Congolese lawyer Moise Nyarugabo has criticized regional and international mediators for their silence over renewed large-scale attacks against civilians in South Kivu province, despite a ceasefire that was expected to take effect on February 18. ALSO READ: Kanyuka: Kinshasa's drone strikes continue in violation of ceasefire In a statement posted on X account on February 22, Nyarugabo referred to diplomatic efforts in Luanda that led to the announcement of a ceasefire which Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi agreed to. However, he said the government coalition that is fighting the AFC/M23 rebels had continued to bomb villages Minembwe. “After several trips by Mr. Tshisekedi to Luanda, Angolan President João Lourenço decreed a ceasefire that was to take effect on February 18 at midnight,” Nyarugabo noted. “Curiously, it was on February 18th, the supposed date of the ceasefire, that the Congolese coalition forces launched massive attacks and bombings on all the villages of Minembwe, creating fires in Karongi and Kalingi, and causing casualties in Ilundu and other villages,” Nyarugabo, who comes from the region, stated. “It seems that the 18th was more of a signal to begin a war of a different scale and widespread massacres.” After several trips by Mr. Tshisekedi to Luanda, Angolan President João Lourenço decreed a ceasefire that was to take effect on February 18 at midnight. Since January 29, 2026, several battalions of the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and the FDNB... pic.twitter.com/WCXjxBHTxp — Me Moise Nyarugabo (@MoiseNyarugabo) February 22, 2026 His remarks follow reports from AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, who detailed persistent drone strikes and heavy artillery attacks by coalition forces that include the Congolese army (FARDC), Burundian troops (FDNB), Rwandan genocidal militia FDLR, Wazalendo and foreign mercenaries. In a statement issued Sunday, Kanyuka said that from 4:30 a.m. until around 8pm, the government coalition carried out “attacks of unprecedented violence” against AFC/M23 positions and densely populated civilian areas including Gatoyi, Gasheke, Murema, Mberwa, Ruki, and Mutobo. “These assaults continue relentlessly, turning these localities into fields of ruins and spreading death, terror, and despair among our compatriots,” Kanyuka said. He added that at around 10:00 a.m., the same forces, reinforced by elements of Burundian forces and foreign mercenaries, launched an attack against civilians in Nyaruhinga, Minembwe, causing loss of human lives as hundreds of families were forces to flee. In this context of continued hostilities and reported civilian suffering, Nyarugabo directed a series of pointed questions to multiple mediators and international actors involved in the peace process, such as the African Union, Qatar, US and regional blocs.. “Why do you remain silent in the face of these horrors, of which you are well aware, the drones and Sukhoi fighter jets that are bombing people daily like nowhere else?” he asked. “And if the situation reversed, would you remain silent? Or would you wake up and start lecturing others on human rights and exerting pressure?” ALSO READ: Bisimwa condemns ‘indifference’ of mediators amid Kinshasa’s attacks Nyarugabo further questioned whether ceasefire obligations were being applied evenly. “Do ceasefires, pressure, and accountability only apply to one side of the conflict? Tshisekedi and his allies, with their drones and Sukhoi jets, can continue bombing while the others simply have to accept it?” ALSO READ: AFC/M23, DR Congo sign ceasefire monitoring mandate in Doha He also emphasized that the escalation followed weeks of military build-up in South Kivu. “Since January 29, several battalions of the FARDC and the FDNB, along with several FDLR, Wazalendo, and mercenaries have invaded Point Zero,” Nyarugabo wrote. “From there, they have not only launched hundreds of kamikaze drones daily at villages, indiscriminately dropping bombs and crash on homes, killing and wounding women, children, and the elderly,” he said, the attacks also targeted Rwitsankuku, Bicumbi, Mutunda, Rugezi, Gakenke, Rubemba, and other localities. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: Ceasefires 'will be in vain' if Kinshasa continues attacks Addressing President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Nyarugabo questioned Burundi’s continuous role in the crisis despite his recent assumption of the African Union chairmanship. “To the President of Burundi, Ndayishimiye, how do you feel in your dual capacity as Chairperson of the African Union and belligerent? When you are celebrated in Addis Ababa while three of your battalions are in Mulima, at Point Zero, and in Minembwe, shedding the blood of innocent Banyamulenge?” ALSO READ: Banyamulenge take Burundi govt to court over abuses in Minembwe Nyarugabo argued that the crisis cannot be resolved through selective engagement. “Injustice, partisan positions, and double standards cannot resolve a crisis. If we don't listen to both sides of the story, if we don't address the root causes, we can't resolve anything,” he said. “We are only postponing the inevitable consequences of a crisis that remains unresolved.”
