THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Rwanda, M23 Forcibly Recruit, Detain Thousands — Briefly Rwanda, M23 Forcibly Recruit, Detain Thousands Legal News CD · AllAfrica DRC · 10 Jun Briefly Analysis Abstract A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has brought to light a systematic campaign of forced recruitment and abusive detention perpetrated by the M23 armed group, reportedly backed by Rwandan military forces, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Thousands of civilians and captured combatants, including children as young as 12, have allegedly been subjected to these grave abuses, which include torture, summary executions, and inhumane conditions in makeshift training and detention camps. These actions constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and international criminal law, potentially amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, demanding urgent international attention and accountability from all responsible parties. Introduction The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to be a theatre of profound human suffering, exacerbated by the actions of armed groups. A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has detailed a disturbing pattern of forced recruitm…

Congo-Kinshasa: Rwanda, M23 Forcibly Recruit, Detain Thousands [HRW] Nairobi -- Rampant Abuses Against Civilians, Ex-Soldiers in Key Eastern Provinces

Geneva: The UN Investigates Atrocities in Eastern DRC News Great lakes Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter On February 7, 2025, the United Nations Human Rights Council decided to launch a commission of inquiry into the atrocities committed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This decision follows the capture of the city of Goma by the M23 armed group, which is backed by Rwanda, and multiple accusations of war crimes and human rights violations. For years, the security situation in eastern DRC has been volatile, but recent weeks have seen an unprecedented escalation. The M23, benefiting from military and logistical support from Rwanda, has intensified its offensive, forcing thousands of civilians to flee and committing massacres, gang rapes, looting, and forced conscription. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has expressed deep concern about the worsening crisis, warning of an increased risk of sexual violence and child recruitment into armed groups. The commission of inquiry, requested by the DRC and supported by 48 countries, aims to establish the responsibility of the various actors in the conflict. Nearly 79 Congolese, regional, and international organi…

DR Congo: Rwanda, M23 Forcibly Recruit, Detain Thousands Click to expand Image An M23 fighter stands guard as people board a truck during an enrollment of civilians, police officers, and former Congolese army soldiers in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, February 23, 2025. © 2025 MICHEL LUNANGA/AFP via Getty Images (Nairobi) – Rwandan military forces and the M23 armed group carried out a campaign of forced recruitment and abusive detention of thousands of captured combatants and civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo , Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The 78-page report, “‘ Death Was Everywhere’: Arbitrary Detention, Killings, and Forced Recruitment by the M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force ,” documents large-scale roundups and arrests in North and South Kivu provinces in eastern Congo, as well as grave abuses against detainees at the Rumangabo and Tshanzu training camps in North Kivu, between mid-2024 and December 2025. M23 fighters, backed by Rwandan military personnel, have committed murder, torture, corporal punishment, and used forced labor and child soldiers, researchers found. These abuses are war crimes and should be investigated as possible c…

Congo-Kinshasa: Rwanda, M23 Forcibly Recruit, Detain Thousands Nairobi —Rampant Abuses Against Civilians, Ex-Soldiers in Key Eastern Provinces Rwandanmilitary forces and the M23 armed group carried out a campaign of forced recruitment and abusive detention of thousands of captured combatants and civilians in easternDemocratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The 78-page report, "'Death Was Everywhere': Arbitrary Detention, Killings, and Forced Recruitment by the M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force," documents large-scale roundups and arrests in North and South Kivu provinces in eastern Congo, as well as grave abuses against detainees at the Rumangabo and Tshanzu training camps in North Kivu, between mid-2024 and December 2025. M23 fighters, backed by Rwandan military personnel, have committed murder, torture, corporal punishment, and used forced labor and child soldiers, researchers found. These abuses are war crimes and should be investigated as possible crimes against humanity. "The Rwandan-backed M23 is running so-called training camps in eastern Congo, where recruits have suffered abuse and torture, at times with deadly consequences," said…

Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo): Rwanda, M23 Forcibly Recruit ... RELATED TOPICS AFRICA Rwandan military forces and the M23 armed group carried out a campaign of forced recruitment and abusive detention of thousands of captured combatants and civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo , Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The 78-page report, “‘ Death Was Everywhere’: Arbitrary Detention, Killings, and Forced Recruitment by the M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force ,” documents large-scale roundups and arrests in North and South Kivu provinces in eastern Congo, as well as grave abuses against detainees at the Rumangabo and Tshanzu training camps in North Kivu, between mid-2024 and December 2025. M23 fighters, backed by Rwandan military personnel, have committed murder, torture, corporal punishment, and used forced labor and child soldiers, researchers found. These abuses are war crimes and should be investigated as possible crimes against humanity. “The Rwandan-backed M23 is running so-called training camps in eastern Congo, where recruits have suffered abuse and torture, at times with deadly consequences,” said Clémentine de Montjoye , senior Great Lakes …

M23 detaining, abusing thousands of civilians in DR Congo: HRW The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has forcibly recruited thousands of people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and detained them in inhumane conditions, Human Rights Watch sa...

M23 fighters detaining, abusing thousands in DRC, HRW report documents The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has forcibly recruited thousands of people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and detained them in inhumane conditions, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. The anti-government group has seized vast swathes of territory since it re-emerged in 2021 in eastern DRC, which has been plagued by conflict for over 30 years. For more, FRANCE 24’s Jean-Emile Jammine is joined by Clémentine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo Back to Map Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo By the Center for Preventive Action Updated February 18, 2026 M23 soldiers are seen at the Stade de l'Unite' in Goma on February 6, 2025, for a public gathering called by the armed group. Alexis Huguet/AFP via Getty Images Members of the M23 armed group sit on a pickup truck during a patrol as women carrying fruits walk past a market, following the takeover of the city by the M23 movement in Bukavu on February 18, 2025. Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images Soldiers of the Armed forces of the Democratic republic of Congo (FARDC) gesture as they ride on top of a tank as they advance towards Sake, northwest of Goma on January 23, 2025. Jospin Mwisha/AFP via Getty Images Congolese riders participate during a demonstration to demand justice for the murder of civilians killed during a protest against the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and East African Community Regional Force in Goma, September 4, 2023. Arlette Bashizi/Reuters In early 2025, fighting between Congolese security forces and militant groups led by M23 escalated rapidly, culmi…

“Death Was Everywhere”: Arbitrary Detention, Killings, and Forced ... In early 2025, the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group captured Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, the armed group has carried out large-scale forced recruitment and other operations in areas under its control, detaining thousands of Congolese soldiers and militia members, and increasingly civilians, subjecting them to inhumane and life-threatening treatment. As soon as Rwandan military forces and the M23 took control of Goma in late January 2025, trucks filled with soldiers of the Congolese army (Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo, FARDC), members of the national police (Police nationale congolaise, PNC), and alleged fighters of armed groups allied to the Congolese government drove north to Rutshuru territory. Many went to Rumangabo for training and integration into the M23. Some had volunteered or surrendered, but most were forced or coerced. Other alleged armed group fighters, civilians, and Congolese civil servants were taken to Tshanzu, also in Rutshuru territory, for “re-education” and military training. The M2…