M23 rebels killed at least 131 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on November 29-30 according to preliminary findings, the UN mission in the country said.
Authorities in Kinshasa had said that some 300 people, almost all civilians, had died in M23 attacks in the village of Kishishe in the eastern North Kivu province. The group had denied being behind the massacre, blaming “stray bullets” for the deaths of just eight civilians.
Eight people were wounded by bullets and 60 others kidnapped. At least 22 women and five girls were raped, it said.
The UN findings centered on the neighboring villages of Kishishe and Bambo. Investigators could not go to the villages because of security concerns, but interviewed 52 victims and witnesses in the town of Rwindi 20 kilometers (12 miles) away.
The mineral-rich east of DR Congo has been restive for years, with numerous militias operating in the area
