AFC/M23 Accuses Kinshasa of Violating Ceasefire, Targeting Civilians

The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) has accused the Kinshasa government of escalating military operations despite a declared ceasefire. In a statement, the group reaffirmed its commitment to a political resolution and adherence to the unilateral ceasefire declared on February 4, 2025, and reaffirmed on February 22. However, it claims that Kinshasa and its coalition forces—including the FARDC, FDLR, Wazalendo militias, and the Burundi National Defence Force—are preparing for full-scale war.
“Evidence of this military build-up, including the deployment of reinforcements, supply of equipment, and unit reorganization, has been observed in Rusizi Plain, Walikale, Masisi, and Lubero,” the statement read.
AFC/M23 also accused the Congolese government of targeting civilians, stating that on February 25, villages in Minembwe, including Irundu and Nyarujoka, were bombed, leaving destruction and civilian casualties. “Drones and fighter jets have been deployed against defenseless communities,” the group alleged, further claiming that in Uvira town, the Banyamulenge community is facing intensified persecution, with arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and acts of violence.
Condemning these actions as “grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” AFC/M23 criticized what it called “the international community’s selective silence,” arguing that inaction emboldens perpetrators and worsens the humanitarian crisis.
The group urged regional leaders to take immediate action and hold Kinshasa accountable, warning that “the confrontational stance of the Congolese government threatens to escalate the conflict, undermining ongoing peace efforts at the EAC and SADC levels.”
“The responsibility for any further deterioration of the situation will rest squarely with the Congolese government and its coalition,” the statement concluded, also cautioning against “fraudulent solicitations and fake news spread by the Kinshasa regime.”