• Over 140 civilians were killed in July by M23 rebels in eastern Congo, with estimates potentially exceeding 300.
• The killings occurred in at least 14 villages near Virunga National Park amidst ongoing peace negotiations.
• Witnesses described horrific acts, including summary executions and forced burials.
• Human Rights Watch is urging international intervention and sanctions against the perpetrators.
• The situation reflects escalating violence despite U.S. and Qatar-mediated peace efforts.

According to a report from Human Rights Watch (HRW), M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, killed at least 140 civilians in July in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with further investigations suggesting the true death toll might exceed 300. The violence predominantly affected the ethnic Hutu group in Rutshuru territory, where attacks unfolded across at least 14 villages near Virunga National Park, despite ongoing peace efforts including a U.S.-brokered agreement between Congo and Rwanda and Qatar-hosted negotiations, according to Africanews, aa, BBC, LA Times, Reuters.

Witness testimonies reveal gruesome details of the killings, with accounts of rebels executing villagers and preventing families from holding funerals. One woman described being forced to march with approximately 70 others to a riverbank, where they were shot at; she survived by falling into the river. Another man recounted witnessing the massacre of his wife and four children, ages nine months to ten years, as rebels blocked escape routes, according to Africanews, aa, BBC, LA Times, and Reuters.

The situation has raised alarm bells at the international level, as Human Rights Watch has urged the U.N. Security Council, the European Union, and various governments to expand sanctions against those responsible and demand accountability for the atrocities. The report pointed to the involvement of Rwandan forces in the operations, further complicating the already tense relations in the region. M23 has denied these claims and attributes such charges to disinformation campaigns, according to Africanews, aa, BBC, LA Times, and Reuters.