UN Report: M23/AFC & Rwanda Linked to War Crimes in Kivu | XTRAfrica

UN report links M23/AFC and Rwanda’s forces to war crimes in North & South Kivu: massacres, forced deportations, child recruitment, and sexual violence.

9/5/25, 1:01 PM

Written By |

Serge Kitoko Tshibanda

Political Analyst

Overview

The UN fact‑finding mission’s report on the situation in North and South Kivu documents numerous violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL) attributed to the armed group Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) and its political platform, Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), many of which were enabled by Rwanda’s military support. The report notes that Rwanda provided training, intelligence, and operational support to M23 and deployed Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) personnel in the Kivus. Witnesses often identified perpetrators as “Rwandan” through their language, accents, or uniforms. The fact‑finding mission, therefore, considers Rwanda responsible for crimes directly committed by its forces and for failing to stop violations committed by M23.

Structured list of crimes

Responsible actor	Type of crime	Page/section reference	Brief description
M23/AFC (with RDF support)	War crimes – wilful killing and murder	Sec. II.B & VII.A – territorial expansion/war crimes	During the January 2025 offensive on Sake and Goma, M23 and RDF used heavy artillery and indiscriminately fired on civilians; they also executed surrendering FARDC soldiers. The fact‑finding mission found reasonable grounds that M23 and RDF committed war crimes involving murder and willful killing.
M23/AFC (supported by RDF)	Massacres/summary executions	Sec. III.D – July 2025 offensive & Sec. VI.A	In July 2025, M23 launched an offensive in Bwisha (Rutshuru) and survivors described the summary execution of hundreds of mostly Hutu civilians, including children and infants, with machetes and axes. Earlier, M23 executed at least 21 civilians (including teenage boys) during cordon‑and‑search operations and shot people for minor infractions.
M23/AFC	Deliberate killing of children & entire families	Sec. VI.A – summary executions	M23 combatants deliberately killed children and entire families; survivors recounted that children were shot without reason and infants were hacked with machetes.
M23/AFC	Attack on peacekeepers & indiscriminate shelling	Sec. VI – conduct of hostilities	Witnesses said M23 and RDF targeted a UN base in Goma, killing three peacekeepers, and used heavy weapons that caused numerous civilian casualties.
M23/AFC (with RDF involvement)	Suppression of civic space & intimidation	Sec. VI.B – intimidation & Sec. III.B	After capturing Goma and Bukavu, AFC/M23 appointed new administrators, imposed new taxes, and replaced civil servants. They threatened, detained, or killed activists and journalists, including singer Delcat Idengo, banned media from broadcasting government information, and introduced a “10 houses system” to surveil residents.
M23/AFC	Unlawful detention & enforced disappearances	Sec. VI.C – detention	M23 detained thousands of civilians (mainly men and boys) during cordon‑and‑search operations. People were taken from hospitals and homes, some were held for ransom, and many were sent to “training” camps; the fate of many detainees remains unknown.
M23/AFC and RDF	Torture and cruel treatment, deaths in custody	Sec. VI.D – detention conditions	Detainees were held in cramped, dirty cells and subjected to beatings, torture, denial of food, and summary execution. Teenage boys were held with adults; guards included Rwandan nationals and senior M23 commanders.
M23/AFC	Forced recruitment & conscription of children	Sec. VI.E – forced recruitment	Thousands of detained civilians – including adolescents – were taken to M23 camps where they were forced to undergo military training or perform labour. Witnesses saw Rwandan guards, including uniformed RDF officers, in these camps. The fact‑finding mission found that M23 committed the war crime of conscripting or enlisting children under 15.
M23/AFC	Rape, gang rape & sexual slavery	Sec. VI.F – sexual violence; War crimes findings	The report documents widespread rape and gang rape of women, girls, men, and LGBTQ individuals by M23 fighters, both in homes and in detention. Some victims were exploited for sex in return for food or given as “wives”; sexual violence was used to punish or intimidate. The FFM concluded that M23 committed the war crimes of rape and sexual slavery.
M23/AFC	Forced displacement, deportations & destruction of IDPs’ shelters	Sec. VI.G – forced displacement	M23 ordered tens of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) around Goma to dismantle their shelters and return home; those who resisted were beaten or threatened. Later, M23 expelled returning families and deported groups of Congolese citizens to Rwanda after branding them “Rwandan”; the group burned their Congolese identity cards in Goma’s transit centre. Such forced transfers were found to constitute war crimes.
M23/AFC and RDF	Enslavement and forced labour	Sec. VI.E & crimes against humanity section	Detainees in M23 camps were compelled to build fortifications, carry weapons, and perform domestic or agricultural work. Women and girls were forced to serve as cooks or sex slaves. These acts formed part of widespread enslavement and forced labour, which the FFM classified as crimes against humanity.
M23/AFC	Crimes against humanity	Sec. IX.B – crimes against humanity & Sec. VII.A	The FFM found reasonable grounds that M23 committed crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape and sexual slavery, enslavement in training camps, enforced disappearance, and deportation/forcible transfer of population. These crimes were part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians perceived as opposing M23, carried out according to an organizational policy aimed at consolidating control.
RDF (Rwanda Defence Force)	Direct participation in M23 operations & war crimes	Sec. II.B – territorial expansion & Sec. IX.A	Rwanda’s army trained and fought alongside M23 during the assault on Sake and Goma. The FFM received credible allegations that RDF personnel participated in M23’s abuses, including at detention and training camps, and that Rwanda provided significant military, logistical, and material support. Rwanda was therefore deemed responsible for crimes committed by its forces and for failing to use its influence to stop violations.
AFC/M23	Illegal taxation & appropriation of resources	Sec. III.B – AFC administration	After capturing Goma and Bukavu, AFC/M23 installed its own administrators and introduced a tax system to divert revenue, including from mining, replacing civil servants with loyalists. While not labelled explicitly as “looting”, this systematic appropriation of resources and replacement of local authorities is a form of exploitation linked to the armed group’s control.
M23/AFC	Disruption of civic life & forced governance	Sec. III.B & Sec. VI.B	M23/AFC’s imposition of parallel governance structures, appointing governors, levying taxes, and deploying Rwandan nationals, along with the surveillance “10 houses system,” severely restricted civic space and imposed de facto rule.

Summary

M23/AFC and Rwanda’s role – The report shows that M23, backed by Rwanda’s army (RDF), captured territory in the Kivus, killed civilians and soldiers, and committed numerous war crimes. Rwanda provided training, intelligence, and troops for these operations and bears responsibility for its forces’ actions.
Massacres and executions – M23 conducted brutal massacres. In July 2025, it executed hundreds of mostly Hutu civilians in Rutshuru, including children who were hacked with machetes. During cordon‑and‑search operations, it executed at least 21 civilians and killed children for minor reasons.
Attacks on peacekeepers and indiscriminate firing – M23 and RDF shelled populated areas and even targeted a UN base, killing peacekeepers. Their indiscriminate use of heavy weapons caused many civilian deaths.
Suppression of civil liberties – After taking control of cities, M23/AFC imposed new administrators and taxes, replaced civil servants, and used intimidation, threats, and killings to silence activists and journalists.
Detention, torture, and forced recruitment – M23 detained thousands, including children, under horrific conditions. Detainees were beaten, tortured, executed, and forced into military training or labour, with Rwandan personnel often present. Children were conscripted and used in hostilities, which is a war crime.
Sexual violence – The group used rape and sexual slavery as tools of terror, with women, girls, men, and LGBT individuals subjected to gang rapes, often in detention, and sometimes exchanged for food.
Forced displacement and deportation – M23 forced tens of thousands of displaced people to leave shelters and later expelled them again, deporting many to Rwanda and burning their identity cards. This constitutes a war crime.
Enslavement and exploitation – Civilians in M23 camps were forced to work, build defences, and serve commanders; women and girls were kept as “wives” or cooks. The report classifies these acts as crimes against humanity due to their systematic nature.
Illegal taxation and governance – M23/AFC set up parallel administrations and imposed new taxes on the population, including on mining, demonstrating how it exploited captured territory and undermined legitimate governance.

These findings illustrate a pattern of widespread, systematic abuses by M23/AFC, enabled by Rwanda’s support. The crimes include massacres, summary executions, torture, forced labour, sexual violence, and the conscription of children – all of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.