According to the local civil society, at least 17 civilians including humanitarian workers have been killed in the Lubero territory in the North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo over the past three weeks. Perpetrators of these crimes are local young people. Four agents of a non-governmental organization « Tearfund » were also killed and five vehicles burned by the same young people who have assimilated them to Rwandophones since the M23 rebels entered Lubero territory. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to the coordinator of the local civil society, these young people think that by committing these abuses, they are fighting against the progression of the M23 rebels who already occupy more than 3 localities in Lubero.

« Not ADF* in these attacks as some people are thinking. It is young people from Lubero who commit these blunders to sow fear among the population. Wednesday morning, 17 other people, who left Butembo towards Beni fleeing the growing insecurity in greater North Kivu, fell into an ambush by these young people », says Muhindo Sengemoja, the civil society communicator from Lubero, who specifies that among the victims there are several people who speak Kinyarwanda.

The civil society is worried and indicates that it is afraid of tribal rivalries which risk degenerating.

“Killing people who speak Kinyarwanda is dangerous for the population of Lubero in particular and North Kivu in general,” notes Muhindo Sengemoja.

“These young people who, initially, were peacemakers, are now the first to disrupt the peace of civilians. This shows an exacerbation of the tribal war in Great North Kivu today occupied by members of the Nande tribe. The government must take strict measures to eradicate these acts of the youth of Lubero which risk creating a free path of entry for the enemy of the nation into Lubero,” adds John Balingene Banyene, provincial coordinator of the civil society of North Kivu.

For more than two weeks, M23 elements have intensified fighting in Greater North Kivu to try to attack the town of Butembo and the territory of Beni in order to advance towards the neighboring province of Ituri, according to the civil society.

Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson for the coalition armed forces, says loyalist forces are slowing down attacks targeting the town of Butembo.

The rebellion has occupied several areas of the North Kivu province, including the border town of Bunagana, between the DRC and Uganda since mid-June 2022.

The M23 is a former Tutsi rebellion which took up arms again at the end of 2021, accusing the Congolese government of not having respected its commitments on the reintegration of its fighters. Congolese authorities remain convinced that it benefits support from Rwanda, which the Rwandan government continues to brush aside.