At least ten civilians died and an undetermined number were injured in drone attacks attributed to the Army of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a town in the east of the country under the control of the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23).

The bombings occurred this Friday near the Mushaki market, in the Masisi territory, in the province of North Kivu, according to the president of the civil society of Masisi, Voltaire Sadiki, who no longer resides in the area because he fled the fighting, but is in contact with the local community.

“The fragments of these bombs caused damage among civilians. Ten are reported to have died and there are injuries among the people who were in the market, located next to the bombed checkpoint,” explained Sadiki.

The president of the civil society attributed the attacks to the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), “who launched these drones against the rebels and, unfortunately, some civilians were hit, with a still provisional count.”

The figure confirmed by civil society is below the “more than 30 dead” cited this Saturday on the social network X by Corneille Nangaa, political coordinator of the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23), a coalition led by the M23, which has the support of neighboring Rwanda.

Nangaa demanded a “clear condemnation and an unambiguous identification of the person responsible,” in reference to the Congolese government, which he accused of acting with “absolute impunity” and “violating all peace agreements without being held accountable.”

This Friday, the spokesman for the M23, Lawrence Kanyuka, had initially put the victims of the attack at 20 civilians dead and more than 57 injured.

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