On Thursday, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHR) released a press statement confirming that M23 rebels killed at least 131 civilians, among them 102 men, 17 women, and 12 children during acts of reprisals against the civilian population in the two villages.
Julien Paluku, the DRC Minister of Industry and former Governor of North-Kivu province allege that M23 rebels are targeting to control the rare mineral-rich areas so that they start exporting them to Rwanda. Paluku also predicts that it appears that the rebels are planning genocide on DRC soil.
Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, the Congolese army spokesperson in Ituri province, says that the rebels were killed during a heavy gunfire exchange with the government troops. Ngongo says that the rebels first attacked the affected villages on Saturday night and fired bullets, which prompted FARDC to respond swiftly.
Ndjike says that the suspects include some Rwanda nationals. He says that the rebels are temporarily being detained by the army while waiting to direct them either towards the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) process to parade them before the court. DDR is a program implemented by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO to handle all Armed Groups there.
The convicts are Kyanza Mabimbi and Pelekini Kambale, all residents of Beni territory. Major Kalambayi Mufungayi presided over the military tribunal, which tried the dou that was arrested from the Ruwenzori sector in Beni last year and charged with collaborating and providing information to the rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
On Thursday, Rachel Bernhard, the head of the ICRC's delegation in DR Congo released a short statement in a tweet confirming the release of the three soldiers through the facilitation of ICRC.
The statement indicates that the M23 movement intends to hand over all the FARDC soldiers captured on the frontline to the International Committee of the Red Cross for the appropriate care.
Civil society in Rutshuru through their coordinator, Jean Damascene Baziyaka claimed that their assessment has captured 14 death of civilians. Baziyaka says that some of the dead were killed by bullets.
On Wednesday, FARDC through the cabinet of the military administrator in Rutshuru territory said that it had recovered the areas of Bugusa, Tchengerero, Cheya, and Mbuzi hills from the rebels.
The Congolese Minister of National Defense and Veterans, Gilbert Kabanda, says that because of the failures they have observed in their offensives on the rebel positions, Major General Peter Cirimwami has replaced Mwehu.
Jean-Marc Baraka, the coordinator CECA in the region, says that affected schools are in the localities of Nobili, Kikingi, Ndama, Kombo, Bambausu, Luanoli, Matolu, Bundiguya, Gogo, Kikura, Musololo, Kasangali, Mpoku, Bovatha, Mulopya, Bugando, Gawa, Mbimba and Kamango.
According to, Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, spokesman for the army in this eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, fighting occurred during the operation by the government army against the rebels in the villages of Zunguluka, Kasoko, and Manzobe, south of Komanda in the chiefdom of Walese-Vonkutu.
Jonathan Kasereka Malamu, a resident of Eringeti in Beni territory, North Kivu Province appeared before the Beni Garrison military court on Monday following his arrest on March 3, 2022, from Mambangu district while trying to kidnap a 10-year-old boy by trickery.
Joël Muyisa, the president of the citizen structure in Kikula village, says that he saw 10 bodies lying in the Kikula trading centre and many others far away from where he was standing on Monday morning.
Lt. Jules Ngongo, a Congolese army spokesman in Ituri, says that government soldiers who were escorting a convoy of vehicles intervened and repelled the rebels before causing more damage. Ngongo did not divulge details into the attack.
The clashes occurred on Saturday at Katabey village on the Luna-Komanda section when rebels ambushed and opened fire at a convoy of over 20 vehicles belonging to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo -MONUSCO.
