UN Warns of Deadly Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo

At least 36 people have died since Tuesday in a series of assaults across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces, the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) said Saturday. In a statement, the mission condemned what it called a "wave of deadly attacks targeting civilians" in the country's restive eastern regions, where numerous armed groups operate.

Eastern DRC has been mired in conflict for more than three decades. Since late 2021, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement, supported by the Rwandan army, has seized vast territories in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. A peace deal brokered by Washington was ratified by the DRC and Rwanda in December, but fighting has persisted.

Massacres and Airstrikes

In areas north of M23's zone of activity, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) — a group linked to the Islamic State — have been carrying out mass killings for years, according to AFP. MONUSCO reported that "dozens of civilians have been killed in recent days" in multiple towns across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, without providing further details on the circumstances or a precise death toll.

AFP reported Thursday that at least 36 people had been killed since Tuesday in several ADF attacks in Ituri and North Kivu. The MONUSCO statement also expressed "grave concern" over reports of "airstrikes and shelling on May 8, 2026, in the Kiluliro and Mushaki areas of North Kivu, which resulted in civilian casualties."

M23 officials accused the Congolese army on Friday of carrying out a drone strike in Mushaki that killed people. AFP was unable to independently verify those claims.