Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations suspended support for Democratic Republic of Congo army units that may be involved in massacres in the country’s east, Kevin Kennedy, a spokesman for the UN in the Congo, said yesterday.

The move preempted a report released later in the day by Human Rights Watch alleging that the Congolese army “deliberately killed at least 505 civilians” from March through September in UN-supported counterinsurgency operations against a Rwandan rebel group known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR.

The UN mission and the Congolese army agreed to jointly investigate units accused of abuse, Kennedy said.

“As of today, support for any units who are being investigated for violations is suspended,” he said by telephone from Goma, the capital of North Kivu.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy, who is on a mission to Congo and Rwanda, said two days ago that at least 62 civilians were killed by the 213th Congolese army brigade in the North Kivu region in eastern Congo between May and September. He also announced the suspension of UN support for the units in a radio interview yesterday.

Lambert Mende, Congolese minister of communication, wasn’t immediately reachable for comment after Human Rights Watch released its report.

Joint Commission

Earlier yesterday, Mende confirmed that his government had agreed to a commission comprised of officials of the Congolese army and UN investigators to look into reports of abuse. He still questioned the UN’s decision to withdraw support immediately.

“We were surprised that Mr. Le Roy announced they were stopping support for a unit that’s in the middle of fighting,” Mende said by phone from Kinshasa, referring to the 213th brigade.

“It’s a problem to impose sanctions before the conclusion of the investigations and to reduce the support for those who are in the middle of fighting against these armed groups,” he said.

The deaths in North Kivu detailed by Le Roy took place in the same area where many of the killings in the Human Rights Watch report took place.

“According to our information, these civilians were clearly targeted in attacks by certain elements of the Congolese army,” Le Roy said in remarks broadcast yesterday by UN Radio Okapi. The UN has “decided to immediately suspend logistical and operational support to the Congolese army units implicated in these killings.”

UN-Backed Operations

Other army units are under investigation, Kennedy said, though he didn’t know the exact number. Support for those units is also suspended, he said.

Congolese military operations began in January against the mostly Hutu FDLR. The Rwandan government has accused several FDLR leaders of participating in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and the group has been a source of instability in eastern Congo for more than a decade.

Le Roy visited Rwanda yesterday to discuss the operations. He will continue his mission in Congo throughout the week, Kennedy said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Kavanagh in Johannesburg at mkavanagh9@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 2, 2009 17:52 EST