Discovery of Mass Graves in Eastern Congo

Human Rights Watch confirmed today, Wednesday, that members of the March 23 Movement (M23) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo executed dozens of villagers and militia members between November and April and buried their bodies in mass graves, accusing Rwanda of supporting the group. In response, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolanda Makulu stated, "Rwanda will not be provoked by disinformation campaigns that distract from ongoing regional peace efforts." The Human Rights Watch report indicated that "the graves found appear to represent only a small fraction of the total burial sites." The organization called for the exhumation of the bodies and a thorough investigation into the killings. The Tutsi-led group launched a major offensive in eastern Congo last year, prompting local and regional forces to respond militarily, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians near the borders with Rwanda and Uganda.