Members of the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo have accused the government forces of “genocide and targeted killings” against the Tutsi community in the east.
The insurgents claim that the government’s coalition forces had on Tuesday “attacked our positions in Bwiza and its surroundings, in total breach of the current ceasefire”.
The M23 said forces allied to the government had murdered innocent civilians, wrecked houses, rustled and slaughtered their cattle. It also noted that the constant attacks had displaced civilians and wounded many.
“These targeted killings of Tutsi, and those who have rejected the genocide ideology by the said DR Congo government’s coalition, while the international and national community remained tight-lipped, take us back to the time prior to the genocide of 1994 perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda,” it said.
The rebel group has said that it will not “stand by and watch” as civilian populations get killed, adding that it’s “ready to intervene and stop these horrific massacres”.
The statement comes after the rebel group agreed to withdraw from occupied territory following sustained pressure from the government and international community following resolutions agreed on by heads of states during a recent meeting in the Angolan capital, Luanda.
At least 50 armed groups in Congo attended the peace talks which concluded this week in Nairobi also announced that they had agreed to drop their weapons.