Kalehe Fighting Resumes With Civilian Deaths After Brief Lull

Kalehe, August 14, 2026 - Fighting resumed in Kalehe territory in South Kivu after a short period of relative calm, causing civilian casualties and renewed displacement in an area central to the eastern security crisis.

FARDC Lieutenant Reagan Mbuyi said three civilians, including a woman and two children, were killed on August 8 in Bundje Ziralo by shelling attributed to RDF/AFC-M23 forces. Heavy artillery fire was later reported on August 11 from locations including Chambombo and Lumbishi as clashes intensified between the FARDC and AFC forces.

The escalation continued on August 12, when AFC launched an offensive around Katale and Mpanama. The FARDC said it maintained its positions and accused AFC of violating ceasefire arrangements, including in the Kabulungu Kabare area.

On August 14, bombardments in Chambombo and Lumbishi killed five civilians and wounded four FARDC soldiers. The army remained on high alert amid what it described as a precarious calm, while displacement and access constraints increased pressure on humanitarian responders.