As part of a book project on the mechanisms of genocide ideology in eastern DR Congo's North Kivu Province, Harvard scholar Bojana Coulibaly and her research partner travelled to the region to investigate "the infamous" October 2023 attack on a village called Nturo situated roughly 80 kilometers north west of the provincial capital, Goma.
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In her brief report "300 Tutsi homes burned to the ground in Nturo by FDLR!" posted on X, on Wednesday, March 19, Coulibaly explained that after conducting interviews with the village's residents, "we found that Nturo had about 300 homes owned by Congolese Tutsi."
The homes were attacked by FDLR - a DR Congo-based terrorist militia founded in mid-2000 by remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda - on three consecutive days, starting on October 2, 2023. That was six months after M23 rebels withdrew from 80 percent of their previously controlled territory in the Rutshuru and Masisi areas, and one month before the withdrawal of the EAC forces.
6. Ntoro, un village martyr, évacué trois fois en 30 ans Le village de Ntoro, peuplé au départ de 800 familles, illustre tragiquement le sort des Tutsis congolais. Trois fois depuis 1994, ces éleveurs ont dû abandonner leurs terres. Presque toutes leurs vaches ont été... pic.twitter.com/qAHEoSR6g2-- Alain Destexhe (@Destexhe) March 19, 2025
At the height of the conflict between the Congolese army and M23 rebels, the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), a multinational force with troops from Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda, was deployed to eastern DR Congo - in November 2022 - to help restore peace and stability.
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The regional force was first deployed in territories of Masisi, Nyiragongo and Rutshuru, in North Kivu Province, where it tried to collaborate with the Congolese army to support a then ongoing political process entailing the protection of civilians and enforce peace agreements.
"300 Tutsi homes burned to the ground in Nturo by FDLR!" A report by Bojana Coulibaly As part of a book project on the Mechanisms of Genocide Ideology in North Kivu, my research partner and I went to investigate the infamous attack on the village of Nturo which took place in... pic.twitter.com/dJTzfMhkAV-- Bojana Coulibaly, Ph.D. (@CoulibalyBojana) March 19, 2025
In late 2022, the M23 rebels had started withdrawing and handing over previously captured territories to EACRF, as part of an agreed withdrawal plan aimed at helping restore peace in eastern DR Congo.
But Kinshasa wanted the regional force to fight the M23, which was not part of the regional force's operational mandate, and this complicated matters.
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'FDLR attacked Nturo several times on the watch of the Burundian forces'
As such, just over a year after it was deployed to support peace efforts for the country's conflict-ridden east, the regional force was kicked out as Kinshasa banked on allies including Burundi, some SADC countries, the Rwandan genocidaires, and European mercenaries, to help fight the rebels. EAC troops began withdrawing from the country in early December 2023 and completed their exit from Goma, on December 21, 2023.
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Coulibaly explained: "During the main attack, the area was under control of the Burundian EAC contingent. We found out that after M23 withdrew in March 2023, the 300 Nturo families were systematically targeted by FDLR-Nyatura-Wazalendo. The residents were persecuted and had to pay monthly taxes for cattle and land ownership to FDLR. People were killed when they could not pay the taxes."
Nyatura, or Mai-Mai Nyatura - officially called the Collective of Movements for Change - are a group of Congolese Kinyarwanda-speaking militias that share FDLR's genocide ideology.
Formed in late 2022 when Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi called for the formation of "vigilance groups" to help his army fight M23, Wazalendo, on the other hand, are a Congolese militia group comprising elements allied with the official Congolese military (FARDC) such as FDLR, and different Nyatura groups.
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"The FDLR attacked Nturo several times after M23 withdrew, on the watch of the Burundian EAC forces. All the Nturo residents we interviewed agree that the Burundian EAC soldiers gave a green light to the FDLR-Nyatura-Wazalendo on the day of the main attack. This was confirmed in a video by one of the assailants. The complicity of the Burundian EAC forces with FDLR may be explained by their endorsement of anti-Tutsi genocide ideology."
On the first day of the attack, she explained, two Nturo residents got killed. On the second day, the Rwandan genocidal militia, Nyatura and their families, came and looted all the homes, loading trucks with the belongings of Nturo residents.
"Most residents had fled on October 2nd and 3rd. On October 4th, the assailants came with yellow canisters full of gasoline. They deliberately sprayed all the houses and set fire, which led to the total annihilation of the village of Nturo."
In a video footage shared after the attack, FDLR-Nyatura-Wazalendo acknowledged that they were wiping of the map a "Tutsi village".
During the attack, Coulibaly said, most Nturo residents fled to the Bwiza IDP camp where 17,000 IDPs had gathered from several parts of eastern DR Congo, after facing persecution by FDLR and their Nyatura allies for decades.
'Impact of genocide ideology'
Since November 2023, Nturo residents began to return to Nturo to rebuild their homes.
Those who returned home in November 2023 witnessed attacks carried out by a FARDC Sukhoi fighter jet, she said.
"Indeed, according to the residents, seven bombs were dropped on Nturo. When we visit Nturo today, we can see that all the houses have recently been rebuilt. What happened in Nturo is illustrative of the politics of divisionism used by the Government of Kinshasa in its conflict against M23, particularly through its collaboration with the genocidal force FDLR."
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It is also representative of the "impact of genocide ideology" in the country, she said.
While the Nturo village attack is slightly mentioned in the December 2023 UN Group of Experts report, the Harvard scholar observed, it is certainly inadequate as no statement was done by the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) and "no investigation was ever carried out."
In fact, she noted, around the time of EACRF's withdrawal in November 2023, the Burundian army joined the Congolese government coalition comprising FARDC, MONUSCO, FDLR, Wazalendo, and European mercenaries, to fight against M23.
"The total annihilation of Nturo is proof that there is ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Congolese Tutsi in eastern DRC. It shows the impact of genocide ideology in the region, as systematic attacks on Congolese Tutsi in Kitchanga and Bwiza by FDLR also took place."
This tragedy similarly highlights that Nturo residents were feeling safe under the presence of M23, she said. However, Coulibaly added, when M23 withdrew in March 2023, letting EAC take over, the security of Nturo residents drastically decreased. "This particular element seems to legitimize the existence of M23."
In view of these observations, she posed a question; could we conclude that M23 is the solution to insecurity in eastern DR Congo?
ALSO READ: M23 are no terrorists, the Congolese army is - say Bukavu residents
The latest fighting between the Congolese army coalition and M23 rebels started in 2021.
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M23 is now part of a larger rebel coalition, Alliance fleuve Congo (AFC), created in December 2023.
Led by Corneille Nangaa, the former chairman of the DR Congo national electoral commission (CENI), AFC is fighting for governance that supports basic human rights, secures all Congolese citizens, and addresses the root causes of conflict.
The rebellion has vowed to uproot tribalism, nepotism, corruption, and genocide ideology, among other vices, widespread in DR Congo.
In January, the rebels quickly advanced across North and South Kivu provinces, liberating swathes of territory.
Following heavy fighting triggered by constant violations by the Congolese army coalition, of an earlier set ceasefire, on January 27, the rebels captured Goma, and restored order there. As the security situation in South Kivu deteriorated amid reports of violence, looting, and abuses propagated by the Congolese army coalition, the rebels again reacted, first capturing the strategic airport of Kavumu, before moving south to capture the regional capital, Bukavu, on February 15.
ALSO READ: Rwanda civil society warns Western sanctions will 'exacerbate conflict'
On Monday, the rebels withdrew from earlier scheduled direct peace talks with the Congolese government, in the Angolan capital, Luanda, on March 18, citing interference by Western countries - especially from the EU, led by Belgium - and certain international institutions who they accused of "deliberately working to sabotage peace efforts" in DR Congo and make the long-awaited talks impossible.
COMMUNIQUÉ OFFICIEL DE L'ALLIANCE FLEUVE CONGO DU 17 MARS 2025 L'Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) exprime ses profonds regrets de constater que certaines institutions internationales s'emploient délibérément à saboter les efforts de paix en République Démocratique du Congo et à... pic.twitter.com/TpsAB8DPKW-- Lawrence KANYUKA (@LawrenceKanyuka) March 17, 2025
AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said: "The successive sanctions imposed on our members, including those adopted on the eve of the Luanda discussions, seriously compromise direct dialogue and prevent any progress."
