South Kivu: Clashes Between M23 and FARDC Leave Civilians Dead, Displace Thousands

Mwenga and Shabunda, South Kivu, DRC - Since Tuesday, November 25, 2025, violent clashes between AFC-M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), supported by Wazalendo fighters, have rocked the Kirungutwe and Kasika areas of Mwenga territory. At least ten civilians have been killed, while thousands of residents have been forcibly displaced.

Accusations of looting have been leveled against both the FARDC and Wazalendo forces along the Kirungutwe-Kasika-Mwenga-Kamituga axis, paralyzing school and economic activities. Meanwhile, the M23 continues its advance in Shabunda territory, having previously captured Maimingi (November 16), Kimbili, and Nyalubemba (November 20), signaling a worrying escalation in the conflict and worsening an already critical humanitarian crisis in the region.