00:00Human rights group Amnesty International have accused the M23 rebels in eastern Congo of killing,
00:07torturing and forcibly disappearing civilian detainees in two rebel-controlled cities.
00:14According to a statement released on Tuesday, Amnesty said this act violate international
00:20humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes. The rights group said it interviewed 18 civilians
00:27between February and April who M23 had detained in Goma and Bukavu after they were accused of
00:34supporting the Congolese army or government. All of the former detainees interviewed by Amnesty said
00:40they were either tortured or witnessed M23 fighters torture others in detention, describing severe
00:48beatings with wooden rods, electric cables or engine belts. Supported by about 4,000 troops from
00:55neighboring Rwanda, according to UN experts, the M23 rebel group is one of about 100 armed groups
01:03that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda.
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