Escalating violence and competing claims between warring factions in eastern DR Congo are deepening fears for civilian safety following the killing of 11 people in Kalehe Territory, South Kivu Province.
The March 23 Movement/Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC) rebels have accused the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and allied coalition forces, including Wazalendo militias, of being responsible for the killings.The civilians were reportedly killed between Monday night and Tuesday this week.
Local sources indicate that five people were killed by armed men in Cumuyaga village, while six others were killed in Bibatama village. In a statement released on Tuesday, M23/AFC spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said the attack in Cumuyaga also left one person seriously injured, while another sustained injuries in Bibatama.
Kanyuka accused the Congolese army and Wazalendo fighters of carrying out the attacks, alleging that livestock belonging to residents was also looted. He described the incidents as part of a pattern of violence targeting civilians. “On the night of March 23 to 24, 2026, the combined forces of the Kinshasa regime, notably the Wazalendo, deliberately attacked civilian populations in Kalehe Territory.
In the village of Cumuyaga, five people were coldly killed and another seriously injured, while residents’ livestock was systematically looted. In the village of Bibatama, six civilians were killed, and one person was seriously injured. These barbaric attacks once again illustrate a logic of terror and predation exercised against the population.
The AFC/M23 reaffirms its firm commitment to defend and protect civilian populations and their property,” Kanyuka said.FARDC and Wazalendo had not issued any official response to the accusations by the time of publishing this story.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where clashes between FARDC and its allies against M23/AFC rebels and the Twirwaneho coalition have intensified.
Several ceasefire agreements brokered by regional and international actors have failed to hold, with both sides accusing each other of repeated violations. FARDC and its partners have recently increased the use of drone strikes targeting M23/AFC positions.
Since its resurgence in 2022 under the leadership of Bertrand Bisimwa and General Sultan Makenga, the M23/AFC movement has remained at the center of the conflict, frequently clashing with government forces.
The Congolese government continues to accuse Rwanda of backing the rebels, allegations that have been consistently denied by both Kigali and the M23/AFC. Meanwhile, M23/AFC maintains that its mission is to address issues of corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the country’s leadership. URN