Kinshasa, June 10th, 2026 (CPA).- Murder, torture and other ill-treatment allegedly committed by Rwandan military forces and their M23 allies in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) constitute war crimes, according to a Human Rights Watch report published on Wednesday. “Rwandan authorities could be held criminally responsible for the actions of M23 forces, including in training centers. The serious abuses committed by M23 fighters and Rwandan military personnel, including murder, torture and other ill-treatment, corporal punishment, unlawful forced recruitment, forced labor and the use of child soldiers, constitute war crimes,” the report stated.
According to the source, regional bodies and partner governments have been urged to pressure Rwandan authorities to end the abuses and ensure accountability for those responsible. “Regional bodies and partner governments should press Rwandan authorities to end these serious abuses and ensure that those responsible are held to account,” the Human Rights Watch report added. The report further states that the M23 group, backed by Rwanda, operates so-called military training camps in eastern DRC where recruits have been subjected to abuse and torture, in some cases resulting in death. Large-scale raids and arrests were also reported in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, alongside serious abuses in detention facilities at the “Rumangabo” and “Tshanzu” training camps between mid-2024 and December 2025. “M23 fighters, supported by Rwandan military personnel, have committed killings, torture, corporal punishment and have resorted to forced labor and child soldier recruitment. These abuses constitute war crimes and should be investigated as possible crimes against humanity,” the report noted. The document further alleges that Rwandan forces and M23 fighters conducted widespread forced recruitment of captured fighters and thousands of civilians in occupied Congolese territories.
“Rwandan military forces and the M23 armed group have carried out a campaign of forced recruitment and abusive detention of thousands of captured fighters and civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,” it concluded.