The AFC/M23 coalition has accused the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of attempting to sabotage upcoming peace talks expected to take place soon.
AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said that on the afternoon of April 8, 2026, a drone belonging to DRC government forces struck a densely populated area in Nyabiondo, located in Masisi territory.
“Just days before a new round of the Doha peace talks begins, this attack has caused significant damage, destroying civilian homes and leaving many innocent families in distress,” Kanyuka said.
On April 7, AFC/M23 also accused DRC forces, alongside Burundian troops, Wazalendo militias, FDLR fighters, and mercenaries, of launching further attacks in areas including Kalehe, Minembwe, and Masisi. These attacks reportedly resulted in civilian deaths, displacement, and widespread destruction.
The group further claimed that, in addition to repeatedly violating ceasefire agreements, the DRC government has refused to release its detained members, who are allegedly being held unlawfully in various prisons across the country.
AFC/M23 contrasted this with its own actions, noting that in early March 2026 it agreed to release 5,000 DRC government soldiers captured during fighting in the city of Goma in January of the previous year.
The coalition also reminded the international community that it previously allowed 1,359 soldiers and police officers who had taken refuge in bases of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be transferred to Kinshasa.