The security situation in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu, continues to deteriorate significantly, marked by a surge in violent incidents. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, June 24, at least ten individuals were abducted, two lives were tragically lost, and numerous properties were plundered, painting a grim picture of the region’s instability.
These troubling events, documented across at least six localities, encompass a range of criminal activities including kidnappings, armed robberies on major roads, violent home invasions, and direct clashes between various armed factions. Humanitarian organizations operating in the area are urgently appealing for a rapid restoration of order and safety in this volatile part of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Wednesday morning, specifically between 9 and 10 o’clock, a minimum of seven people were seized along the Kibirizi-Rwindi and Kibirizi-Kibingu routes, near Butindiri. Among the victims were three motorcycle taxi drivers and their passengers. The perpetrators also made off with at least 18 packages of fish, which had been transported from Vitshumbi. The identities of those responsible for these latest abductions remain unknown.
The previous day saw three other individuals kidnapped. Two of these incidents occurred during an armed incursion into a residence in the Buzito district of Kiwanja, while the third person was captured in the Majengo district, located in Kibirizi.
Also on Tuesday, a commercial truck carrying goods for local traders was ambushed on the Kanyabayonga-Rwindi axis. Armed assailants reportedly opened fire to force the driver to stop the vehicle before confiscating its entire cargo. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in this particular attack.
On the same day, a 22-year-old woman and her child tragically died in Kiseguro village. Local accounts indicate they were fatally struck by stray bullets during intense confrontations between AFC-M23 rebels and FDLR combatants.
Adding to the region’s woes, the Red Cross of the DRC has announced the deaths of two of its dedicated volunteers. They were killed on June 16 in Walungu territory, South Kivu, while supervising vital clean water supply projects in Kakumba village when they came under attack.
Edgard Mateso, the national president of the Red Cross in the DRC, has vehemently condemned this assault, characterizing it as a severe breach of international humanitarian principles. He underscored that this tragic event vividly illustrates the constant dangers faced by humanitarian workers striving to provide aid and support across the eastern provinces of the country.
