People displaced by the fighting between M23 rebels and government soldiers prepare to leave their camp following an instruction by M23 rebels, Goma, DRC, Feb. 11, 2026
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Last updated:
10/06 - 10:35
Democratic Republic Of Congo
AFC/M23 rebels and the Rwandan army have committed numerous war crimes in eastern DR Congo, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.
In the aftermath of the capture of the city of Goma on January 30, 2025, when 11 trucks left the Unity Stadium with approximately 1,700 people on board and headed north towards Rutshuru, a campaign of forced recruitment began which HRW, which conducted some 200 interviews with former detainees, describes as systematic.
Soldiers of the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), police officers, civil servants or ordinary civilians rounded up in neighborhoods, hospitals or churches: all are forcibly taken to the camps of Rumangabo and Tshanzu where the NGO estimates that hundreds of people died during the year 2025.
Witnesses reported mass graves in Rumangabo and ground disturbances have been detected by satellite imagery, the report says.
HRW also accused the Congolese government of backing armed groups responsible for serious abuses. The report documents FARDC support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and Wazalendo factions accused of violence, arbitrary detention and extortion against displaced people around Goma.
HRW is calling on Kinshasa to cease all material support to these groups and to open independent investigations targeting all parties to the conflict.
Neither Kigali nor AFC/M23 have responded to requests for comment, the NGO said.
Read the full article at Africanews →📄Source document: Human Rights Watch Report
2 reports
France 24 (English)State / PublicLeft10 days agoA new Human Rights Watch report reveals that the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been involved in mass forced recruitment and arbitrary detention of civilians. The report highlights widespread abuses committed by the group against the local population.
Bias read (Left): The article focuses on human rights violations by a rebel group, using terminology such as 'mass forced recruitment' and 'arbitrary detention,' which align with left-leaning concerns about human rights and conflict resolution. The framing emphasizes the suffering of civilians and attributes blame to
Official sources cited
- organisation Human Rights Watch Report
AfricanewsParty-alignedCenter11 days agoHuman Rights Watch has released a report alleging that both the M23 rebels and the Rwandan army committed numerous war crimes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The report details a campaign of forced recruitment following the capture of Goma in January 2025, with over 1,700 people reportedly taken from the Unity Stadium in trucks heading toward Rutshuru. According to HRW, individuals including soldiers, police officers, civil servants, and civilians were rounded up in neighborhoods, hospitals, and churches and taken to camps in Rumangabo and Tshanzu, where hundreds are estimatedto
Bias read (Center): The article presents allegations made by Human Rights Watch without taking a stance on their validity. It reports on the claims without endorsing or refuting them, maintaining neutrality.
Official sources cited
- organisation Human Rights Watch Report
France