At least seven civilians killed in M23 attacks in North Kivu (DRC)

MADRID 9 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least seven civilians have died in attacks carried out by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group in two towns in the North Kivu region (Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC) in retaliation for the losses suffered after a series of combats against groups Wazalendo self-defense group.

“There have been clashes between the wazalendo based in Kabizo and Bundafi. The toll has been three people killed in Kabizo and another four murdered in Bundafi. All the victims were civilians coming from their fields. We condemn this act of serious violation of the Human Rights. When they suffer losses, they pay it on the civilian population,” said Isaac Kibira, a Bwito official, in statements reported by the Congolese news portal Actualité.

The Wazalendo and M23 groups had maintained a series of clashes during the day on Monday in which the self-defense militiamen managed to repel the rebels, despite the ceasefire declared in August between the Government of the DRC and Rwanda, which supports the M23, after negotiations sponsored by Angola.

The M23 is a rebel group made up largely of Congolese Tutsis and operates mainly in the province. After a conflict between 2012 and 2013, DRC and the group signed a peace agreement in December. In these battles, the Congolese Army had the support of United Nations troops.

The group launched a new offensive in October 2022, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the DRC and Rwanda over their role in the conflict. Kigali has accused Kinshasa of supporting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed rebel group founded and staffed primarily by Hutus responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.