GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo — Over 300 civilians were massacred last month in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province in eastern Congo, in what the United Nations has called one of the most brutal attacks in the region in recent years. The killings, allegedly carried out by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, included 48 women and 19 children, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
Speaking from Geneva, Switzerland, Türk said: “This was not just an attack. This was a slaughter.” The updated death toll — now confirmed at 319 — was compiled from first-hand witness accounts and investigations by UN human rights teams on the ground.
The massacre occurred near the towns of Kishishe and Bambo, and marks one of the deadliest single incidents since the resurgence of the M23 rebel group in 2022.
Previously, the UN Joint Human Rights Office had reported 169 deaths from the same event in late July, but further investigation revealed the scale was far greater.
M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa claimed the group would investigate the allegations but dismissed the UN findings as possibly part of a “smear campaign.” Requests for comment from the M23 leadership, the Rwandan military, and the government in Kigali, Rwanda, have gone unanswered.
The M23, long accused of receiving support from Rwanda — a charge Kigali denies — continues to destabilise eastern DRC, where decades of conflict have displaced millions and led to repeated cycles of violence.
UN officials have called on the international community to increase pressure for accountability. “Impunity cannot be the price for silence,” Türk stated from Geneva.
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