DR Congo army accuses M23 rebels of deadly attacks amid peace talks in Switzerland

The Congolese military accused AFC/M23 rebels and the Rwandan army Sunday of attacking its positions in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as talks were held in Switzerland.

The latest round of talks between Congo and the AFC/M23 rebel group mediated by Qatar concluded last Friday in Switzerland after they were relocated from Doha due to the Middle East war.

At the conclusion of the talks, Congo and the rebel group agreed to release prisoners within 10 days as well as ensure unimpeded movement of vital humanitarian aid, according to a statement.

But on Sunday, the army said AFC/M23 rebels and its coalition launched deadly drone attacks Saturday evening on its positions in South Kivu’s Mikenge and Kakenge localities as well as on areas inhabited by civilians at Point Zero.

“The provisional toll indicates that four civilians were killed and eight others injured, mostly women and children,” the army said in a statement.

There was no immediate reaction from Rwanda. But the M23 and Kinshasa regularly trade accusations of violating the latest ceasefire proposed by Angola in February this year.

In a post on the US social media company X’s platform Sunday, Lawrence Kanyuka, an M23 spokesperson, claimed Kinshasa had shelled Mitimingi and its surroundings in the Masisi territory using a CH-4 drone, “causing significant material damage and exposing the civilian population to unacceptable dangers.”

The M23 rebels have been at the center of the conflict in eastern Congo. The group, allegedly supported by neighboring Rwanda, controls significant territory in eastern Congo, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which were seized early in 2025.