M23 rebels raped more than 60 women and girls during an attack in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in November, Amnesty International said on Friday.
The rights organization said it had collected testimonies from 35 victims and eyewitnesses and described the actions as “war crimes”.
He “could be a crime against humanity”, added in a statement.
The attacks usually take place in the settlement of Kishishe, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
M23 rebels vs state forces
Since the end of 2021, the M23 rebels have seized territory in North Kivu province and have approached Goma, causing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.
M23, a Tutsi-led group called the “March 23 Movement,” re-emerged from dormancy in November 2021, accusing the DRC of neglecting its promise to integrate fighters into the army.
Also read: M23 rebels advance in eastern DR Congo
It then won a string of victories over the country’s forces.
The DRC accuses its smaller neighbor Rwanda of supporting the group, a charge supported by independent UN experts as well as the United States and other western countries.
Rwanda denies the allegations.
171 civilians were executed
The United Nations last week said M23 rebels had killed at least 171 civilians and raped 27 women and girls in Kishishe and surrounding areas in November.
Amnesty said on Friday that at least 66 women and girls had been raped in attacks between 21 and 30 November.
Also read: M23 rebels kill 29 civilians in DR Congo since mid-June – HRW
“Survivors and witnesses told Amnesty International that after taking control of Kishishe, the M23 fighter group left their homes, quickly killing every adult they found and subjecting many women to rape, including gang rape,” the human rights group said.
In the three-page document, Amnesty included extracts from harrowing statements collected from rape survivors.
One said the attackers accused him of being from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a descendant of the Rwandan Hutu extremist group that carried out the 1994 genocide of Tutsi in Rwanda.
M23 has increasingly emphasized the FDLR and its danger to the Congolese Tutsi.
Also read: New clashes between army, M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo