• M23 rebels executed at least 21 civilians in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.
• The violence occurred over two days in February, with the involvement of dozens of fighters.
• A significant rise in reported rapes has taken place amid the conflict, according to UNICEF.
• The United Nations and other organizations allege that the M23 has committed multiple human rights violations.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that Rwanda-backed M23 rebels executed at least 21 civilians during 22 and 23 February in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. This report details the escalating violence that has accompanied the rebels' offensive, which has led to thousands of deaths and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, particularly since M23's seizure of major cities like Goma and Bukavu in January 2025. "Commanders and combatants who directly ordered or carried out abuses should be held criminally accountable," HRW stated in its findings, underscoring the serious nature of these violations, according to Reuters, TRT World, and Africanews.

In incidents described in the report, M23 fighters targeted the Kasika neighborhood near the Katindo military camp, executing civilians including a 15-year-old boy, and later dumping their bodies nearby. A witness indicated that those rounded up were accused of being members of the Congolese army. Reports indicate that three men who attempted to escape were also shot. The overall death toll in Goma from these two days could be over 50 as per medical workers’ accounts, illustrating the scale of the atrocities, according to Reuters and TRT World.

The tumultuous situation has also led to alarming increases in sexual violence, with UNICEF reporting a five-fold surge in rape cases treated across health centers in eastern Congo. This marks a severe escalation in sexual violence, with nearly a third of victims being children. Reports include heartbreaking cases of mothers whose daughters were raped while seeking food, emphasizing the humanitarian crisis that has emerged amidst the conflict, as covered by Reuters, TRT World, and Africanews.

The backdrop to this violence involves longstanding issues related to the spillover from Rwanda's 1994 genocide and ongoing struggles over the region's mineral wealth. In light of these violations, the International Criminal Court is now investigating claims against the M23 for crimes against civilians in North Kivu, which suggests further scrutiny of the M23's operations, according to TRT World and Africanews.