The security landscape in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu, continues to deteriorate significantly. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, June 24, I documented at least ten individuals abducted, two fatalities, and widespread looting of property.
These alarming incidents, affecting no fewer than six distinct localities, involved a range of criminal acts: kidnappings, brazen highway robberies, armed home invasions, and direct confrontations between rival armed factions. Humanitarian agencies are urgently appealing for an immediate restoration of peace and security across this volatile stretch of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Wednesday morning, between 9 and 10 o’clock, a wave of abductions saw at least seven individuals seized along the Kibirizi-Rwindi axis near Butindiri, and also on the Kibirizi-Kibingu route. Among those targeted were three motorcycle taxi operators and their passengers. The perpetrators also made off with a substantial haul of at least 18 packages of fish, which had been in transit from Vitshumbi. The identities of these assailants remain undisclosed.
The preceding day, Tuesday, witnessed three additional kidnappings. Two victims were forcibly taken during an armed incursion into a residence within the Buzito neighborhood of Kiwanja. A third person was apprehended in the Majengo district, located in Kibirizi.
Also on Tuesday, a commercial goods truck, owned by local traders, came under attack on the Kanyabayonga-Rwindi thoroughfare. Armed individuals opened fire, forcing the driver to bring the vehicle to a halt before seizing its entire cargo. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in this particular incident.
Tragically, on that very same day, a 22-year-old woman and her child perished in Kiseguro village. Local accounts indicate they were fatally struck by stray bullets during fierce clashes between rebels of the AFC-M23 and combatants from the FDLR.
Separately, the Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of Congo confirmed the tragic deaths of two of its dedicated volunteers. They were killed on June 16 in Walungu territory, located in South Kivu. The victims were undertaking a crucial mission to oversee potable water supply projects in Kakumba village when they were ambushed.
Edgard Mateso, the national president of the Red Cross in the DRC, issued a strong condemnation of this attack, labeling it a severe breach of international humanitarian principles. He underscored that this devastating event starkly highlights the persistent dangers faced by humanitarian aid workers operating across the eastern regions of the country.
