M23 shoot Down FARDC combat drone in Masisi
Reports from Masisi Territory in North Kivu Province indicate that on Tuesday afternoon, November 11, the M23 rebel group shot down a CH-4 combat drone belonging to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).
For several weeks, FARDC has been using Chinese-made CH-4 drones to conduct airstrikes against M23 positions and densely populated civilian areas in eastern DR Congo.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23, stated that during the previous night, government forces had launched drone attacks targeting the Luki area in Masisi Territory.
Later in the afternoon, Kanyuka announced via his X (formerly Twitter) account that government troops were continuing their drone-led offensives in Masisi. He added that “AFC/M23 is currently defending civilians who are being targeted by Kinshasa’s forces.”
According to local reports, the rebel group successfully shot down one of the FARDC’s drones. This comes just days after M23’s president and deputy coordinator of the AFC coalition, Bertrand Bisimwa, told journalists that the movement was now capable of neutralizing such aircraft, noting that they had previously downed two similar drones.
