Rwanda-backed M23 rebels killed at least 319 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last month, the United Nations human rights chief said Wednesday, calling it one of the deadliest documented incidents since the group’s resurgence in 2022.
Volker Türk, UN high commissioner for human rights, said his office had received “first-hand accounts” indicating that the killings took place between July 9 and 21 in four villages in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu Province. Most of the victims, including at least 48 women and 19 children, were local farmers camping in their fields during the planting season.
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said M23 fighters were aided by members of the Rwanda Defence Force. “I am appalled by the attacks on civilians by the M23 and other armed groups in eastern DRC amid continued fighting, despite the ceasefire that was recently signed in Doha,” Türk said. “All attacks against civilians must stop immediately and all those responsible must be held to account.”
#DRC: Attacks on civilians by the M23 & other armed groups amid continued fighting & despite recently signed ceasefire are appalling.
According to first-hand accounts to @UNHumanRights, at least 319 civilians were killed by the M23, backed by members of the Rwanda Defence Force,… pic.twitter.com/G5u5PwxaIE
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) August 6, 2025
The latest violence comes weeks after the Congolese government and the M23 signed a declaration of principle in Doha on June 19, reaffirming their commitment to a permanent ceasefire. A separate bilateral peace agreement was signed on June 27 in Washington by Rwanda and the DRC. Both deals pledged to halt hostilities, refrain from hate propaganda, and pursue direct talks toward a comprehensive peace agreement.
Despite these agreements, humanitarian groups say the situation on the ground has not improved. With Rwanda’s support, the M23 has seized swaths of territory in North Kivu since its resurgence in 2021, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and worsening a humanitarian crisis in a region already destabilized by three decades of conflict.
Reuters first reported on the killings in late July, citing preliminary UN findings that put the death toll at 169. M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa told the agency the group would investigate the allegations but suggested they could be part of a “smear campaign.” A spokesperson for M23, as well as Rwandan military and government officials, could not be reached for comment on Wednesday according to a report from Al Jazeera. Witnesses described M23 combatants using both firearms and machetes to kill scores of civilians, a local activist told Reuters.
The UN has also documented recent attacks by other armed groups in eastern Congo. In July, fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed at least 40 christian worshippers during a church service in Ituri’s Komanda village and 70 civilians in an earlier attack on Pikamaibo. Raia Mutomboki/Wazalendo fighters raped eight women in South Kivu’s Busolo village on July 27.
According to the UN, more than 7.8 million people are now internally displaced in eastern Congo, the highest figure on record. Around 28 million are facing food insecurity, including nearly 4 million at emergency levels. The World Food Programme has warned of looming aid suspensions due to funding shortfalls, while attacks on health facilities have risen sharply, with 33 incidents recorded in the first half of 2025.
Türk urged all parties to both peace agreements to “rapidly translate” their commitments into safety and stability for civilians. “I urge the signatories and facilitators of both the Doha and Washington agreements to ensure that they rapidly translate into safety, security and real progress for civilians in the DRC, who continue to endure the devastating consequences of these conflicts,” he said.
