The Kishishe massacre (French: Massacre de Kishishe) occurred from November 29 to December 1, 2022, in the North Kivu village of Kishishe in the Rutshuru Territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The March 23 Movement, a predominantly Tutsi armed group, summarily killed at least 131 civilians in Kishishe following clashes with local militias, according to a preliminary United Nations investigation.^[1][2] At the same time, the Kinshasa authorities had previously reported approximately 300 fatalities.^[3][4] The attack also resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people who were forced to flee to other locations such as Kanyabayonga, Kibirizi, Kashala, Kirima, Nyanzale, Kashalira, Bambu, and Kitchanga. Some victims also sought refuge in neighboring countries due to the ongoing violence and instability in the region.^[5][6]

The massacre provoked a salvo of indignation around the world and caused widespread outrage from targeted communities, as well as Congolese politicians, including Juvénal Munubo Mubi, Moise Katumbi, Martin Fayulu, Felix Tshisekedi, Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, Julien Paluku Kahongya and Jean-Pierre Bemba.

Background

Over the course of more than a year, the M23 militias have escalated their attacks in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The M23, a primarily Tutsi rebellion that was defeated in 2013, resumed their armed struggle at the end of 2021, citing the Congolese government's failure to protect their interests, which include security, investments, and political power. The government had also reneged on its promise to integrate M23 fighters into the national army, further exacerbating the situation.^[7][8]

To protect their assets and interests, the M23 has committed summary executions and forcibly recruited civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The Tutsi community in North Kivu occupies a precarious position, situated between privilege and discrimination. While their leaders are some of the wealthiest landowners and entrepreneurs in the region, their privileges have placed them in a precarious position in Congolese society, where they alternate between benefiting from access to state power and being subjected to virulent discrimination, persecution, and participating in brutal rebellions.^[9]

The local population views the M23 as a Rwandan-backed rebellion that is engaged in massive looting of minerals and other natural resources in North Kivu under the guise of stopping crimes against the Tutsi Congolese.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Attack

The attack took place in Kishishe village, in the Bambo groupement (grouping), in the Bwito Chiefdom, approximately 34 kilometers from Rwindi. According to reports from various sources, including provincial officials, NGOs, the United Nations, and human rights activists, the M23 launched a series of incursions into several villages, with soldiers reportedly originating from Mabenga and Tongo.^[14]

Eyewitnesses reported that the rebels, dressed in new and distinct military uniforms, not resembling those of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), wore helmets and bulletproof vests and spoke Kinyarwanda.^[15] Their attack commenced in the Tongo groupement, where they executed more than 64 civilians in the villages of Muhindo, Rusekera, and Bugina.^[16] Subsequently, the insurgents moved into the Bambo groupement, where they carried out a second foray. The rebels targeted the Kishishe, Kirumba, and Kapopi villages, indiscriminately killing civilians and looting medical centers in the area.^[17] The provincial deputies estimated that the death toll exceeds 131 people, including almost all of the Kishishe village. Of those, around 60 civilians were killed in the Kishishe Adventist Church, including three children.^{[18][19][20][21]}

According to the Congolese government, the rebels reportedly forced civilians, including women and children, to engage in hard labor and perform menial tasks, branding them as "FDLR sympathizers." They stated this tactic was used as a means of control and intimidation, leaving the victims without any means of defense. The massacre that followed killed of approximately 300 people, among them 17 children, according to the provincial deputies.^[22][23] Further investigations conducted by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) reveal that the M23 was responsible for the killings in the Kishishe and Tongo regions.^[24][25]

Reaction

The massacre sparked widespread outrage and revulsion among the Congolese populace, as well as prominent opposition politicians. Following the condemnation of the massacre by local administration representatives and dignitaries, President of the DRC, Felix Tshisekedi, denounced the killings on 2 December 2022.^[26] In addition to the President's condemnation, Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwenge expressed his indignation at the massacre.^[27] The United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, called for an investigation into the incident, while the European Union (EU) ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo urged an immediate cessation of hostilities and respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL).^[28] Several world powers, including British Development Minister Andrew Mitchell, also expressed concern and outrage at the massacre, emphasizing the need for accountability and justice for the victims.^[29] In response, the NGODH, a consortium of human rights organizations in North Kivu, demanded that the United Nations and the Congolese government take immediate action to seize the International Criminal Court (ICC).^[30]

The government

Patrick Muyaya, the government spokesman, announced that the Congolese government is conducting a nationwide investigation into the massacre. Moreover, he confirmed that the government would ensure that an investigation is initiated at the international level.^[31] In response to the tragic incident, the Congolese government declared three days of national mourning, which ended on Monday, December 5, 2022. The official statement from the Council of Ministers, as read by its spokesperson, affirmed the government's commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent such atrocities from happening in the future.^[32]

Demands for sanctions

Denis Mukwege, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, denounced the massacre, the missing people, and the forced recruitment of children on his Twitter account.

He stated:

“These crimes must lead to prompt sanctions against the occupying forces M23\RDF and prosecution by national and international justice”.^[33]

Furthermore, Martin Fayulu, the president of the political party Engagement for Citizenship and Development (ECiDé), called for sanctions against Rwanda at the United Nations level in response to the ongoing violence.^[34][35]

MONUSCO

In response to the reports of human rights abuses allegedly attributed to the M23 in Kishishe village, MONUSCO expressed its horror and outrage. In a statement released on their official Twitter account, the UN mission unequivocally denounced the massacre on Thursday, December 1st.^[36]

The MONUSCO declared:

“Appalling acts and calls on the competent authorities to investigate without delay and bring the perpetrators to justice”.^[37]