M23 killed ‘at least 319 civilians’ in DR Congo in July: U.N.

U.N. rights chief Volker Turk on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) denounced the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, which he said had killed at least 319 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in July.

With Rwanda’s support the M23 has seized swathes of the mineral-rich Congolese east from the DRC’s army since its resurgence in 2021, triggering a spiralling humanitarian crisis in a region already riven by three decades of conflict.

July’s violence came only weeks after the Congolese government and the M23 signed a declaration of principle on June 19 reaffirming their commitment to a permanent ceasefire, following months of broken truces.

“I am appalled by the attacks on civilians by the M23 and other armed groups in eastern DRC amid continued fighting, despite the ceasefire that was recently signed in Doha,” Mr. Turk said in a statement.

“All attacks against civilians must stop immediately, and all those responsible must be held to account,” he added.

Mr. Turk’s U.N. Human Rights Office said it had documented multiple attacks in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, in the conflict-ridden east of the country bordering Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Appeal from Mr. Turk

In the agreement signed in Doha, the warring parties agreed to “uphold their commitment to a permanent ceasefire”, refraining from “hate propaganda” and “any attempt to seize by force new positions”.

The deal includes a roadmap for restoring state authority in eastern DRC, and an agreement for the two sides to open direct talks toward a comprehensive peace agreement.

It followed a separate agreement signed in Washington by the Congolese government and Rwanda, which has a history of intervention in the eastern DRC stretching back to the 1990s.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi are due to meet in the coming months to firm up the Washington agreement, whose terms have not yet been implemented.

“I urge the signatories and facilitators of both the Doha and Washington agreements to ensure that they rapidly translate into safety, security and real progress for civilians in the DRC, who continue to endure the devastating consequences of these conflicts,” said Mr. Turk.

Rich in key minerals such as gold and coltan, the Congolese east has been riven by fighting between rival armed groups and interference by foreign powers for more than 30 years.

Dozens of ceasefires and truces have been brokered and broken in recent years without providing a lasting end to the conflict.