M23 Rebels Kill 10 Farmers As Revenge for Offensives by Congolese Army
Fierce fighting had taken place between elements of the M23/RDF coalition and the Congolese soldiers, with the rebels recording bitter losses.
The M23 rebels killed 10 civilians on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). The attack happened after the country’s army raided the rebels in the past weeks in North Kivu.
Local sources said the rebels killed the victims – mostly farmers – to retaliate for the losses incurred during a fierce battle with Congolese soldiers. Chirac Mafula, president of the youth parliament in the Bwito chiefdom, told HumAngle that the farmers were killed when violence erupted in the east of Kabanda-Kibirizi.
“It is the M23 rebels who went and attacked the positions of the Wazalendo in Kahumiro. They slept there before attacking this morning. They say they are searching for fighters of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (DFLR) inside the Virunga National Park,” Chirac revealed
“Angry over being seriously hit by the Wazalendo, the M23 rebels say they are revenging by killing the farmers in Kahumiro and environs around Virunga. At least ten civilians have been killed and the number risks increasing because the search continues for bodies in the forest.”
After killing the ten farmers, the M23/RDF fighters withdrew right to Kadanda-Kibirizi while the locality of Kahumiro remained in the hands of the government coalition.
“This is a situation we deplore. Since this morning, arm detonations were still heard in the region until around 11 a.m. when a relative calm returned. And it was at this time that they slaughtered peaceful populations.
“We ask both the national and international community to be witnesses to ensure that sanctions are meted out against these terrorists who continue massacring civilians whenever they suffer defeat by the FARDC and their Wazalendo allies,” said Isaac Mafula of the youth parliament in Bwito.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, nine civilians were killed by M23 during clashes with soldiers in Kihondo, still in the Bwito chiefdom of Rutshuru territory. Fierce fighting took place that Wednesday evening between elements of the M23/RDF coalition and the Congolese soldiers, with the rebels recording bitter losses.
The M23 rebels killed 10 civilians on January 22 in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu region, retaliating against losses suffered in recent attacks by the Congolese army.
Most victims were farmers, and the violence occurred in Kabanda-Kibirizi after the rebels clashed with the Wazalendo militia.
Local sources report that the rebels claimed they were searching for Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (DFLR) fighters in Virunga National Park, using this as a pretext for the killings.
Despite withdrawing after the attack, the M23 rebels left behind devastation and a demand for accountability from the national and international communities to sanction these violent acts.
This attack follows a similar incident on January 15, when nine civilians were killed in Kihondo during clashes involving the M23/RDF coalition and Congolese forces. Despite facing considerable losses, the rebel group continues to target civilians in retribution when confronted by the national army and its allies.
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