Masisi: Recurring Clashes Between AFC-M23 and Wazalendo Heighten Insecurity

Masisi, North Kivu, DRC - Intense fighting erupted on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, between AFC-M23 rebels and Wazalendo fighters affiliated with Jean-Marie Bonane’s Alliance of Congolese Nationalists for the Defence of Human Rights (ANCDH) in the Bashali Mokoto group, Masisi territory. Villages affected include Kinyana, Bibwe, and Nyabiondo.

The clashes, occurring between 5 and 8 a.m., involved heavy and light weapons, prompting civilians to flee to Bulende, Kasopo, and Lukweti, and severely disrupting local socio-economic activities.

Despite repeated calls for a ceasefire, violence has persisted for over a month in western Masisi and southwestern Rutshuru. The previous day, a Wazalendo attack in Nyabiondo left one child dead and four wounded, highlighting the ongoing fragility of security in the region.