The spokesperson for the AFC/M23 rebel group, Lawrence Kanyuka, has dismissed recent allegations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) regarding fighting in Bukavu, insisting that no clashes took place in the city and accusing the Congolese army of reckless behavior.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights knows full well that no fighting took place in Bukavu. Its allegations are unfounded,” Kanyuka stated. He further alleged that the reported deaths in the city were not the result of AFC/M23 combat operations but were instead caused by mishandling of weapons by soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). The FARDC children mishandled the weapons abandoned by their parents, causing the deaths of their peers before our entry,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kivu Today is reporting live from Bukavu, describing the city as calm and under control. Local residents told the outlet that FARDC, along with the FDLR militia and Wazalendo self-defense groups, had circulated weapons among civilians, leading to reckless shooting.
They shoot anyhow and yet they don’t even know how to use these guns,” one resident told Kivu Today. “It’s a menace and a chaotic situation FARDC has left.”
Despite these reports, the overall situation in Bukavu is stable, and daily life is resuming. Authorities and local leaders are urging caution but have reassured the public that security is being maintained.
Neither the Congolese government nor the OHCHR has responded to Kanyuka’s claims, but the UN has previously raised concerns about human rights violations and the growing humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC.
With Bukavu now under control, residents hope that peace will prevail in the region.
