Kabila government, Angola and Zimbabwe also in the killing, but charges the opposing side is operating "extermination centers".
Roberto Garreton, the UN's rapporteur on human rights in the DR Congo, has accused rebel forces in the DR Congo of massacring civilians and enforcing a reign of terror that is far worse than abuses committed by the Government of the DR Congo. AP has reported that Mr. Garreton has accused both the government and the rebels of violent abuses, but charged the rebels with "unusual cruelty".
Garreton said, "The main victims of the war are civilians, including children and even nursing babies". He accused government forces and their Angolan and Zimbabwean allies of killing hundreds of civilians in indiscriminate shelling of rebel strongholds. He also criticized the government for detaining suspected rebel sympathizers without trial, and for recruiting children soldiers.
But, Garreton said that the most serious situation is in eastern DR Congo. His report said, "Fear and distrust prevail in the zone occupied by the rebels. The only recognizable authority is that of the members of the Rwandan and Ugandan armed forces and the Congolese who serve them out of fear". He commented about rebel prisons, saying, "Some are genuine torture centers and many are extermination centers. The persons held in the centers are regularly tortured and the women are sexually abused".
Garreton will present an updated report to the UN Human Rights Commission during its current session.