The United Nations Human Rights Office has accused the M23 rebel group of summarily executing children in the town of Bukavu, South Kivu, amid the group’s rapid military advances in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, Ravina Shamdasani, voiced serious concern about the targeting of children and other civilians by the M23 rebels, who have been engaged in a violent offensive in the region.
Speaking to journalists in Geneva on Tuesday, Shamdasani explained that while the UN does not have an exact figure on the number of children executed, numerous reports are emerging regarding such killings. These reports, many of which are circulating on social media in the form of videos, indicate the gruesome nature of the violence. “We have a large number of reports that need to be verified,” Shamdasani said, acknowledging the difficulty of confirming the full extent of the allegations but stressing that the situation is deeply alarming.
The most notable case reported by the UN occurred in Bukavu, where three boys were reportedly killed by M23 members after they allegedly collected weapons from the area. According to Shamdasani, the boys were intercepted by M23 rebels, who ordered them to return the weapons. “They refused and were killed,” she explained, citing reliable sources on the ground.
The M23, a primarily Tutsi rebel group operating in eastern Congo, has faced accusations of being a proxy force for Rwanda. The group, which has grown increasingly powerful in recent months, has made significant territorial gains in North and South Kivu provinces, with recent reports confirming their capture of Bukavu. The rebel group now controls key areas in the eastern DRC, including Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, after a swift military advance over the weekend.
Congolese forces, struggling to contain the M23 offensive, have largely been unable to mount a successful defense. The UN has long accused Rwanda of supporting M23 with troops and resources, with evidence indicating that roughly 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are backing the rebels. Both Rwanda and Uganda have been involved in the conflict in eastern Congo since 1996, with competing interests and allegations of illicitly exploiting the country’s mineral resources, including gold and coltan.
In response to the escalating violence, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has sought support from regional allies to counter the M23 threat. Burundi, which shares tense relations with Rwanda, has deployed troops to fight alongside the Congolese military. Additionally, troops from Tanzania have been sent under the banner of the regional bloc, the East African Community (EAC), in an effort to stabilize the situation in eastern Congo.
The violence in the region has triggered a massive humanitarian crisis, with thousands of civilians displaced and left vulnerable. As the M23 continues to advance, fears are mounting over further atrocities against civilians, particularly children, who are at risk of being caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict.
The United Nations and human rights organizations have called for immediate action to protect civilians in eastern Congo, including an urgent investigation into the summary executions and other abuses committed by the M23 rebels. The international community is under increasing pressure to address the complex web of violence, regional rivalries, and resource exploitation that fuels the conflict in eastern DRC.
