DRC: An American organisation accuses the M23 and Rwanda of atrocities in Uvira

Kinshasa, May 14^th, 2026 (CPA).- The non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch has accused on Thursday the M23 and Rwandan forces of committing serious abuses during the occupation of the town of Uvira, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has reported the Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency (AA). “After taking control of Uvira, the M23 fighters and Rwandan forces went door to door to summarily kill men and boys and have committed rapes and abductions,” has declared Philippe Bolopion, executive director of Human Rights Watch, quoted by AA. “In a report published this Thursday, the NGO affirms that the M23 and Rwandan forces have summarily executed more than 50 civilians during door-to-door operations, raped at least eight women and forcibly disappeared at least 12 people,” the source has added. According to the Turkish agency, in a 26-page report entitled “We are civilians!” : Killings, sexual violence and abductions committed by the M23 and Rwandan forces in Uvira”, the NGO claims that the “Kigali-backed” armed group has carried out “an abusive occupation” of this town in Sud-Kivu between December 10^th, 2025, and January 17^th, 2026. “The report, based on more than 120 interviews conducted in March and April 2026, also documents shootings targeting civilians attempting to flee the town during the capture of Uvira,” the agency has indicated. The NGO is calling for criminal investigations to be opened, notably by the International Criminal Court, to ensure that “these crimes do not go unpunished”. Human Rights Watch also states that mass graves remain in several parts of the town and is calling on the Congolese authorities to facilitate independent investigations and the protection of witnesses. The report finally highlights that on March 2^nd, the United States have imposed sanctions against the Rwandan army and some of its commanders for their alleged role in the capture and occupation of Uvira. The NGO also affirms that no action has been taken in response to its request for the preliminary findings of the report. To date, no official statement or reaction on this matter has been issued by the Rwandan government. The security situation in eastern DRC remains marked by acute tensions between government forces and the AFC/M23 rebels, whom Kinshasa, the UN and several Western capitals accuse of being supported by Rwanda.