The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday that Rwandan-backed M23 rebels committed summary executions of children in Bukavu when they entered the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city.

“Our Office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week,” the Chief spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, Ravina Shamdasani, said in a statement in Geneva.

"The situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is deteriorating sharply, resulting in serious human rights violations and abuses, such as summary executions, including of children, and conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence. There have also been attacks on hospitals and humanitarian warehouses, as well as threats against the judiciary", the statement said.

“The Rwanda-backed M23 advance to South Kivu has plunged the region into a complex security and humanitarian crisis, provoking population displacement.

Our Office has confirmed cases of summary execution of children by M23 after they entered the city of Bukavu last week. We are also aware that children were in possession of weapons. We call on Rwanda and M23 to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are respected. We are also documenting cases of ill treatment, conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, child and forced recruitment, intimidation and death threats.

Additionally, we have received information about arbitrary arrests and detentions, degrading treatment and alleged forced returns of Congolese young men fleeing violence in neighbouring countries”, Mrs. Shamdasani said in the statement.

The statement also said that, "UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk calls on Rwanda and M23 to protect all individuals in territories under their control.

He expresses his horror at the events unfolding in South and North Kivu, and the impact this is having on civilians. The violence must stop immediately. All parties must respect international humanitarian law, in particular regarding the protection of civilians and human rights law, and resume dialogue within the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi processes.

The risks of this spilling over into an even deeper and wider conflict are frighteningly real and will have even more devastating consequences for civilians."