Sukhoi-25 Jets and Drones Strike Banyamulenge Areas in South Kivu

South Kivu Province, DR Congo - Congolese warplanes and combat drones have been deployed in a series of air strikes targeting areas inhabited by the Banyamulenge community in South Kivu Province, triggering civilian casualties and renewed condemnation from opposition figures.

Opposition politician Moïse Nyarugabo said the first drone strike occurred in the Rugezi area of Fizi territory at around 5:00 p.m. on December 15, 2025.

According to Nyarugabo, a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet later carried out attacks in the Rwitsankuku area, before continuing toward Gahwera and Mikenke, where it also opened fire.

“These attacks caused the deaths of many civilians and left others injured,” Nyarugabo said.

The strikes followed an earlier Sukhoi-25 attack in Rwitsankuku on the morning of December 14, indicating a sustained aerial campaign in the region. The aircraft and drones involved are believed to be Burundian.

Nyarugabo called for accountability, insisting that those responsible for ordering and executing the strikes must be held to account.

“Those who ordered these attacks, including the pilots and the airport authorities from which these aircraft operated, must be held responsible,” he said.

Escalating Air Campaign After Rusizi Valley Defeat

The intensification of air and drone attacks in Banyamulenge-inhabited areas comes amid shifting dynamics on the ground. Since last week, aerial operations in South Kivu have increased following the defeat of Burundian forces, the DRC army (FARDC), Wazalendo militias, and the FDLR by AFC/M23 fighters in the Rusizi Valley.

The latest strikes have heightened fears among civilians in Fizi territory and surrounding areas, as concerns grow over the use of heavy aerial firepower in populated zones and the rising toll on non-combatants.

As fighting continues to evolve in eastern DR Congo, calls for independent investigations and protection of civilians are mounting, amid warnings that the expanding use of warplanes and drones risks further destabilizing the region.