One month after the withdrawal of AFC-M23 rebels from the city of Uvira, mass graves containing nearly 170 bodies have been located, according to local sources.
These discoveries raise questions about the atrocities committed during the occupation of the city. According to local testimonies, at least four mass graves have been discovered: two near a military base formerly occupied by the M23, in the Kilomoni neighborhood (Kavimvira commune), containing several dozen bodies; one in the Kilibula neighborhood (Kalundu commune), with about twenty bodies; and a fourth in the village of Kabimba, 8 km south of Uvira, containing about fifty bodies.
The governor of South Kivu, Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, has so far only confirmed the existence of two mass graves. Human rights organizations denounce the situation as "alarming" and demand an independent investigation to establish responsibility and identify the victims.
