DRC - Amnesty denounces that the "brutality" of the M23 and militias affiliated with the DRC "knows no bounds."

MADRID, 20 (EUROPA PRESS)

Amnesty International on Wednesday denounced the "brutality" with which both the March 23 Movement (M23) – backed by Rwanda – and the Wazalendo militias – affiliated with Kinshasa – operate in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including summary executions, torture, rape, enforced disappearances, among other human rights abuses.

"The brutality of the warring parties knows no bounds; these atrocities are aimed at punishing, intimidating, and humiliating the civilian population, as each side attempts to assert control," said Tigere Chagutah, the NGO's director for East and Southern Africa.

The NGO has concluded that both sides are "violating international humanitarian law" with acts that, it also warns, "could constitute war crimes," which it details in the report "They Said We Were Going to Die: Abuses Committed by M23 and Wazalendo in Eastern DRC."

The document compiles these violations thanks to the more than 53 victims and witnesses interviewed by Amnesty International. These include "survivors of gang rape, victims of abuse, relatives of victims of unlawful killings, detention, or enforced disappearance, members of civil society, human rights defenders," as well as legal professionals, doctors, humanitarian workers, and journalists. The organization also drew on audiovisual evidence and reports from local and international media and human rights organizations, as well as official statements from the M23, but not from the Congolese army, which did not respond to a request for information from the NGO.

The organization has denounced that "women are not safe anywhere" in this part of the African country, after hearing the testimony of 14 survivors of sexual violence, eight of them at the hands of the M23, five by Wazalendo fighters, and one victim of a member of the Congolese army. "They are raped in their homes, in the fields, or in the camps where they seek refuge. The world must say enough is enough. All parties to the conflict must prioritize the protection of the civilian population, including women and girls, who continue to be the most affected by this conflict," Tigere added.

Amnesty also accused the M23 of carrying out summary executions, attacking hospitals, kidnapping patients, torturing and forcibly disappearing civilians, while highlighting the "increasing militarization" in eastern DRC as the Congolese army supplies "large quantities of ammunition and weapons" to the Wazalendo militia.

In this regard, he called on DRC President Félix Tshisekedi to "fulfill his commitment to justice and accountability and ensure that Wazalendo combatants who committed crimes are brought to justice, and that the rest are demobilized and reintegrated into civilian life." "It's time," he argued.

He also urged Rwanda to "ensure that all (its) defense forces in the DRC respect international humanitarian law," reminding Kinshasa and Kigali that they "can no longer evade their responsibility" in the conflict.

Furthermore, it has asked the Qatari authorities to "pressure" the M23 to abandon "kidnappings and forced disappearances" and the United States to do the same so that the Congolese government "establishes a vetting mechanism to identify and remove members of armed groups and security forces agents who may have participated in the commission of serious human rights abuses or violations."