Congo: Mass Graves of 171 Bodies Found After M23 Withdrawal

Authorities in South Kivu province said the graves were located in neighborhoods recently vacated by the M23 rebel group, intensifying scrutiny of the group’s conduct amid ongoing negotiations.

South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi said officials identified two burial sites in Kiromoni and Kavimvira, on the outskirts of Uvira.

“At this stage, we have identified two sites: one mass grave containing approximately 30 bodies in Kiromoni, not far from the Burundian border on the Congolese side, and another in Kavimvira where 141 bodies were found,” Purusi told The Associated Press.

A civil society group in the region - The Executive Secretariat of the Local Network for the Protection of Civilians - said it sought access to the sites but was prevented from visiting by the Congolese military.

Yves Ramadhani, vice president of the civil society group, said preliminary information suggested the victims were killed by M23 fighters who suspected them of belonging to the Congolese army or allied militias.

Both the Congolese armed forces and M23 have previously faced accusations of extrajudicial killings and abuses from rights organizations.

M23 had seized control of Uvira in December following a rapid offensive that regional authorities say left more than 1,500 people dead and displaced about 300,000.

The group later announced it would withdraw from the city as a “unilateral trust-building measure” requested by the United States to facilitate the peace process.

The mass grave discovery unfolds against a broader regional confrontation. Congo, the United States, and U.N. experts have accused Rwanda of backing M23. The rebel group has expanded from a few hundred members in 2021 to approximately 6,500 fighters, according to U.N. estimates.

Eastern Congo remains crowded with more than 100 armed groups competing for control in mineral-rich territory near the Rwandan border. The fighting has generated one of the world’s largest displacement crises, with over 7 million people uprooted, according to the UN refugee agency. UN also reported 27.7 million people faced hunger in the war afflicted country.

Despite the signing of an agreement between the Congolese and Rwandan governments brokered by the United States, and parallel negotiations between M23 and Kinshasa, combat continues on multiple fronts. Civilian and military casualties persist, raising questions about ceasefire enforcement, escalation control, and the durability of trust-building measures.

The alleged killings, if confirmed, would deepen calls for independent investigation and forensic access to the burial sites. Restrictions on civil society access to the graves illustrate the operational constraints facing local monitors.

The evolving situation places renewed emphasis on civilian protection mechanisms and verification capacity as diplomatic channels remain active but violence endures.