DRC: Human Rights Watch denounces forced recruitment and abuses in M23-controlled camps

Human Rights Watch published a report on June 10, 2026, detailing serious abuses in M23-controlled camps at Rumangabo and Tshanzu in eastern DRC. The organization interviewed 102 former detainees and gathered testimonies, as well as video and satellite evidence. The report states that the M23 has been carrying out forced recruitment since 2024, targeting civilians, Congolese soldiers, militia members, police, and children as young as 12. Detention conditions involve violence.