Geneva: The United Nations has reported that M23 rebels, who are backed by Rwanda, forcibly took at least 130 sick and injured men from two hospitals in Goma, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, last week.
According to Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, the armed group raided CBCA Ndosho Hospital and Heal Africa Hospital on the night of February 28. They abducted 116 patients from the first facility and 15 from the second.
The men were reportedly suspected of being Congolese soldiers or members of the Wazalendo militia, a pro-government group. "It is extremely alarming that M23 fighters are storming hospitals, taking patients from their beds, and holding them in secret locations," Shamdasani stated, urging for their immediate release.
M23 spokespersons Willy Ngoma and Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The rebel group, which is predominantly Tutsi-led, seized control of Goma at the end of January and has since made significant territorial gains in eastern Congo, an area rich in minerals. Their offensive, which began in late December, is considered one of the most severe escalations in a conflict that has its roots in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and ongoing struggles over Congo’s resources.
The Congolese government, UN experts, and Western nations have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim Rwanda denies. Kigali insists that it is acting in self-defense against Hutu-led militias operating in Congo that pose a threat to Rwanda’s security.
Since the start of the year, violence in eastern Congo has claimed around 7,000 lives. Additionally, nearly half a million people have been left without shelter after 90 displacement camps were destroyed due to ongoing clashes, according to government figures.
Efforts to stop the rebel advance—including international sanctions, renewed investigations by the International Criminal Court, and peace negotiations led by African nations—have so far failed. M23 has now taken control of eastern Congo’s two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu.
