Suspected FDLR Fighters Kill 77-Year-Old Man, Kidnap Two in Eastern Congo
Fighting intensified in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after AFC/M23 accused the Kinshasa government coalition of carrying out drone strikes on densely populated areas in Minembwe, while suspected FDLR rebels reportedly killed a 77-year-old civilian and abducted two others in Bambo.
In a statement released on Monday, AFC/M23 said attacks targeting the Minembwe highlands began on Sunday evening, May 17, 2026, and continued into the early hours of Monday, May 18. The group alleged that coalition forces used KT-6 unmanned aircraft and kamikaze drones to strike the populated areas of Gakenke, Mikenke and Rugezi.
According to the statement, the attacks deliberately targeted civilians living in the region.
AFC/M23 further claimed that at around 1:45 a.m. on Monday, fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group opposed to the Rwandan government and active in eastern Congo, infiltrated the town of Bambo, particularly the Kabanda area.
The group alleged that the attackers killed a 77-year-old resident identified as Nzirorera Nsekuye and abducted two other civilians, Munenge Samuel and Karuhije Innocent, from the Kabuye area.
