Amnesty International accuses M23 rebels of war crimes and mineral trafficking in eastern DRC

Documented killings and forced underground labour

Artisanal miners in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo face severe abuses by the March 23 Movement (M23), according to a report published on 21 September 2026 by Amnesty International. The document, titled "Democratic Republic of Congo: 'We didn't come to play'. M23 abuses at artisanal mines and the trafficking of gold and coltan to Rwanda", details summary executions, torture, arbitrary detention, and forced labour across mining concessions in North Kivu and South Kivu. Amnesty International documented the killings of 18 artisanal miners across two primary sites, the Rubaya coltan operations in North Kivu and the Lomera gold site in South Kivu. Ten of the victims were beaten to death, two were killed by gunfire, and six were found dead after being abducted. In several mining pits near Rubaya and Lomera, M23 combatants forced labourers to dig continuously underground for more than a week without interruption.

Detention cells and systemic abuse in mining camps

The organization based its findings on 26 interviews alongside the analysis of photographs and video footage. Sixteen miners and local residents reported that they suffered torture and ill-treatment from M23 fighters and collaborating security guards. The armed group used three shipping containers near Rubaya as makeshift detention cells, where prisoners were beaten for requesting work breaks, refusing to hand over minerals, committing minor infractions, or attempting to contact authorities in Kinshasa. Researchers also documented underground detention cells inside the Rubaya mines, where more than 20 workers were held and beaten three times each day. In one case, a miner reported that his brother was fatally struck in the chest with a pickaxe, after which the reporting worker was jailed for two weeks without pay while the victim was buried on site. Other miners faced threats of being sent to M23 military training camps unless they paid money to secure their release.

Smuggling routes across Lake Kivu to Rwanda

Amnesty International reported that gold and coltan extracted under these conditions are transported illicitly into Rwanda with the knowledge of Rwandan authorities. Researchers found that boats carried sacks containing gold-bearing earth across Lake Kivu, traveling from Lomera to the town of Kamembe in western Rwanda along an established smuggling route. The human rights organization stated that the documented abuses against miners could constitute war crimes under international law. It added that the systematic extraction of resources and cross-border mineral trafficking could constitute the war crime of pillage. Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, criticized the cross-border exploitation:

The investigation shows how Rwandan-backed M23 uses violence and fear against those working in mines while mineral resources are transferred across the border.

Calls for trade halts and supply chain scrutiny

Neither the AFC-M23 leadership nor Rwandan government authorities responded to requests for comment submitted by Amnesty International. The human rights organization urged the international community to end its silence regarding M23 actions and Rwanda's role in the illicit mineral trade. Agnès Callamard called for direct regional intervention to address the abuses and prevent further violations:

The African Union and its member states must take much bolder action.

Amnesty International called on all countries and commercial companies to halt purchases of gold and coltan from Rwanda until the Rwandan government demonstrates that no smuggled Congolese minerals enter its markets. The group also asked the United States and the European Union to refrain from signing mining agreements involving M23-controlled sites unless independent international monitoring is established.