Rwanda-backed M23 and Congo-backed Wazalendo accused of gang rapes and widespread abuses against civilians

‘Let them be punished so they don’t do such acts to someone else’ - woman was tied between two trees while six Wazalendo gang-raped her

M23 fighters have also committed human rights abuses against civil society actors, journalists and lawyers

‘For the women of eastern DRC, nowhere is safe; they are raped in their homes, in the fields, or camps where they seek shelter. The world must say enough’ - Tigere Chagutah

A new briefing by Amnesty International has found that both the Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement (M23) and the Wazalendo, a loose coalition of armed groups backed by the Congolese army, have gang raped women and committed widespread human rights abuses against civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that violate international humanitarian law and could amount to war crimes.

In the 39-page report - DRC: ‘They said we would die’: M23 and Wazalendo abuses in eastern Congo - documents how M23 fighters have summarily killed Congolese civilians, attacked hospitals, abducted patients, and tortured and forcibly disappeared civil society members. It also details the increasing militarisation in eastern DRC, as M23 has taken control of vast swathes of territory in the region and the Wazalendo have received large amounts of ammunition and weapons supplied by the Congolese army (FARDC).

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

“The brutality of the warring parties knows no bounds; these atrocities are intended to punish, intimidate and humiliate civilians, as each side attempts to assert control.

“Rwanda and the DRC cannot continue shunning responsibility; they must hold all perpetrators accountable.

“It’s time for DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi to honour his commitment to justice and accountability and ensure that Wazalendo fighters who committed crimes are brought to justice and others are demobilised and reintegrated into civilian life.

“As a party to the conflict, Rwanda must ensure that all Rwandan Defence Forces in the DRC comply with international humanitarian law.”

Survivor testimonies

Of the 14 survivors of sexual violence from North and South Kivu, interviewed by Amnesty, eight said they were gang raped by M23 fighters, five said they were gang raped by Wazalendo fighters, and one said she was gang raped by FARDC soldiers.

All the survivors of gang rape by M23 fighters said the perpetrators wore uniforms that resembled those of the M23 and spoke Kinyarwanda, which is spoken by some M23 fighters.

The gang rapes by M23 fighters took place between March and May when the fighters-controlled Goma and Bukavu in eastern DRC. Five survivors said M23 fighters raped them at M23 military positions.

In Bukavu, five M23 fighters’ gang-raped Beatrice* at an M23 military camp.

“When I see someone in a military uniform, I’m traumatised. Since that day, I do not go out. When I see them, I feel pain in my heart. It’s like a heart palpitation,” she said.

In Rutshuru and Masisi territories in North Kivu province, as well as Kalehe territory in South Kivu province, Wazalendo groups raped women and girls. One woman was gang raped in late March. Four other women in Masisi were raped by Wazalendo fighters, two in January 2024 and two in February and April. Amnesty also received a credible report of a young woman gang-raped by multiple Wazalendo fighters in Rutshuru in March.

Another woman was tied between two trees while six Wazalendo gang-raped her.

“Let them be punished so they don’t do such acts to someone else,” she said.

During another rape by Wazalendo fighters, Kinyarwanda-speaking men, believed to be fighters belonging to the Nyatura, a predominately Hutu armed group, accused the woman of supporting the M23. They told her that

“any women who come to the field, we will always rape them.”

A woman said she was pregnant when she was gang raped in Bukavu by two FARDC soldiers in February 2025, before the fall of the city, as the FARDC were fleeing. During the rape, her 14-year-old daughter screamed from a bedroom. The soldier said:

“If she doesn’t go back in the room, I’ll kill her.”

Tigere Chagutah said:

“For the women of eastern DRC, nowhere is safe; they are raped in their homes, in the fields, or camps where they seek shelter. The world must say enough. All warring parties must prioritise the protection of civilians, including women and girls who continue to bear the greatest brunt of this conflict.”

Human rights abuses by M23

M23 fighters have also committed human rights abuses against civil society actors, journalists, lawyers, and others. Amnesty interviewed 12 civil society actors, human rights defenders and journalists who described how M23 tortured, forcibly disappeared, arbitrarily detained, or threatened them.

One civil society actor detained in March said that an M23 fighter asked him specific questions about issues he had covered in the past. “It was like they had all the info on us,” he said. The M23 fighters whipped him both nights of his detention.

“They really beat me. They had whips. They beat me on the buttocks. They slapped me in my ears which caused my nose to bleed.”

In May, Aloys Bigirumwami, a member of the youth movement, Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA), and five others were taken away in a vehicle, and Bigirumwami has not been seen since.

Amnesty documented five summary killings by M23: three men in Goma and a father and son in South Kivu. All men were shot to death or had their throats cut by M23 fighters between February and May. M23 fighters also attacked hospitals in Goma six times during the same period, abducting or detaining patients and caregivers, including FARDC soldiers who had been injured, still required care or were hiding at the hospital.

A peace agreement

On 19 July, DRC and M23 representatives signed a “declaration of principles” in Doha, Qatar, facilitated by the Qatar government, pledging to work toward a final peace agreement that will align with the peace deal signed in Washington DC by DRC and Rwanda on 27 June.

“As diplomatic efforts continue, Amnesty calls on Qatar to press M23 to stop abducting and forcibly disappearing individuals. In addition, the United States should push the Congolese government to implement a vetting mechanism to identify and remove armed group members and security force officials who may have been implicated in serious human rights abuses or violations,” said Tigere Chagutah.

Amnesty’s research

Amnesty interviewed more than 53 victims and witnesses, including survivors of gang rape, victims of abuse, relatives of those unlawfully killed, detained or forcibly disappeared, medical professionals, civil society members, human rights defenders, lawyers, humanitarian actors, and journalists. Amnesty also reviewed M23 official statements, audio-visual evidence and reports by local and international media and human rights organisations.

On 18 July, Amnesty requested information from the FARDC about the conduct of its soldiers, as well as information from representatives of M23 in relation to specific allegations of human rights violations and abuses. At the time of publication, Amnesty had not received responses from them.