Fragile Humanitarian Truce Bombardment in DRC Kills Four

In Summary

• A bombardment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) killed two children and two teenagers, despite a humanitarian truce between Kinshasa and the M23 rebel group.
• Fighting resumed near Goma, reaching the town of Bweremana, where the deadly shelling occurred.
• The M23 group, supported by the Rwandan army, has been involved in extensive violence and war crimes, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in North Kivu.

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo - Two children and two teenagers have been killed in a bombardment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local sources reported to AFP news agency. This tragic incident occurred despite a humanitarian truce announced by the United States on July 5 between the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group operating in eastern DRC.

The ceasefire, intended to last until July 19, was shattered on Friday when renewed fighting broke out. According to a spokesman for one of the armed groups backing DRC forces, the clashes erupted 70km (43 miles) northwest of the North Kivu provincial capital, Goma.

By Monday, the conflict had reached the town of Bweremana, about 15km (9.3 miles) west of Goma, where the deadly bombardment struck. Innocent Mwitehofu Mumbara, a local civil society leader, confirmed that the victims included two children from the same family, aged two and three, and two teenagers, aged 16 and 18.

Bweremana Police Commissioner Paulin Ilunga stated that a mother and her four-year-old child were among the wounded, attributing the shell to the M23 group. A hospital source corroborated the deaths of the four individuals and reported that five others were admitted with serious injuries.

The DRC has been plagued by political instability and armed conflict since 1996, resulting in an estimated six million deaths. The M23 rebel group, bolstered by Rwandan army units, has seized significant territory in North Kivu since late 2021, nearly encircling Goma at one point.

A Human Rights Watch report detailed that M23 has committed numerous atrocities, including unlawful killings, rape, and other war crimes. Between November 2022 and April 2023, the group allegedly executed scores of villagers and militia members, burying them in mass graves in Kishishe, North Kivu. The UN Human Rights Office reported that 171 civilians were executed in the last 10 days of November alone.

At the end of June, following the collapse of the Congolese army and its auxiliary militias, M23 and the Rwandan army captured several towns in Lubero territory, north of North Kivu. Subsequently, nearly 50 soldiers were sentenced to death for "fleeing the enemy."

The resurgence of violence amidst the fragile truce underscores the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the severe impact on the civilian population in the DRC. The international community continues to call for sustained efforts to end the conflict and protect the lives of vulnerable populations in the region.