UN: M23 and Rwanda Committed War Crimes in Congo, Says Report

The UN midterm report S/2025/858 (30 December 2025) documents numerous incidents in which the M23 rebel group (also called Alliance Fleuve Congo/Mouvement du 23 mars, AFC/M23) committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, or serious violations of international humanitarian law in eastern DRC. These incidents often involved targeted attacks on civilians, mass killings, sexual violence, forced displacement, and destruction of villages, frequently with the direct support or coordination of Rwandan forces (RDF). Below is a comprehensive list of such incidents, organized by date, location, type of crime, and Rwanda’s involvement, with citations to the UN report:

1. 24 February 2025 – Karenga (near Goma, North Kivu):

Type of Crime: Threatening and forcibly displacing civilians. M23 fighters issued an ultimatum to residents of Karenga (a village near Virunga National Park) to leave within one day or be shot, causing the entire population to flee to displacement shelters in Sake. This constitutes a forcible eviction under threat of violence, a grave breach of international humanitarian law.

Rwanda’s Involvement: Rwandan troops were reported on the ground in this incident, and M23’s control of the area was enabled by Rwanda’s backing and coordination. The UN experts note that throughout its campaign, M23 received sustained support from the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF), which allowed M23 to consolidate control around Goma and carry out such expulsions.

2. 2 May 2025 – Goma/Sake (North Kivu):

Type of Crime: Forcible transfer and deportation of civilians (ethnic/forced displacement). On this date, AFC/M23 rounded up over 2,000 predominantly Hutu civilians sheltering around Goma and Sake – people who had been displaced by M23’s February offensives – and forced them into a UNHCR transit center in Goma, under armed supervision.

Between 17 and 22 May 2025, M23 then compelled the transfer of 1,798 of these civilians across the border into Rwanda, in what was portrayed by M23 as a “voluntary return” of supposed Rwandan nationals. In reality, conditions for voluntary return were not met: civilians had no chance to contest their nationality, men accused of FDLR affiliation were forcibly separated (over 180 men taken to an unknown location), and M23 officials intimidated UNHCR staff to abort proper screening. This forced deportation of a population and the disappearance of detainees are clear violations of IHL and human rights law.

Rwanda’s Involvement: Facilitating. While the operation was carried out by M23 authorities, it directly served Rwanda’s interests in removing Hutu communities associated with the FDLR. Rwanda’s role included accepting the transferred civilians on its territory as “returnees.” The report indicates this was part of joint RDF–M23 efforts to reshape local demographics by expelling the Hutu populations from eastern DRC. (RDF had earlier conducted offensives that displaced these communities, and M23’s leadership – operating with Rwandan support – managed the deportation process.)

3. 27–28 May 2025 – Marangara and Surrounding Villages (Bwito Chefferie, Rutshuru, North Kivu):

Type of Crime: Attacks on civilians: killings, arson, looting, and forced displacement. Over two days, Rwandan Defence Force troops and M23 rebels jointly attacked villages around Marangara (Tongo area) under the pretext of striking FDLR positions. During these attacks, multiple civilians were killed, and numerous homes were deliberately set ablaze. On 28 May, RDF/M23 units accused local inhabitants of Marangara, Lukara, and Kirumba of hiding FDLR members; in retaliation, they looted livestock and property, burned more houses, and drove out the population, causing mass displacement. These actions – killing non-combatants, destroying civilian homes, and pillaging – are explicit war crimes under international law.

Rwanda’s Involvement: Direct. Rwandan military forces participated actively in the assaults. The UN report documents that RDF soldiers fought alongside M23 in Marangara, carrying out the cordon-and-search operation and the subsequent reprisals against civilians. Thus, Rwanda was directly involved through military support and cross-border combat operations in this incident.

4. 30 May 2025 – Multiple Villages in Rutshuru (North Kivu):

Type of Crime: Forced eviction of civilians (mass forced displacement). On 30 May, AFC/M23 ordered at least 240 households to evacuate five villages (including Burambo, Kiyeye, Mayi ya Chumvi, Ngeri, and Kiganda in Rutshuru territory) on the threat of violence. This expulsion edict led to the mass displacement of those villages’ inhabitants. Forcing civilians to abandon their homes under duress is a violation of international humanitarian law. (The Group of Experts notes that M23 frequently issued such evacuation ultimatums, warning that anyone who remained would be “treated as a target,” which created fear and large-scale flight.)

Rwanda’s Involvement: Rwanda-backed M23 was the de facto authority in these areas thanks to Rwandan military support. Rwanda’s involvement was through its broader backing of M23’s campaign (provision of arms, coordination, and a unified command structure) that enabled M23 to control territory and carry out these forced removals.

5. 9–27 July 2025 – Binza Groupement (Bwisha Chefferie, Rutshuru, North Kivu):

Type of Crime: Massacres of civilians, including summary executions, and village burnings. Following a mid-year buildup, RDF and M23 forces launched large-scale “cordon-and-search” operations in Binza (eastern Rutshuru) targeting Hutu communities suspected of FDLR ties. During mid-July 2025, an orgy of violence unfolded across several localities in Binza (Nyamilima, Kisharo, Burambo, Kiseguro, Katwiguro, Musinga, Kigarigari, etc.): over 300 civilian deaths were reported between 9 and 27 July. Witnesses, including survivors, recounted indiscriminate killings – men, women, and children were summarily executed on the mere accusation of collaborating with FDLR or local militias.

M23 cadres imposed terror by prohibiting any burials of the victims; many bodies were dumped in rivers to conceal the massacre. Throughout these operations, entire villages were systematically torched – RDF/M23 fighters destroyed and burned homes and settlements of Hutu families labeled as FDLR sympathizers.

These atrocities were widespread and systematic, constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes (murder of civilians, persecution, and destruction of property on a vast scale). Indeed, the UN experts explicitly note that the intentional targeting of this specific ethnic/social group may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Rwanda’s Involvement: Direct. The Rwandan army was deeply involved in this campaign. The report describes joint RDF–AFC/M23 operations in Binza: RDF units encircled farming areas and conducted sweeps, while M23 militia enforced local control. Rwanda provided not only troops on the ground but also logistical support and command coordination. The massacres and village burnings were part of a coordinated anti-FDLR offensive by M23 together with the Rwandan Defence Force. (This joint effort to eradicate FDLR elements was so extreme that by October 2025, the UNHCR recorded over 70,000 refugees fleeing North Kivu, mostly Hutu civilians, due to these operations.)

6. 6–7 October 2025 – Muliki and Kauma (Tongo area, Rutshuru, North Kivu):

Type of Crime: Attack on villages with arson (probable killing of civilians). In early October, the AFC/M23 mounted attacks on the villages of Muliki and Kauma (in the Tongo groupement, Rutshuru). Satellite fire data detected significant burning in those locales on 6 and 7 October, corresponding to reported AFC/M23 assaults that ignited the villages. While casualty details are not given in the report, the pattern suggests these attacks involved the torch­ing of civilian homes and likely caused civilian injuries or deaths as well as displacement (consistent with M23’s scorched-earth tactics observed earlier). Such deliberate attacks on civilian habitations are serious violations of IHL.

Rwanda’s Involvement: (continued support). Although the report’s details on these October raids are brief, they occurred in the context of ongoing RDF-backed M23 military operations. Given the established pattern of RDF’s direct support, it is highly likely that Rwanda continued to provide operational assistance or even forces on the ground during these attacks (e.g., intelligence, artillery, or command direction). The UN report notes generally that RDF remained integrated with M23’s offensives throughout 2025. (No separate RDF presence is explicitly mentioned for Muliki/Kauma, but M23’s capability to carry out these assaults was a result of Rwanda’s sustained military backing.)

7. 19 October 2025 – Kamena area (Bwito Chefferie, Rutshuru, North Kivu):

Type of Crime: Attack on a civilian area with arson. On 19 October, fires were detected near Kamena that coincided with an AFC/M23 attack on that area. This indicates that Kamena’s civilian structures were set ablaze during the M23 operation. As with the early October incidents, details are scant, but the action fits the broader campaign of village-burning and forced clearance of local populations. Any intentional burning of civilian villages is a war crime, and coming after the large-scale Binza massacres, this suggests a continued effort by M23 to purge areas of suspected hostile ethnic groups or militia sympathizers.

Rwanda’s Involvement: (continued support). M23 forces were still receiving Rwandan support at this stage. The Kamena attack was part of the same RDF-assisted offensive in Rutshuru. Cross-border coordination and military aid from Rwanda (such as troop reinforcements, ammunition, and tactical guidance) almost certainly facilitated this attack, even if RDF units are not specifically named in this instance. Rwanda’s involvement is evident in the overall strategy – these October burnings occurred in zones where RDF and M23 had jointly been battling FDLR remnants, underscoring that Rwanda’s campaign against Hutu militia elements extended to the destruction of local civilian communities deemed sympathetic to those elements.

Each of the above incidents is drawn directly from UN Security Council report S/2025/858, and together they illustrate a pattern of systematic atrocities by M23/AFC.

The Group of Experts attributes over 500 civilian deaths in Rutshuru (Bwito and Bwisha chiefdoms) from April to October 2025 to M23/RDF operations, alongside countless acts of violence (summary executions, rapes, abductions) for which M23 is identified as the primary perpetrator nationwide during this period. Notably, the report concludes that many of these actions “may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity”, and it documents Rwanda’s extensive role, from providing troops, drones, and weaponry to integrating M23 into a parallel command structure and administration, in perpetrating these violations.

Sources: United Nations Security Council, Midterm Report of the Group of Experts on the DRC (S/2025/858, 30 Dec 2025), including Annexes as cited.