GENEVA: The M23 armed group has summarily executed children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations said on Tuesday. The UN rights office warned the situation in eastern DRC was "deteriorating sharply, resulting in serious human rights violations and abuses". "Our office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week," rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. "We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons," she said. She urged "Rwanda and M23 to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are respected".
M23 fighters and Rwandan soldiers have seized Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North and South Kivu provinces respectively. In South Kivu, more than 150,000 people have been forced to flee, UN refugee agency UNHCR said. UN experts say Rwanda effectively controls M23 and has at least 4,000 troops fighting alongside it. The DRC government accuses Rwanda of "expansionist ambitions" and says it is stealing vast amounts of minerals. — AFP
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