At least nine civilians have been killed and several others injured after a mortar shell struck a densely populated area of Rumbishi Market in Ziralo, Kalehe Territory, South Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The attack occurred on Friday at about 5:45 p.m., according to local residents, who said five people, including two women, were killed instantly, while others later died from their injuries.
Videos and photographs shared by residents showed civilians fleeing the area and injured people calling for help. The casualties were reportedly taken to Numbi Hospital for treatment.
Kalehe is among the territories in North and South Kivu provinces where the March 23 Movement/Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC) rebels have established control.
The M23/AFC and the Congolese army have given conflicting accounts of the incident, with each side blaming the other for the bombardment.
M23/AFC spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday that nine civilians had been killed, but accused the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and its allied forces of carrying out the attack using an 82mm mortar.
Kanyuka said the bombardment caused panic and mass displacement as civilians fled the area. He also alleged that FARDC and allied forces carried out another attack at about 8:20 p.m. on Friday in Luki village, Masisi Territory, North Kivu Province, killing a civilian identified as Nkurunziza Sebahizi and seriously injuring another resident whose identity was not immediately established.
Kanyuka described the alleged attacks on densely populated areas as serious violations of international humanitarian law that could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
M23/AFC President Bertrand Bisimwa also condemned the bombardment, accusing forces aligned with the Kinshasa government of killing women and children.
Bisimwa described the incident as a war crime and said attacks against civilians away from the front lines would not go unpunished.
The FARDC, however, gave a different account. Second Lieutenant Gbé Jérémie Meya, spokesperson for the FARDC Sukola 2 North-South Kivu operation, said M23/AFC rebels, whom he accused of being supported by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), attempted to advance into Bunje locality in the Ziralo group before firing several 82mm mortar rounds towards populated areas.
Meya said the shells struck densely populated areas, killing civilians, including a woman, and seriously injuring several others. He condemned the incident as a violation of international humanitarian law, saying the army had taken operational measures to protect civilians while warning that the FARDC reserved the right to retaliate.
The latest incident is not the first reported bombardment to cause civilian casualties in eastern DRC. On May 24, 2026, a drone strike hit Rumangabo in Rutshuru Territory, North Kivu Province, damaging a vocational training workshop for women and widows and an eco-guard’ camp at the headquarters of Virunga National Park.
On the same day, another drone strike hit Rubaya, a major coltan-mining town, targeting a guest house at Murambi Farm in Kanyenchuki locality, Mufunyi-Kibabi Groupment.
The latest violence has raised fresh concerns about prospects for peace in areas affected by the M23/AFC insurgency, despite ongoing peace efforts in Qatar.
The M23/AFC rebel movement resurfaced in 2022 under the leadership of Bertrand Bisimwa and Sultan Emmanuel Makenga and has remained engaged in fighting government forces in eastern DRC.
The Congolese government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23/AFC, allegations that Kigali and the rebel movement have consistently denied.
M23/AFC says its armed struggle is aimed at addressing what it describes as corruption, xenophobia and discrimination within the DRC leadership.
In early 2025, the group intensified its offensive in eastern Congo, capturing several strategic towns and heightening concerns about the conflict developing into a wider regional crisis-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
