Residents of eastern Congo city fear disease after discovery of mass graves

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Residents of Uvira in eastern Congo expressed concerns Friday that decomposing bodies might spread disease after authorities said 171 bodies were found in mass graves following the withdrawal of M23 rebels from the city.

The governor of South-Kivu province, Jean-Jacques Purusi, said Thursday the dead bodies were found in two mass graves on the outskirts of the major city and blamed the rebels for the deaths.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims. An M23 spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Purusi said the victims would be buried only after medical examiners complete the required procedures and that the site should not be disturbed in the meantime.

Flavien Kalenga Mutumishi, who lives near one of the graves, said Friday that he and several other residents discovered about a dozen decomposing bodies after the rebels’ withdrawal and alerted authorities.

He raised concerns about potential health risks, saying one of the mass graves is located inside a residential compound.

“We found bodies that had been poorly and partially buried in shallow pits,” Mutumishi told the AP by phone. “This poses a great danger to nearby communities.”

Another resident said they had alerted authorities about decomposing bodies in the same compound.

“That is why we felt compelled to call in health workers to carry out the work. Unfortunately, they were afraid because there was no covering over the grave,” said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.

Civil society groups and other residents said authorities had restricted access to the mass graves and banned people from taking photos.

Purusi said judicial authorities had opened an investigation and urged the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUSCO, and regional bodies to investigate as well.

A MONUSCO spokesperson, Ndeye Khady Lo, said the mission could not independently confirm the reports of mass graves, citing a lack of detailed and verifiable information about the location, number of victims and circumstances.

The governor and civil society leaders in Uvira alleged that M23 killed the individuals because they were suspected of belonging to the Congolese army or a pro-government militia.

Both the Congolese military and M23 have been accused by rights groups of extrajudicial killings and other abuses.

M23 took control of Uvira in December following a rapid offensive. More than 1,500 people were killed and about 300,000 displaced, according to regional authorities.

The rebel group later withdrew from the city, describing the move as a “unilateral trust-building measure” requested by the United States to facilitate a peace process.

Congo, the U.S. and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which has grown from hundreds of members in 2021 to around 6,500 fighters, according to the U.N.

More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the U.N. agency for refugees.

Despite the signing of a deal between the Congolese and Rwandan governments brokered by the U.S. and ongoing negotiations between rebels and Congo, fighting continues on several fronts in eastern Congo, claiming numerous civilian and military casualties.

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Kamale reported from Kinshasa, Congo. Janvier Barhahiga in Bukavu, Congo, contributed to this report.