AFC/M23 Accuses FDLR of Killing Woman and Five Children in Rutshuru

Rutshuru, July 3, 2026 - The AFC/M23 coalition has accused the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) of killing a woman and her five children during an overnight attack in Rutshuru Territory, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, the attack occurred on the night of July 2 in the Kabizo/Butare area of Bwito Chiefdom. He said the armed group targeted the family of a local leader identified as Rugamba, killing his wife, Tuombe Maniragaba, and their five children: Sifiwe Rugamba, Dorika Rugamba, Emery Rugamba, Mariam Rugamba and Divine Rugamba. Kanyuka alleged that the FDLR continues to carry out attacks against Congolese civilians with the support of the Congolese government, adding that AFC/M23 would continue military operations against the group. The allegations come amid renewed scrutiny of the FDLR's activities following a report by United Nations experts released in late June 2026, which stated that the armed group remains active in several parts of North Kivu and continues to cooperate with elements of the Congolese army and Wazalendo militias. The reported cooperation has drawn attention because it is inconsistent with commitments made under the peace agreement signed in Washington in June 2025, under which the Democratic Republic of the Congo agreed to dismantle the FDLR within 90 days. The reported killings have not been independently verified, and Congolese authorities had not publicly commented on the incident at the time of publication.