The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) has accused the Congolese army and its allies of carrying out airstrikes on populated areas in Bibwe, Chytso, Hembe, and nearby locations in South Kivu Province, allegedly using a CH-4 drone and a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet. In a communiqué released Friday, September 19, 2025, the group claimed that government forces “perpetrated massacres and committed grave war crimes” by bombing civilian areas. According to the statement, the strikes included the use of a CH-4 drone and two rotations by a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet. "At 8:03 AM, a new attack carried out by a CH-

The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) has accused the Congolese army and its allies of carrying out airstrikes on populated areas in Bibwe, Chytso, Hembe, and nearby locations in South Kivu Province, allegedly using a CH-4 drone and a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet. In a communiqué released Friday, September 19, 2025, the group claimed that government forces “perpetrated massacres and committed grave war crimes” by bombing civilian areas. According to the statement, the strikes included the use of a CH-4 drone and two rotations by a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet. "At 8:03 AM, a new attack carried out by a CH-4 drone targeted Nyange and its surroundings, resulting in the deaths of several civilians," AFC/M23 said in the communiqué signed by spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka. The group further alleged that the government in Kinshasa has ignored regional and international mediation efforts, accusing it of undermining the Doha peace process and pursuing an exclusively military strategy. "The AFC/M23 takes the world as witness and condemns in the strongest terms the silence of the International Community, Humanitarian Organisations, and Human Rights Defenders who remain spectators to the slaughtering of our compatriots," the communiqué said. The rebels also stated that, “with these attacks, ethnic cleansing, and the spread of hate speech from Uvira, we are now in a state of legitimate self-defence and solemnly pledge to protect and defend our people relentlessly, eliminating any threat at its source.” The accusations come as peace talks continue in Doha, facilitated by Qatar. Recently, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and AFC/M23 signed a Prisoner Exchange Mechanism, described as a step toward easing tensions and restoring peace in eastern Congo.

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