Human Rights Watch (HRW) has documented the execution of 53 civilians—including 46 men, one woman, and six children—during a weeks-long occupation of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a new report. The victims were killed during door-to-door raids after the M23 rebel group, widely believed to be backed by Rwanda, captured the city in December.

Residents Describe Atrocities

HRW interviewed 130 residents who described summary executions, rape, and other crimes allegedly committed by M23 fighters and Rwandan soldiers. One resident said, ‘They [M23 fighters] shot my neighbour first in the head.’ Another said he saw four members of his family killed. ‘I wasn’t hit so I just ran to the lake. I saw my brother, his wife, and two of his children fall,’ he was quoted as saying.

Rwanda has consistently denied supporting the M23 or deploying its soldiers to eastern DR Congo. However, many of the interviewees in the HRW report alleged witnessing atrocities carried out by uniformed Rwandan soldiers. The M23 and the Rwandan government have not yet responded to a BBC request for comment.

Sexual Violence and War Crimes

The HRW report documents eight cases of rape allegedly committed by M23 and Rwandan forces. One woman said, ‘They took my clothes off completely, tied my arms behind my back with my clothes, and raped me.’ She added that when her husband attempted to intervene, he was shot dead.

Another woman said: ‘The Rwandan man said they should kill me, but the Congolese said: ‘No, rape her.’ The report also quotes a survivor saying that men in uniforms she identified as Rwandan military told her: ‘If you don’t do what I tell you, I will kill you.’

HRW says the atrocities, which included abductions, enforced disappearances, and forced recruitment, amount to war crimes. The organization also visited three mass graves in Uvira, including one at a site previously controlled by UN peacekeepers.

Children and Forced Recruitment

Children were among the victims of the violence. One 12-year-old boy survived despite being shot by M23 fighters, who then ‘stabbed him in the leg with a bayonet to check if he was dead,’ according to HRW. The report also says children were accused of being pro-government fighters and targeted for execution.

The HRW report comes amid a separate United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) report, which found more than 35,000 cases of sexual violence against children in the first nine months of 2025. Most of these cases occurred in North and South Kivu provinces, where the M23 controls large areas.

The persistent violence has led nearly two million people in South Kivu alone to flee their homes in search of safety. The M23 withdrew from Uvira in January following intense diplomatic pressure. Uvira, located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, is a gateway to Burundi, a key military ally of DR Congo.

HRW says it wrote to both the Rwandan government and M23 leaders in April for a response to the allegations in its report. Neither side replied. UN experts have previously said Rwanda had ‘de facto control’ of M23 operations, including training and support with high-tech Rwandan weaponry.