Rwanda, M23 Accused of War Crimes in ‍Congo Deportations

⁤ Updated June 18, 2025

Nairobi — Human ⁢Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Rwandan government and the M23 armed group of committing war crimes by forcibly deporting more ‍than 1,500 people from occupied eastern Democratic Republic of Congo⁢ (DRC)⁤ into⁣ Rwanda. The deportations violate the 1949 Geneva Conventions,according to the organization.

HRW asserts that RwandaS military, logistical, and other support was critical⁣ in the M23’s capture of Goma ⁣and Bukavu⁢ from Congolese forces ⁢earlier this year. In Febuary,the M23 ordered hundreds of⁣ thousands of people to leave displacement camps around Goma and dismantled ⁢nearly all the camps. Then in May, ⁢the M23 rounded up⁢ displaced people ⁣and transferred them⁢ to Goma, where many were unlawfully deported ⁢to Rwanda with the⁣ assistance of the United ⁤Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), HRW said.

Clémentine de Montjoye,‍ senior Great Lakes⁢ researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated that the forcible transfer of civilians ⁤to Rwanda, whether Congolese citizens or Rwandan refugees, constitutes a war crime under the Geneva⁣ Conventions.⁣ She added ⁤that Rwanda’s control over the M23 in eastern Congo makes it ultimately responsible for the armed group’s ‍numerous abuses.

HRW claims that Rwanda’s effective control over parts of eastern Congo through its own ⁢armed forces and the M23 meets the international humanitarian law standards for a belligerent occupation. Article 49 of the Fourth‍ Geneva Convention prohibits forcible transfers within a country‍ and deportations from occupied territory to other countries, irrespective of motive, as war crimes.

From February to May, HRW interviewed 14 people who were forced to⁣ leave ‍displacement camps near Goma after the M23 ordered them dismantled, including⁢ eight who were forcibly transferred to Goma in May.

On ⁤May ⁤12, the M23 rounded up as many⁣ as‍ 2,000 people from Sake, west of goma, and forcibly transferred them to⁢ Goma, where many were then‍ deported to Rwanda. HRW reports this appeared to‍ be ⁣part of an M23‍ operation against suspected members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), ⁤a largely ⁣Rwandan Hutu armed group.

The Lake Kivu Christian Center (CCLK) transit center in Goma was allegedly used by M23 officials to deport people⁣ to ⁣Rwanda. Between May 17 and 19, convoys departed from the transit center to ⁤Rwanda. Eight people ⁣at the center told HRW that both ⁤Congolese citizens ‍and Rwandan refugees were deported against their will, fearing abuse in Rwanda. M23 forces were deployed around the facility to prevent escapes.

some deportees have criticized the manner in which they were forcibly transferred to Rwanda. HRW notes that Rwandan authorities ⁤have long ⁣targeted those who ‍have publicly criticized the government, including refugees and asylum seekers⁤ under UNHCR protection.

UNHCR told Human Rights Watch that 1,600 Rwandan refugees were brought to the CCLK transit center in Goma as an inevitable result of ‍cordon and search exercises conducted by the de facto authorities, that ⁣UNHCR’s⁢ screening was done under pressure, and that for this group, returning to Rwanda was the⁤ only available option.

De Montjoye said the Rwandan government and⁣ the M23 ⁢are committing war crimes by forcibly transferring and deporting people within occupied territory and to Rwanda. She called for concerted international pressure on Rwanda ‍to immediately end the deportations, ensure the security of everyone in occupied areas, and hold those responsible for abuses to account.

What’s next

The International criminal Court prosecutor has announced renewed investigative efforts in Congo, focusing on crimes in North ⁢Kivu since january 2022.The court can prosecute the war crime of ⁤deportation or‍ transfer of the population of the‍ occupied territory,and also the crime against humanity of deportation or ⁤forcible transfer of population.