Woman Raped and Killed by FARDC Soldier, Perpetrator Arrested

Lubero February 6, 2026 - North Kivu - A tragic and violent incident occurred in Tembe village, near Bamulumba in the Bapere sector, Lubero territory, where a woman was raped and killed on Thursday, February 4, by a soldier of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC). According to Samuel Kakule Kagheni, president of the Bapere sector civil society, the soldier raped the victim and then decapitated her with a machete while she was locked inside a hut. Shockingly, the act occurred in the presence of the victim’s children. The administrator of Lubero territory, Colonel Kiwewa Mitela Alain, confirmed the events and stated that the soldier has been arrested and is currently held at the military prosecutor's office in Mangurejipa, pending trial by the competent military courts. This incident is part of a series of abuses involving FARDC soldiers in the region since 2025. Previous cases include: September 8, 2025: A soldier shot and killed his own wife in Kanyatsi. September 10, 2025: Another FARDC soldier killed a civilian at point-blank range in the village of Lima, approximately six kilometers from Njiapanda, also in Lubero territory. Authorities and local civil society actors continue to call for accountability and justice to prevent further abuses and restore confidence in security forces.