Overview:
Tensions remain high on the frontlines after ceasefire declarations agreed upon by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), allied coalition forces, and the March 23 Movement/Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC) rebels failed to hold.
Tensions remain high on the frontlines after ceasefire declarations agreed upon by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), allied coalition forces, and the March 23 Movement/Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC) rebels failed to hold.
Last week, DR Congo President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo issued a statement directing the national army to observe a ceasefire recommended by Angola. The truce was scheduled to take effect on February 18, 2026, at midday, marking the beginning of the preparatory phase of the proposed inter-Congolese dialogue set to take place in Luanda, Angola.
President Tshisekedi’s statement followed a high-level meeting held in Angola on February 9, 2026. The meeting was chaired by Angolan President João Lourenço and attended by Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
However, fighting has persisted since Wednesday, when the ceasefire was meant to begin. Clashes have been reported in Minembwe, South Kivu Province, where FARDC and Wazalendo fighters claim to have recaptured Bilalo-bili, Bidegu, Kalonge, and Kalingi in the Fizi Highlands from M23/AFC and their allies. They also report the capture of several rebel fighters.
On Friday morning, M23/AFC spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka released a statement accusing FARDC and allied coalition forces of violating the ceasefire. He alleged that FARDC, Wazalendo militias, and fighters linked to the Burundi National Defence Force (FNDB), along with foreign mercenaries, had carried out sustained attacks in Minembwe, Mikenge, Karingi, and across the Hauts Plateaux of South Kivu.
Kanyuka condemned what he described as extreme brutality against civilians, particularly women, children, and the elderly. He argued that the continued violence had shattered hopes for a peaceful resolution to the crisis and amounted to serious violations of International Humanitarian Law. He further warned that the deteriorating humanitarian situation risked destabilising the wider Great Lakes sub-region.
In the statement, Kanyuka also criticised what he called the silence and inaction of the international community, humanitarian agencies, and human rights organisations. He said such indifference carried moral and political consequences and accused the Kinshasa government of undermining commitments made under the Doha and Washington agreements.
Later on Friday afternoon, FARDC responded with its own statement delivered by acting spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mak Hazukay Mongba. The army accused M23/AFC rebels and their coalition partners of launching attacks on FARDC positions in both North and South Kivu, also in violation of the ceasefire proposed by Angola.
Mongba said that between Wednesday and Friday, M23/AFC and allied forces attacked FARDC positions in Ihula locality in Walikale Territory, as well as on several hills in Rutshuru Territory, North Kivu. In South Kivu, he reported clashes in Mikenge and Kalonge in the High Plateaus of Fizi and Uvira.
He further alleged that rebel forces burned four houses in Kahungwe, Kanga, and Lugeje, and killed an 18-year-old civilian, identified as Siston Azini Matabishi, at his home.
According to Mongba, the repeated attacks demonstrate the rebels’ intention to undermine the ongoing peace process. He reaffirmed FARDC’s commitment to observing the ceasefire and supporting efforts by the Angolan mediator to restore peace in eastern DR Congo and the Great Lakes region.
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