The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) has announced that it shot down a military drone allegedly belonging to Rwanda in Minembwe, South Kivu Province, escalating tensions in the eastern part of the country.
According to FARDC, the drone was brought down on Tuesday at Point Zéro after allegedly violating Congolese airspace. The army described the incident as a hostile act and a fresh attempt to destabilize the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a statement issued through acting military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Max Hazukay Monga, FARDC said the army remains fully mobilized and vigilant in defending the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against what it described as foreign aggression. Rwanda had not officially responded to the accusations by Wednesday.
FARDC also accused the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels and their coalition forces of carrying out bomb attacks on several areas in the Hauts Plateaux of Minembwe in Fizi Territory, including Kalonge 2 and Point Zéro.
According to Monga, preliminary reports indicate that several people, most of them civilians, were either killed or injured in the attacks.
He added that debris recovered from the affected areas showed that the bombings targeted both FARDC positions and civilian populations.
Monga condemned what he called repeated violations of commitments made under the Washington agreements and the Doha peace process, stressing that FARDC remains committed to protecting civilians and defending the country’s territorial integrity.
He also called on international monitoring and verification mechanisms, as well as partners involved in the peace processes, to ensure that the alleged violations are documented and addressed.
The M23 rebels had not responded to the latest accusations by Wednesday. However, on Tuesday night, M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka accused FARDC and its allies of launching what he described as violent attacks against civilians in Masisi Territory.
Kanyuka claimed the attacks targeted densely populated areas, including Mitimingi, Katoyi, and surrounding villages, using combat drones and heavy artillery early Tuesday morning.
Both FARDC and M23 have repeatedly traded accusations over bombings and ceasefire violations in eastern Congo. The M23/AFC rebel group, which resurfaced in 2022 under the leadership of Bertrand Bisimwa and Sultan Emmanuel Makenga, continues to battle government forces in the eastern region of the country.
The Congolese government has consistently accused Rwanda of backing the rebels, allegations that have repeatedly been denied by both Kigali and M23/AFC leaders. M23/AFC says its armed struggle is aimed at addressing corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the DRC leadership. Earlier in 2025, the group intensified its operations in eastern Congo, capturing several strategic towns and raising fears of a wider regional conflict. URN