The rebel movement M23, accused of atrocities in eastern Congo, has pushed back against fresh allegations, rejecting a new rights report that links it to a string of massacres.
In a statement Wednesday evening, M23 military spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka dismissed the findings of Human Rights Watch (HRW), branding the report “fake and a falsification of reality” and accusing the watchdog of spreading “extremist propaganda.”
The report, released the same day, alleged that M23 fighters killed more than 140 civilians as part of an offensive against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia dominated by ethnic Hutus. HRW’s claims reignited long-running concerns about civilian suffering in Congo’s mineral-rich east, where over 100 armed groups compete for territory.
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READ ALSO: M23 rebels kill over 140 civilians in eastern Congo – Human Rights Watch reports
M23’s leadership also sought to discredit the report publicly. Bertrand Bisimwa, one of the group’s political figures, wrote on X that the allegations were aimed at swaying the United Nations Security Council and “were not based on evidence.”
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The accusations add to an already complex conflict. Both Congolese forces and M23 have previously faced blame for killings and abuses, with Kinshasa earlier this year accusing the rebels of executing civilians when they seized key towns. A separate investigation by Amnesty International, also released Wednesday, concluded that atrocities and sexual violence are routinely carried out by both M23 and government-aligned militias.
The humanitarian fallout has been catastrophic. More than 7 million people are displaced, prompting the U.N. to describe eastern Congo as “one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.”
Diplomatic attempts to halt the fighting have so far struggled. The United States has been pushing for a lasting truce since January, and while Congo and Rwanda signed a U.S.-brokered deal in July, M23 was not a party to the agreement. The rebels have said they cannot be bound by its terms. A separate Qatar-led negotiation was intended to secure a direct peace accord between Kinshasa and M23, but the deadline passed without progress.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs, according to a report, urged the U.N. Security Council to convene an emergency session, citing “horrific abuses perpetrated against civilians, including by M23.”
READ ALSO: U.S. imposes sanctions on armed group and firms profiting from Congo’s conflict minerals
