Amnesty International has issued a report accusing M23 rebels in eastern Congo of committing abuses that could amount to war crimes. The rights group alleges that the Rwanda-backed rebels have engaged in the unlawful killing of miners while simultaneously trafficking critical minerals into neighboring Rwanda.
The findings, released on Monday, are based on interviews with 26 people, including miners and civilians, conducted between January 2025 and March 2026. The investigation focused heavily on a coltan mine near Rubaya in North Kivu and a gold mine in Lomera in South Kivu. According to the report, 16 interviewees stated that M23 rebels or security guards stationed at these sites subjected them to torture, arbitrary detention, forced labor, and mistreatment.
The organization documented the deaths of 18 artisanal miners during the specified period. Witness accounts and family reports indicated that 10 individuals were beaten to death, two were shot, and six miners who had been abducted were later discovered dead. Amnesty International further stated it found evidence that gold is being smuggled out of M23-controlled territories into Rwanda through illicit routes.
The M23 rebels and Rwandan authorities did not provide immediate comments regarding the accusations. While Rwanda has consistently denied involvement, the United Nations, the United States, and the Congolese government have previously accused the country of supporting the rebels in exchange for profit from Congo's mineral wealth.
The conflict in eastern Congo involves various armed groups and government forces, with the recent resurgence of M23 worsening a severe humanitarian crisis. The region is a vital source of minerals essential for global electronics, including smartphones. Last year, Congo produced over half of the world's tantalum, with the Rubaya mine alone accounting for approximately 15% of global production. Additionally, the country exported more than 28 tons of gold in that period. The Rubaya site has been the scene of previous disasters, including a landslide in January and a mine collapse in March, which each resulted in approximately 200 deaths. The Lomera gold mine also experienced a collapse last year that trapped numerous workers.
Sixteen of the interviewees, including miners and civilians, said the M23 rebels or security guards at the rebel-controlled mines had tortured or mistreated them, the report said.
Eastern Congo, the mineral-rich part of the Central African nation, has for decades been ripped apart by violence from government forces and different armed groups, including M23, whose recent resurgence has escalated the conflict, worsening an already acute humanitarian crisis.
