Fresh accusations of government-led atrocities emerged in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday after an armed incursion by forces allied to the Kinshasa regime reportedly left three civilians dead in Bukombo, North Kivu.
Local sources confirmed the victims as Mbirinde Bishura, Nyiramutuzo Ruzindana, and Salama Ruzindana, all of whom, according to eyewitnesses, were unarmed and had no involvement in military operations. Residents described the killings as yet another example of indiscriminate targeting of ordinary citizens in an already war-weary region.
The M23/AFC movement, which has long accused Kinshasa of waging war not only against armed groups but also against local communities, swiftly condemned the incident. In a statement, the movement denounced what it called the “systematic brutality” of the Congolese army and its foreign allies operating in eastern Congo.
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“This is not warfare, this is a campaign of terror against civilians,” an M23 spokesperson said. “The people of Bukombo, like so many others in North Kivu, are paying with their lives for Kinshasa’s militarized approach and the silence of the international community.”
The killings have also fueled growing frustration over what local leaders describe as the “complicit silence” of human rights organizations. Despite repeated reports of atrocities in conflict areas, advocacy groups at both the national and international level have been criticized for failing to hold government forces accountable.
“The fact that respected human rights organizations remain silent while villagers are massacred is unacceptable,” said a community elder from Rutshuru. “Their silence emboldens the perpetrators and deepens the suffering of innocent people.”
Bukombo is only the latest flashpoint in a conflict that has seen countless civilians killed, displaced, or forced to flee across borders. Rights observers note that civilian casualties are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of violence that has accompanied Kinshasa’s repeated military offensives in the east.
M23 maintains that its presence in the region is rooted in the protection of these vulnerable populations. “Our movement exists to shield communities from the abuses of state-backed forces,” the group emphasized, rejecting claims that its operations endanger civilians.
The escalating violence in eastern DRC continues to have profound regional implications. North Kivu, a mineral-rich province, has long been a battleground for control between government troops, local defense groups, and movements such as M23.
Analysts warn that the repeated targeting of civilians risks further destabilizing the Great Lakes region. “When civilians are continually caught in the crossfire, resentment grows, and this perpetuates cycles of resistance and rebellion,” said one political analyst in Goma.
Civil society groups and community leaders are now demanding independent investigations into the Bukombo killings. They argue that accountability is the only way to break the cycle of violence and ensure that the victims, Bishura, Nyiramutuzo, and Salama, do not become yet another set of forgotten names in Congo’s long history of conflict.
“Justice must be done,” one activist insisted. “The world cannot remain indifferent to the blood of our people.”
