On March 3, the spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office, Ms. Ravina Shamdasani, said that M23 rebels attacked CBCA Ndosho Hospital and Heal Africa Hospital on the night of February 28. They kidnapped a total of 131 people, including 116 patients at CBCA Ndosho and 15 people at Heal Africa.

The abductees are believed to be soldiers of the DR Congo government or members of a pro-government militia called Wazalendo.

“It is worrying that M23 is pulling patients from their hospital beds in well-coordinated raids and holding them in secret locations with no contact with the outside world,” Ms Shamdasani said, calling for the immediate release of those detained.

The Tutsi-led M23 rebel group entered the city of Goma in late January 2025 and has since continued to expand its control in eastern Congo. The group not only holds important areas but also has access to Congo’s rich mineral resources.

The current M23 offensive, which began in late December 2024, is considered one of the most serious escalations in the region’s decades-long conflict, which has its roots in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and a struggle for control of Congo’s abundant natural resources.

The Congolese government, the United Nations and Western powers have all accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 group. Rwanda denies this and says it is defending itself against Hutu militias, who are accused of planning to massacre Tutsis in Congo and threatening Rwanda's security.

According to the Congolese government, around 7,000 people have been killed in the east of the country since January 2025. More than 500,000 people have been left homeless after 90 refugee camps were destroyed by fighting.

International sanctions, new investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and African-led mediation efforts have failed to halt the advance of M23, which now controls two of the most important cities in eastern Congo, Goma and Bukavu.

Cao Phong (according to AJ, CNN, Reuters)