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Human Rights Watch said on Monday that the Rwandan forces and M23 armed group that captured the city of Uvira in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on December 10 have put civilians at grave risk of abuse.
The warning followed the fall of Uvira, in South Kivu province, to a joint offensive that displaced about 200,000 people and resulted in at least 74 civilian deaths, according to UN and media reports cited by the rights group. The report detailed summary executions, use of explosives in populated areas, and a collapsing humanitarian situation in the strategic port city.
Both sides in the conflict, the M23, backed by Rwandan forces, and the DRC military allied with Burundian troops and local “Wazalendo” militias, have been accused of humanitarian violations. The capture of Uvira represents a major territorial advance for the M23/Rwandan forces, coming just days after the signing of the US-brokered Washington Accords intended to de-escalate the conflict.
Human Rights Watch documented specific atrocities committed during and after the capture. Clémentine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at the organization, stated:
The report stands as a crucial record of atrocities and provides evidence for future accountability mechanisms but cannot itself stop the fighting or alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians, which constitutes the most urgent crisis.
International diplomatic efforts, including the Washington Accords, have so far failed to curb the violence or protect civilians. Subsequent developments, such as the potential for new UN sanctions, the response of regional actors, and whether the M23 offensive continues beyond Uvira, remain to be seen.
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The warning followed the fall of Uvira, in South Kivu province, to a joint offensive that displaced about 200,000 people and resulted in at least 74 civilian deaths, according to UN and media reports cited by the rights group. The report detailed summary executions, use of explosives in populated areas, and a collapsing humanitarian situation in the strategic port city.
Both sides in the conflict, the M23, backed by Rwandan forces, and the DRC military allied with Burundian troops and local “Wazalendo” militias, have been accused of humanitarian violations. The capture of Uvira represents a major territorial advance for the M23/Rwandan forces, coming just days after the signing of the US-brokered Washington Accords intended to de-escalate the conflict.
Human Rights Watch documented specific atrocities committed during and after the capture. Clémentine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at the organization, stated:
Consequently, the report claimed all belligerents were liable for violations of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions. The group called for the UN Security Council and the international community to enforce accountability, citing the US delegation’s accusation that Rwanda is “intimately involved” in planning the conflict with thousands of troops in Congo.
The report stands as a crucial record of atrocities and provides evidence for future accountability mechanisms but cannot itself stop the fighting or alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians, which constitutes the most urgent crisis.
International diplomatic efforts, including the Washington Accords, have so far failed to curb the violence or protect civilians. Subsequent developments, such as the potential for new UN sanctions, the response of regional actors, and whether the M23 offensive continues beyond Uvira, remain to be seen.
The post Rights group decries Rwanda military, militia abuse of DRC civilians after port city captured appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.