Rwanda has rejected what it calls the UN human rights office's (OHCHR) "false accusations" that its army recently assisted M23 rebels in killing 319 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“OHCHR alleges, without any evidence, corroboration, or reported motives, that the Rwanda Defence Force ‘aided’ in the killing of ‘319 civilians’ in farms in eastern DRC,” a Foreign Ministry statement said on Monday.

The ministry said the "gratuitous inclusion" of the Rwandan army in the allegations is "unacceptable" and calls into question the credibility of the UN human rights office and its methodology for investigating the situation.

It added that in a context where the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) "has long failed to protect civilians" amid insecurity, the OHCHR's allegations risk undermining efforts to peacefully end the conflict in eastern DRC.

Declaration of principles

The UN human rights office stated, citing firsthand accounts, that the M23 killed at least 319 civilians in a series of attacks on four villages in North Kivu province in July.

The Congolese government and M23 rebels signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in the Qatari capital of Doha, following a June 27 peace deal between DRC and Rwanda brokered in Washington, DC.

The declaration, signed by representatives of the Congolese government and a coalition of rebel groups that included the M23, committed both parties to a permanent ceasefire.

The UN, Kinshasa, and others accuse neighbouring Rwanda of supporting the M23, which Kigali denies.

The rebel group, which is at the heart of the conflict in eastern DRC, controls significant territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which it seized earlier this year.