Congolese authorities and a civil society group said Thursday that mass graves were found in part of eastern Congo that the M23 rebel group has recently withdrawn from, as fighting in the region escalates despite a US-mediated peace deal. The governor of South-Kivu province, Jean-Jacques Purusi, said authorities found two mass graves with at least 171 dead bodies in the Kiromoni and Kavimvira neighborhoods on the outskirts of the eastern city of Uvira, reports UNB. Information gathered so far indicates that the victims were killed by M23 rebels, said Yves Ramadhani, the group’s vice president. More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23. Despite the signing of a deal between the Congolese and Rwandan governments brokered by the US and ongoing negotiations between rebels and Congo, fighting continues on several fronts in eastern Congo, claiming numerous civilian and military casualties.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 27, 2026 07:15 UTC