary
An investigation by Human Rights Watch found that the M23 rebel group and soldiers from Rwanda committed serious abuses, including killing civilians and raping women, during their occupation of Uvira city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). The rebels captured Uvira in December but left in January after diplomatic pressure. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels, though several reports say otherwise.Key Facts
- Human Rights Watch found evidence of 53 civilians executed in Uvira during the M23 occupation.
- The victims included 46 men, 1 woman, and 6 children.
- Residents reported seeing both M23 fighters and uniformed Rwandan soldiers committing violence.
- The abuses included summary executions, rape, abductions, forced disappearances, and child targeting.
- The M23 took control of Uvira in December, shortly after a peace deal was brokered by US President Donald Trump.
- The M23 withdrew from Uvira in January following international diplomatic pressure.
- Rwanda denies supporting the M23 or deploying soldiers in DR Congo, but UN experts say Rwanda controls M23 operations.
- Human Rights Watch suspects the atrocities amount to war crimes due to their severity and scale.
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