The AFC/M23 rebels on Thursday, January 8, buried and paid tribute to “innocent civilians cowardly massacred” during a series of drone attacks in North Kivu Province’s Masisi Territory, earlier this month. A ceremony to pay homage to the victims was held at Stade de l’Unité, the main stadium in Goma, the provincial capital, before their burial in Mubambiro, in Masisi Territory. ALSO READ: Masisi drone strike blamed on MONUSCO as death toll rises to 10 The first drone strike occurred on January 2 in Masisi Centre, the administrative capital of Masisi Territory, killing six people and injuring 41 others. Goma, le 8 janvier 2026 Aujourd’hui, nous rendons hommage aux civils innocents lâchement massacrés à la suite des bombardements aveugles perpétrés par les forces coalisées du régime sanguinaire de Kinshasa. Nous nous inclinons avec recueillement devant la mémoire des victimes et... https://t.co/WRbBnx6Pqd pic.twitter.com/TuhdiZBvCy — Lawrence KANYUKA (@LawrenceKanyuka) January 8, 2026 The rebel group accused Kinshasa’s military coalition—comprising large contingents of Congolese army forces (FARDC), Burundian troops, Congolese militias known as Wazalendo, the Kishasa-backed genocidal FDLR militia, and foreign mercenaries from Latin America and Europe—of carrying out the attacks. ALSO READ: AFC/M23’s Bertrand Bisimwa explains why rebels were forced to capture Uvira in lightning advance In total, 22 civilians were killed while 50 were injured in various parts of Masisi Territory in various drone attacks, in the past few days. ALSO READ: Minister slams MONUSCO over ‘mild’ condemnation of deadly Masisi drone attack In a post on X, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said: “We bow in solemn reverence before the memory of the victims and express our deepest compassion to the families cruelly bereaved. “These heinous crimes will neither be forgotten nor trivialized. The AFC/M23 firmly reaffirms its unwavering commitment to protecting civilian populations and defending their fundamental right to life, security, and dignity.”
