Fighting reportedly intensified early Tuesday, March 17, in eastern DR Congo as government coalition forces launched artillery strikes in South Kivu. ALSO READ: Eastern DR Congo experienced record number of drone attacks in February - report In a statement issued on the day, the AFC/M23 rebel movement’s spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said bombardments were carried out by the Congolese forces along with the Burundian forces, Kinshasa-backed genocidal militia FDLR, foreign mercenaries and Wazalendo began around 6:40 a.m. The attacks, he said, were along the main road in the Ruzizi Plain, targeting Kabunambo, a densely populated locality in South Kivu. Mise à jour du mardi 17/03/2026 à 7h30: La guerre généralisée imposée par le régime de Kinshasa connaît un nouveau tournant le long de la route principale RN5, dans la plaine de la Ruzizi. Depuis 6h40, ses forces mènent d’intenses bombardements à l’artillerie lourde contre la... — Lawrence KANYUKA (@LawrenceKanyuka) March 17, 2026 He described the attacks as “intense heavy artillery bombardments” that had “sown death and devastation” while forcing large numbers of civilians to flee their homes. Kanyuka argued that the situation marked a new turn in what he called a generalised war imposed by Kinshasa, insisting that the scale and persistence of the strikes reflected a dangerous escalation. “In the face of this escalation of extreme gravity, silence is neither acceptable nor tolerable,” he said, urging that such crimes against civilians cannot and must not be minimised or ignored by the national and international community. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 vows to defend civilians against ‘Kinshasa’s terror’ The morning shelling followed reported overnight strikes between March 16 and 17, which the rebel spokesperson said targeted areas in Minembwe, also in South Kivu. Dans la nuit du 16 au 17 mars 2026, les forces coalisées du régime de Kinshasa, notamment les FDNB, FDLR, des mercenaires ainsi que les milices Wazalendo, ont mené une campagne de bombardements à l’aide de drones kamikazes, visant des zones densément peuplées de Mikenke, Bidegu... — Lawrence KANYUKA (@LawrenceKanyuka) March 17, 2026 He claimed that the use of kamikaze drones had resulted in continued bombardments through the night, with civilians bearing the brunt of the attacks. He further drew parallels with earlier incidents, referencing similar attacks reported in the city of Goma in North Kivu on March 11. ALSO READ: Kinshasa targeted Kabila, Nangaa in Goma drone strike, says AFC/M23 Kanyuka called on the Congolese population and the international community to “bear witness to a barbaric escalation,” adding that “The Congolese blood that this regime systematically sheds with brutality will neither be ignored, nor forgotten, nor stifled by complicit silence.”
