00:00Amnesty International is accusing Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
00:07of serious abuses against miners, including killings, torture and forced labour.
00:13Allegations, it says, could amount to war crimes.
00:16The rights group says M23 controls dozens of artisanal mines in North and South Kivu,
00:22where workers extract gold and kaltan, minerals essential to the global electronics industry.
00:29Amnesty says it interviewed 26 people and documented the alleged killing of 18 miners
00:34at the Rubaya Kaltan Mine and Numera Gold Mine.
00:39It also says gold and kaltan from M23 controlled areas are being smuggled into neighbouring Rwanda.
00:46M23 and Rwandan authorities did not respond to Amnesty's requests for comment,
00:51while Rwanda has previously denied accusations that it profits from Congo's minerals
00:57or supports the rebels.
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