Heavy Fighting Erupts Between AFC/M23 and Wazalendo in Masisi

Heavy fighting broke out on Saturday between AFC/M23 rebels and a coalition of Wazalendo militia fighters backed by the Congolese army (FARDC) in several villages of Masisi Territory, North Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to local sources.

Residents reported intense clashes in Ndete village, located in the Muhanga area of Buabo Groupement. Additional confrontations were also recorded in Mashaki in Nyamaboko I Groupement and in Lukole, Banyungu Groupement, as the violence spread across parts of the Osso-Banyungu area.

Local sources cited witnesses who said heavy and light weapons fire could be heard from around 11 a.m., prompting civilians to flee their homes for nearby forests and other perceived safe zones. The fighting reportedly disrupted normal activities, with schools and markets closing in affected areas.

Sources familiar with the situation said Wazalendo fighters launched coordinated attacks aimed at retaking positions that AFC/M23 had seized earlier in the week. The extent of territorial control remains unclear, as neither side has provided an official update on the outcome of the clashes.

The latest violence follows heavy fighting on Friday in Kinyumba and on the outskirts of Nyabiondo, as well as in Buguri near Lushebere in Buabo Groupement. Local accounts suggested that positions believed to be held by AFC/M23 were set ablaze during those confrontations.

Separately, residents reported a military drone strike on Friday evening allegedly targeting an AFC/M23 vehicle along the Mushaki–Rubaya road. No official casualty figures have been released, and independent verification of the strike remains pending