The M23 rebel movement on Sunday, August 17, accused coalition forces of the Congolese government of launching a deadly offensive against densely populated areas using heavy artillery and kamikaze drones. According to AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, the attacks targeted Nzimbira and Kanyola. “The coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime launched a deadly offensive against the densely populated areas of Nzimbira, Kanyola, and their surroundings early Sunday morning, August 17, 2025, using heavy artillery and kamikaze drones,” Kanyuka said in a statement posted on X. This is the second

The M23 rebel movement on Sunday, August 17, accused coalition forces of the Congolese government of launching a deadly offensive against densely populated areas using heavy artillery and kamikaze drones. According to AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, the attacks targeted Nzimbira and Kanyola. “The coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime launched a deadly offensive against the densely populated areas of Nzimbira, Kanyola, and their surroundings early Sunday morning, August 17, 2025, using heavy artillery and kamikaze drones,” Kanyuka said in a statement posted on X. This is the second time in a week that M23 has warned of preparations for full-scale war by government forces. On August 12, Kanyuka claimed the Congolese government was deploying additional troops, along with fighters from armed groups including the FDLR, to the eastern region. He said troops were positioned along the Kindu-Shabunda, Kinshasa-Bujumbura, Kisangani-Walikale, and Kalemie-Uvira axes. Kanyuka also alleged that two boats carrying more than 1,100 coalition fighters docked on Sunday, August 10. “The Kinshasa regime is deliberately heightening tensions and undermining the ongoing peace process,” he added. The accusations come amid rising tensions, despite a peace framework signed less than a month earlier. On July 19, 2025, the DRC government and the AFC/M23, with Qatar’s mediation, agreed to a declaration of principles intended to pave the way for a formal peace agreement. The framework required both parties to halt hostilities and provocations while remaining in their respective zones of control. However, fighting has persisted in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces between M23 and the Wazalendo coalition, which is backed by the Congolese government. Recently, Massad Boulos, senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump on Africa, condemned the violence in eastern Congo and urged all sides to respect their ceasefire commitments.

A little more informed. A little more connected.