M23 Rebels Accused of 141 Villager Killings in Eastern Congo Despite Trump-Backed Peace Talks

Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is reeling from a series of massacres committed by the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, according to Human Rights Watch. The violence has occurred despite optimism surrounding peace talks brokered by President Trump.

Between July 10 and 30, the M23 carried out massacres in at least 14 villages in North Kivu province, primarily targeting ethnic Hutu villagers as part of a military campaign against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

The ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, home to significant mineral reserves, has plagued the region for over three decades. The violence can be traced back to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda, which saw millions of people – including Hutu extremists – flee into Congo, causing a cycle of wars and instability that persists today.

The United Nations, United States, and numerous regional governments claim that the M23 rebellion, with roots in earlier Tutsi-led militias, now serves as a proxy force for Rwanda’s interests.

The scale of the recent killings in North Kivu may be greater than reported by Human Rights Watch, who have compiled a list of victims either killed or feared dead. The UN announced in early August that at least 319 villagers had been killed by the M23 in North Kivu, citing firsthand accounts gathered by its rights investigators, with Rwandan soldiers reportedly participating in the operations.

Both Rwanda and the M23 have contested these findings. The Congolese Tutsis lead the M23 rebellion, which reignited major armed operations at the end of 2021 after a period of dormancy, with the backing of smaller neighbor Rwanda.

Earlier this year, the violence intensified significantly as M23 fighters and Rwandan troops captured eastern Congo’s two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu, in a swift offensive. The fear of the M23 toppling the Congolese government and of regional war erupting in central Africa led to intense pressure from the Trump administration on both Congo and Rwanda to halt the fighting.

On June 27, Congolese and Rwandan leaders signed a peace agreement in Washington that stipulates Rwandan troops withdrawing from Congolese territory, as well as Congolese forces dismantling the FDLR militia – a group considered an existential threat by Rwanda.

However, little change has been observed on the ground in eastern Congo since then, despite President Trump’s repeated claims to the contrary. As recently as Friday, he told Fox News that “I’ve settled wars that have gone on for 35 years, a couple of them, and, you know, the Congo and Rwanda, that was 31 years. I think, 8 million people dead with machetes. A lot of machete deaths. They walk in. The machetes are swinging all over the place. What a horrible situation. And we got it settled.”

Separately, the Congolese government is also negotiating with M23 rebels. In late July, both parties signed a “declaration of principles” in Doha, Qatar, aimed at securing a ceasefire and ultimately a permanent peace agreement. However, recent weeks have seen renewed clashes between the M23 and Congolese government military, raising concerns that the peace process may be jeopardized. On Tuesday, the Congolese army accused the M23 of launching “incessant attacks” on their positions, in violation of both the Washington peace agreement and the Doha declaration of principles.

The M23, for its part, claimed that the Congolese army was committing “systematic, criminal attacks on densely populated areas using kamikaze drones and heavy artillery.” The Congolese foreign ministry also stated on Wednesday that the civilian massacres in North Kivo reported by Human Rights Watch and the UN “cast a grave shadow over the sincerity and commitment of stakeholders to the Washington peace agreement and the ongoing Doha talks.”