KINSHASA, Congo — A significant human rights organization, Amnesty International, has leveled serious accusations against both the Congolese military and a rebel faction for conducting bombings in heavily populated regions, asserting that these actions may amount to war crimes.
According to a report shared on Sunday by Amnesty, the Congolese armed forces and the M23 rebel group launched unguided rockets and various explosives into crowded areas in eastern Congo over 150 times from January to July of the previous year. These attacks resulted in the deaths of over 100 civilians and left many others injured.
Amnesty International is urging the International Criminal Court to conduct an investigation into these assaults as potential war crimes. Agnès Callamard, the organization’s Secretary General, pointed out the alarming increase in the deployment of explosive weapons, describing it as a troubling shift in an already protracted conflict spanning three decades that is fraught with human rights abuses and violations of humanitarian laws.
This report arrives amidst a backdrop of intensified hostilities between the Congolese military and various rebel groups operating in the eastern part of the country. The United Nations refugee agency reported on Monday that more than 237,000 individuals have been displaced due to the ongoing violence since the start of this year.
The M23 group is one among approximately 100 armed factions contending for control in eastern Congo, which is rich in minerals and situated near the Rwandan border. This long-running conflict has led to one of the most significant humanitarian crises globally, displacing over 7 million people.
Both Congo and the United Nations have implicated neighboring Rwanda in providing support to the M23 group. Although Rwanda has denied these allegations, it confirmed in February that it has deployed troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to protect its national security, citing the buildup of Congolese forces close to its border. Reports from U.N. experts suggest that as many as 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are operating within Congo’s territory.
Recently, M23 has made considerable progress in eastern Congo. Following the capture of the vital mining town of Masisi in North Kivu province earlier this month, clashes have escalated around Lumbishi, another crucial locality in South Kivu province during the weekend.
