Clashes broke out in more than a dozen villages pitting AFC/M23 rebels against pro-government militia, says UN report

KIGALI, Rwanda

At least 50 civilians were killed during clashes in January between pro-government forces and armed rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province, according to a report released Wednesday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The clashes broke out between Jan. 12 and Jan. 16 in more than a dozen villages in the Rutshuru territory, specifically impacting the Bukombo, Kihondo, Mutanda, Bambo and Tongo groups, OCHA said in its situation report.

Several people were injured and many driven out of their homes to seek safer places in Masisi territory, it said, adding that the fighting pitted AFC/M23 rebels against a pro-government militia called Wazalendo.

In another incident, 11 people were killed and around 40 wounded following an army airstrike against rebel positions earlier in January in Masisi center, the report showed.

The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) , a rebel alliance in eastern Congo which includes M23 rebels, has been at the center of the conflict in eastern Congo.

The rebel group, allegedly supported by neighboring Rwanda, according to the UN and Western nations, controls significant territory in eastern Congo, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu seized in early 2025.

Last week, the Congo president’s office said it had accepted an Angola-proposed ceasefire between the government and the AFC/M23 effective Feb. 18, but it was not clear from both sides Wednesday whether it was being respected. ​​​​​​By ​James Tasamba, Anadolu Agency