Eight civilians killed in clash between Congolese army and allied militias in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sources speaking to AFP reported that eight civilians were killed in clashes between the Congolese army and an allied militia group in the troubled east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Rwanda-backed M23 militia has seized vast territories in eastern Congo since 2021, displacing thousands of people and triggering a humanitarian crisis.
The Congolese armed forces (FARDC), with support from militias known as Wazalendo, are fighting to reclaim the lost territories.
However, on Monday, clashes erupted between the Congolese army and the Wazalendo in a village near Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
‘We are shocked’
Civil society leader Thierry Gasisiro told AFP, “The villagers were unpleasantly surprised by clashes on December 23 between the Wazalendo and the FARDC stationed in this village.”
“Seven people were shot dead, four others were injured, and significant damage was caused,” the official said, adding that the reasons behind the conflict or whether it was a mistake remain unclear.
Gasisiro added, “We are shocked by what happened.”
A local official confirmed that four Congolese soldiers, one Wazalendo fighter, and eight civilians lost their lives in the clashes.
Military reshuffle
A military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, reported that seven civilians, including four women and one child, were killed. The source also noted that the bodies of two Wazalendo fighters were recovered.
Last week, President Felix Tshisekedi reshuffled the military leadership, including replacing the Chief of Staff.
In recent days, rebels have resumed their advance, now positioned just 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the town of Lubero and around 100 kilometers from Butembo, a key trading hub.
The mineral-rich eastern region has suffered for three decades from violence between local and foreign armed groups, a legacy of the regional wars of the 1990s.
