M23 Rebel Group Detaining and Abusing Thousands of Civilians in Congo

In a report issued Wednesday, Human Rights Watch alleged that the Rwanda-supported M23 armed group has been forcefully recruiting thousands in Eastern Congo, detaining them under brutal conditions.

Since its resurgence in 2021, this anti-government faction has captured significant territories in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region burdened by more than three decades of conflict.

After securing control over key cities like Goma and Bukavu, M23 has engaged in extensive forced recruitment and operations in their dominions, according to the NGO’s detailed findings.

The group has reportedly imprisoned thousands of Congolese soldiers, militia, and civilians, inflicting inhumane and perilous conditions on them. This report draws on interviews with 102 former detainees and multiple other sources.

Eyewitnesses and ex-captives recounted abductions occurring on streets, in homes, meetings, churches, and schools, where individuals were confined to makeshift detention sites, military bases, or moved to unknown locales.

Among those captured were children as young as 12, who were dispatched to training camps. There, they suffered harsh conditions, beatings, and even summary executions over extended periods.

M23 combatants, alongside Rwandan troops, reportedly coerced thousands to join their ranks by threatening their lives.

Interviewees reported witnessing brutal punishment, with captured soldiers, fighters, and civilians, including men, women, and boys, beaten—some even fatally—to force enlistment or serve as warnings.

Former detainees described centers where they endured constant abuse, severe beatings, overcrowding, dehydration, and starvation.

An accurate death toll remains unclear until all mass graves are uncovered, yet interviews suggest hundreds perished by 2025, with camps still operational into 2026.

Ex-detainees have identified high-ranking M23 officers and neighboring Rwandan military units within these camps.