Mass Graves With 171 Bodies Discovered in Eastern Congo

resh allegations of a large-scale killing have surfaced in eastern Congo after local officials reported the discovery of mass graves in areas recently vacated by M23 rebels, even as a U.S.-brokered peace arrangement struggles to hold.

Authorities in South-Kivu say two burial sites were uncovered on the outskirts of Uvira, a strategic city near the Burundian border that M23 seized late last year before announcing a pullback. Provincial governor Jean-Jacques Purusi said the remains were found in the Kiromoni and Kavimvira neighborhoods.

“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 over the phone.

The Associated Press indicated that it was unable to independently confirm the account. M23’s spokesperson also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A regional civil society coalition, the Executive Secretariat of the Local Network for the Protection of Civilians, said it sought access to the burial sites but was blocked by the Congolese military. Its vice president, Yves Ramadhani, said preliminary findings suggest the victims were executed by M23 fighters.

Both the governor and the group contend the killings were driven by suspicions that the victims were aligned with the Congolese armed forces or pro-government militias.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly accused both M23 and government troops of extrajudicial killings and other abuses throughout the conflict.

M23 captured Uvira in December during a swift advance that regional officials say left more than 1,500 people dead and forced about 300,000 from their homes. The rebels later declared they would leave the city, describing the move as a “unilateral trust-building measure” requested by the United States to support ongoing peace efforts.

Congo, the U.S. and United Nations investigators have long accused Rwanda of backing M23. The rebel movement has expanded rapidly, growing from a few hundred fighters in 2021 to roughly 6,500, according to U.N. estimates.

Eastern Congo remains crowded with armed factions, with more than 100 groups competing for control of territory rich in minerals along the Rwandan frontier. The violence has fueled one of the world’s gravest humanitarian emergencies, displacing over 7 million people, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Although Congo and Rwanda recently signed a U.S.-mediated accord and parallel talks between the government and rebel representatives are underway, clashes persist across multiple fronts in the east, continuing to claim both civilian and military lives.