KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwanda dismissed as baseless Friday the findings contained in a recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, which said the military was involved in M23 rebels' operations where 140 victims were massacred in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in July.

The massacres took place in at least 14 villages and farming areas near the Virunga National Park from July 10 - 30, according to the report that was released Wednesday.

The Foreign Ministry said the “sensational accusations have no basis in fact and lack evidence.”

“These salacious claims, which raise more questions than answers, are not the result of any credible investigation, rather they have been hastily released through leaks to the media in an attempt to entrench a predetermined narrative,” it said. “Only an independent investigation will shed light on these allegations.”

The government accused HRW of having a track record of making implausible claims against Rwanda.

“Rwanda remains focused on working towards a peaceful, secure and prosperous Great Lakes region, including through the Washington DC peace agreement and support of the Doha process,” it added.

HRW said credible reports show the number of people killed in Rutshuru territory in North Kivu province since July may exceed 300, among the worst atrocities by the M23 since its resurgence in late 2021.

Clementine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at HRW, said that “the M23 armed group, which has Rwandan government backing, attacked over a dozen villages and farming areas in July and committed dozens of summary executions of primarily Hutu civilians.”

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

Rwanda has also denied that its military had aided the killing of civilians in eastern Congo farms, as alleged by the UN rights office.