Authorities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have reported the discovery of mass graves in areas recently vacated by the M23 rebel group, as renewed fighting undermines a U.S.-brokered peace effort.
The governor of South Kivu, Jean-Jacques Purusi, said two mass graves containing at least 171 bodies were found in the Kiromoni and Kavimvira neighborhoods on the outskirts of Uvira.
According to Purusi, about 30 bodies were recovered in Kiromoni near the Burundian border, while 141 were discovered in Kavimvira. The claims could not be independently verified.
A spokesperson for the March 23 Movement did not immediately comment. The Executive Secretariat of the Local Network for the Protection of Civilians, a regional civil society group, said it had sought access to the sites but was blocked by the Congolese military.
The group’s vice president, Yves Ramadhani, alleged that the victims were killed by M23 fighters who suspected them of links to the national army or pro-government militias.
Both the Congolese military and M23 have previously faced accusations of extrajudicial killings and other abuses from human rights organizations.
M23 seized control of Uvira in December during a rapid offensive that local authorities say left more than 1,500 people dead and displaced around 300,000 others.
The group later announced a withdrawal from the city, describing it as a unilateral confidence-building step requested by the United States to advance peace talks.
The governments of Congo and Rwanda, along with United Nations experts, have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, an allegation Kigali denies. The rebel movement has expanded significantly in recent years, with U.N. estimates putting its strength at about 6,500 fighters.
Eastern Congo remains gripped by violence involving more than 100 armed groups competing for control of mineral-rich territory near the Rwandan border.
The conflict has fueled one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
