140 killed by Congo rebel group human rights group says

At least 140 people were killed by M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during July 2025, as reported by BBC News.

A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), published on August 20, described the incident as one of the worst atrocities committed by the armed group since its resurgence in 2021.

According to the report, the killings occurred between 10 and 30 July in Rutshuru territory, near Virunga National Park. Witnesses recounted that the Rwanda-backed rebels carried out summary executions, targeting mainly Hutu civilians, including women and children. Survivors told HRW that fighters used machetes and firearms, surrounding villages and blocking escape routes.

One man reported losing five family members in the Katanga area, while another described watching his wife and four children killed. A woman who survived by falling into a river said M23 fighters had rounded up dozens of women and children before opening fire. Locals also said rebels forced hurried burials or left bodies uncollected, with some victims thrown into the Rutshuru River.

The UN has issued similar findings, estimating that more than 300 civilians may have been killed during the same period, with evidence pointing to direct involvement by Rwanda’s army alongside M23 fighters.

The rebels have previously denied having any role in the killings, saying that the charges are a “blatant misrepresentation of the facts.”

The Congolese paramilitary rebel group was established in 2012 and is mainly active in North Kivu and South Kivu, bordering Uganda and Rwanda. It leads the Congo River Alliance, a coalition of rebel groups operating in eastern DRC.

The atrocities come despite ongoing peace efforts, including a ceasefire deal signed in Qatar on July, which constitutes the sixth ceasefire reached since the beginning of the conflict in 2021.

According to the United Nations the situation in Congo is “one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises,” as over 7.8 million people are now internally displaced in eastern DRC and a further 28 million are facing food insecurity.

BBC News, Maghrebi.org