Rwanda's army and its rebel group ally have killed dozens and abducted thousands, Congo says

GOMA – Congolese authorities person accused Rwanda's service and the M23 rebel radical it backs of murdering dozens, kidnapping thousands much and committing rape, torture and looting successful the war-torn country's east.

The alleged crimes were committed betwixt May 10 and 13 against civilians accused by the rebels of belonging to the Congolese service and its allied militias, Congo's interior ministry said successful a connection Wednesday.

“The toll includes 107 murders, much than 4,000 men and boys abducted and forcibly loaded onto trucks to an chartless destination, hundreds of cases of summary executions, rape, torture, looting, restrictions connected state of movement, arsenic good arsenic incursions into wellness facilities,” the connection read.

The Associated Press has not been capable to independently verify the reports. Spokespersons for Rwanda’s subject and the M23 rebels did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

The decades-long conflict successful eastbound Congo escalated successful January, erstwhile the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized the strategical metropolis of Goma, followed by the takeover of the metropolis of Bukavu successful February. The warring has killed immoderate 3,000 radical and raised fears of a wider determination war.

Congo’s accusation comes days aft M23 presented hundreds of captured men astatine a stadium successful Goma. The radical said the captives were Congolese service oregon members of its allied militias whom Congo equipped to foment struggle successful bid to blasted it connected M23.

M23 rebels are supported by astir 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and astatine times person vowed to march arsenic acold arsenic Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, astir 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the west.

The warring successful Congo is linked to Rwanda's decadeslong taste conflict. M23 says it is defending taste Tutsis successful Congo. Rwanda has claimed the Tutsis are being persecuted by Hutus and erstwhile militias liable for the 1994 genocide of 800,000 Tutsis and others successful Rwanda.

Many Hutus fled to Congo aft the genocide and founded the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia group. Rwanda says the militia radical is “fully integrated” into the Congolese military, which denies it.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Jean-Yves Kamale contributed from Kinshasa, Congo.

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