In a statement released by its spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, AFC/M23 said the attacks were carried out on Saturday, January 24, 2026, by a coalition of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), Wazalendo militias, and Burundian troops.
The group alleged that the operations involved the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), which it claims were used to target civilians, leading to multiple deaths among innocent residents of Minzenze.
Kanyuka said AFC/M23 was drawing the attention of the international community to what it described as continued violence against civilians and repeated violations of the ceasefire by authorities in Kinshasa.
'The Kinshasa regime continues relentlessly to pursue a policy of indiscriminate violence against civilian populations, destroying their property amid the culpable silence of the international community,' Kanyuka said in the statement.
The attacks came a day after government forces launched ground offensives on Friday, January 23, 2026, in the areas of Rugezi and Mukoko.
Fighting in several areas has intensified since its forces voluntarily withdrew from the city of Uvira. The rebel coalition had called for the deployment of neutral forces to the city, but FARDC and Wazalendo fighters have since taken control of Uvira, while Burundian troops have also been redeployed to eastern DRC.
IGIHE
