Goma Massacre: Rwanda-backed rebels execute civilians in Congo, HRW says

Human Rights Watch has accused Rwanda-backed M23 rebels of executing at least 21 civilians in Goma, eastern Congo.

The killings occurred over two days, February 22 and 23, during a brutal offensive by the M23 group, HRW said.

The rights group published the findings in a damning report released on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

HRW described the killings as deliberate executions carried out in a Goma neighborhood during a rebel operation.

The report also revealed that six men and one woman were shot in the head near Katindo military camp on February 22.

Witnesses said M23 rebels executed the civilians in cold blood and dumped their bodies nearby.

A 15-year-old boy taken from his home was later found dead at a construction site close to the camp.

HRW said Goma’s Kasika neighborhood was targeted because it previously hosted Congolese army barracks.

On February 23, M23 fighters reportedly rounded up 20 young men at a local sports field in the same area.

Rebels accused the men of being soldiers. Three who tried to flee were shot on the spot, a witness told HRW.

Bertrand Bisimwa, an M23 leader, told Reuters that the group would investigate the claims and respond soon.

He added that M23 respects Human Rights Watch despite past “false” accusations from the organization.

HRW warned that the true number of victims in Goma could be higher than reported.

Som medical staff in Kasika said more than 50 bodies were collected in the two-day window.

Eastern Congo has witnessed escalating atrocities since the M23 launched its offensive in January.

The rebel group now controls Goma and Bukavu, the two largest cities in the region.

Thousands have died, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced by the renewed fighting.

Amnesty International also reported severe abuses committed by M23 in hospitals in Goma.

In March, they said 130 people, including caregivers, were abducted. Some victims were tortured, and many remain missing.

UNICEF said rape cases surged five-fold across 42 health centers in February alone.

Nearly one-third of the victims treated were children, UNICEF confirmed.

A mother told aid workers her six daughters, aged 12 to 17, were raped by armed men searching for food.

Congo’s conflict traces back to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and a scramble for mineral resources in the region.

The United Nations has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels behind the killings.

Rwanda denies involvement and claims its actions are defensive against threats from Congo’s forces.

International observers fear the violence could spiral into a wider regional conflict if left unchecked.

Human rights groups are demanding international intervention to protect civilians and investigate war crimes.

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