Rwanda's army and an armed group shelled displaced people camps in Congo, rights group says

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Rwanda's army and a militia it backs shelled camps for displaced people in eastern Congo, Human Rights Watch said. It also accused Congo of abuses against civilians.

A report by the group released Thursday said that since the beginning of the year, Rwanda's army and the M23 rebel armed group, which it supports, have “indiscriminately” shelled camps in eastern Congo where tens of thousands of people are sheltering. Congo's army, meanwhile, has put displaced people at increased risk by deploying artillery near the camps, the report said.

Both sides have killed camp residents, committed rapes and obstructed aid, it said.

Eastern Congo has struggled with armed violence as more than 120 armed groups fight for power, land and valuable mineral resources while others try to defend their communities. Some armed groups have been accused of mass killings, rapes and other human rights violations. The violence has displaced some 6 million people in the east.

The March 23 Movement, or M23, is a rebel military group mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis that broke away from the Congolese army just over a decade ago. They staged a large offensive in 2012 and took over the provincial capital of Goma near the border with Rwanda, the same city they are threatening again.

Congo alleges that Rwandan forces have been involved in aggression and war crimes in the east and U.S. and U.N. experts accuse it of giving military backing to M23. Rwanda denies the claim, but in February admitted that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border.

In July, U.N. experts estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwanda government forces are deployed in eastern Congo alongside the M23 armed group, which has been making major advances.

On Thursday, a regional court in East Africa opened proceedings in a case filed by Congo against Rwanda, accusing it of violating Congo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by sending troops to help rebels in the country’s east.

Earlier this week, Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi called for sanctions on neighboring Rwanda for its alleged support of the M23 in his speech at the U.N. General Assembly.

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McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal