DRC: Tension rises between the army and AFC/M23 in North Kivu and South Kivu

The recently constructed building was heavily damaged by the explosion that occurred around 1 a.m. The roof was torn apart, and debris was scattered around the hotel, located in this city controlled by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), about 250 kilometers south of Bukavu, the provincial capital.

The Congolese army claims that two drones dropped explosives on Fizi-centre. This account has not been independently verified. Two civilians are reported to have been seriously injured in the attack, according to available information.

The presence of a drone had already been reported by locals the day before, around 8 p.m. Clashes involving 120mm mortar fire and drones have also been reported along the Minembwe axis, particularly in Nyaruhinga and Mukoko.

Fighting reported in several areas of South Kivu

The situation is also tense in the Kalehe territory. Fighting between the FARDC and AFC/M23 fighters was reported a few days earlier in the sectors of Katare, Tushunguti, Nyamugari, and Kivoka.

The AFC/M23, a political-military coalition supported by Rwanda according to Kinshasa and several international sources, controls vast territories in eastern DRC. Kigali regularly rejects Congolese accusations regarding its direct support for the movement.

The resumption of hostilities comes as the mechanism responsible for monitoring the ceasefire is no longer functioning properly. It is accompanied by an increase in verbal tensions between Congolese authorities and the AFC/M23 leadership.

Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the AFC/M23, stated this week that his movement intends to “stabilize control” of Minembwe. He clarified that this strategy should not only be viewed from this single locality but also from Goma, Bukavu, Fizi-Baraka, Uvira, Kalemie, and Lubumbashi.