Human rights group documents M23 and Rwanda army atrocities in DRC

A human rights investigation documents systematic atrocities committed by M23 rebels and Rwandan army forces during their month-long occupation of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2025 and early 2026. Documented crimes include killings, rapes, and forced abductions of civilians.

The findings reignite controversy over Rwanda's military involvement in DRC's ongoing conflict and potential war crimes liability. International pressure mounts on Rwanda to withdraw forces and cooperate with accountability mechanisms. The violence displaces thousands of civilians and destabilizes the mineral-rich region, with wider implications for Great Lakes stability and UN peacekeeping operations already stretched thin.