Civilian-populated areas in eastern DR Congo were reported to be under bombardments by a government coalition fighting the AFC/M23 rebels on Monday, April 13. This comes as delegations from the Congolese government and the rebel movement are due to meet on Tuesday in Geneva for a new round of peace talks. ALSO READ: AFC/M23-DR Congo peace talks moved to Switzerland amid Middle East conflict Details shared by M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, on April 13, indicate a coordinated wave of attacks across South Kivu and North Kivu provinces on Monday. Kanyuka said forces aligned with the Congolese government coalition, including Burundian troops, foreign mercenaries, Rwanda genocidal militia FDLR, Wazalendo and other local militias, began attacks early in the day, targeting several localities in Kalehe Territory. “At 06:10, the coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime launched attacks against several densely populated areas, notably Chambombo, Matare, Gishihe, and Mwamiwijwi, in the Kalehe territory,” he said. ALSO READ: DR Congo: Suspected govt war plane filmed dropping bombs on Minembwe - reports He also reported sustained bombardments in Minembwe, particularly in Bidegu and Kalingi, where combat drones were allegedly deployed. “At 18:30 and then at 18:45, a CH-4 type drone bombed the inhabited areas of Shingisha and Kinumbi, in the Ruhinzi group, Masisi territory.” “Furthermore, throughout the day, kamikaze drones repeatedly targeted the localities of Bidegu, Gakenke, and Kalingi, in Minembwe.” ALSO READ: AFC/M23 condemns Kinshasa attacks days before peace talks Kanyuka described the pattern of strikes as deliberate and systematic. “These targeted attacks reflect the execution of an ethnic cleansing agenda,” he alleged. “The Kinshasa regime demonstrates a clear intention to sabotage the ongoing peace process in Switzerland by launching widespread attacks against civilian populations,” Kanyuka said. He added that the movement “retains the legitimate and inalienable right to defend civilians against the war imposed on them.” The movement’s political leader Bertrand Bisimwa had earlier linked the continuous attacks to the timing of the diplomatic process. “The Kinshasa regime chose the moment of the resumption of political negotiations to shell several villages in Minembwe using Sukhoi aircraft,” Bisimwa said on Sunday. He said the attacks caused civilian deaths and destruction of churches, schools, hospitals. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 deputy head condemns bias, double standards over DR Congo crisis Negotiators in Geneva are expected to discuss humanitarian access in conflict-affected areas. Originally hosted in Doha, the negotiations were relocated to Switzerland due to the ongoing Middle East crisis. However, Qatar is still the mediator of the process that began in April 2025. The Doha peace process followed the capture of Goma and other strategic towns in early 2025 and led to the signing of a declaration of principles, alongside two key agreements: a ceasefire framework and a prisoner release mechanism overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ceasefire arrangement also provides for monitoring by MONUSCO in coordination with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), though the mechanism remains to be fully operationalised. Despite these commitments, implementation has been limited due to ongoing hostilities. The rebel movement, which controls swathes of territory in eastern DR Congo, said it released hundreds of captured soldiers, and the government has yet to reciprocate.
