'They shot my neighbour in the head' - the lakeside city traumatised by war

Summary executions and rape were among the atrocities committed by the M23 rebel radical and Rwandan soldiers during their weeks-long concern of the lakeside metropolis of Uvira successful eastbound Democratic Republic of Congo, an probe by a starring rights radical has found.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says its investigators recovered grounds of the execution of 53 civilians - 46 men, 1 pistillate and six children - during door-to-door raids successful the city's neighbourhoods aft the rebels, wide believed to beryllium backed by Rwanda, captured it successful December.

Rwanda has consistently denied that it supports that M23 oregon that its ain soldiers person been deployed to resource-rich eastbound DR Congo.

But HRW says galore of the interviewees alleged witnessing atrocities committed by uniformed Rwandan soldiers arsenic good arsenic M23 fighters.

"They [M23 fighters] changeable my neighbour archetypal successful the head," said 1 of the 130 residents interviewed by HRW.

Another said helium saw 4 members of his household killed.

"I wasn't deed truthful I conscionable ran to the lake. I saw my brother, his wife, and 2 of his children fall," helium was quoted arsenic saying.

The M23 and Rwandan authorities person not yet responded to a BBC petition for comment.

Warning: This nonfiction contains descriptions of intersexual violence

The M23 captured Uvira - which lies connected the shores of Lake Tanganyika - days aft US President Donald Trump brokered a bid woody betwixt DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame successful a bid to extremity the devastating struggle successful the resource-rich region.

UN experts person accused Rwanda of having "de facto control" of the M23's operations. They said M23 recruits were trained nether Rwandan supervision and supported by high-tech Rwandan weaponry.

The M23 withdrew from Uvira - the gateway to Burundi, a cardinal subject state of DR Congo - successful January pursuing aggravated diplomatic pressure.

The HRW study is the archetypal elaborate survey of what happened successful the metropolis erstwhile it was nether M23 control. Tens of thousands of radical fled their homes erstwhile the radical seized power of it.

HRW says it documented 8 cases of rape allegedly committed by the rebels and Rwandan soldiers during the occupation.

"They took my apparel disconnected completely, tied my arms down my backmost with my clothes, and raped me," a pistillate is quoted arsenic saying successful the report.

She added that erstwhile her hubby attempted to intervene, helium was changeable dead.

HRW says it wrote successful April to some the Rwandan authorities and M23 leaders for a effect to the allegations successful its report, but, it adds, neither replied.

A rape subsister was quoted successful the study arsenic saying that men successful uniforms she identified to beryllium from the Rwandan subject told her: "If you don't bash what I archer you, I volition termination you."

Another pistillate said: "The Rwandan antheral said they should termination me, but the Congolese said: 'No, rape her'."

HRW says it believes the atrocities - which allegedly included abductions, enforced disappearances and forced recruitment - magnitude to warfare crimes.

Its investigators besides visited what is says were 3 wide graves successful Uvira, including 1 astatine a tract antecedently controlled by UN peacekeepers.

The study says that children were besides targeted and changeable by rebels aft being accused of being pro-government fighters.

One 12-year-old lad survived contempt being changeable by M23 fighters who past "stabbed him successful the limb with a bayonet to cheque if helium was dead", HRW says.

The HRW study is the latest to item the standard of unit against civilians successful eastbound DR Congo.

The persistent unit successful eastbound DR Congo has led astir 2 cardinal radical successful South Kivu unsocial to tally distant from their homes to question safety.

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