The security situation continues to deteriorate significantly within the Rutshuru territory of Nord-Kivu. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, June 24, at least ten individuals were abducted, two others tragically lost their lives, and numerous properties were plundered.

These troubling incidents, documented across at least six distinct localities, encompass a range of violent acts. These include kidnappings, armed robberies on critical roadways, forceful incursions into private homes, and direct confrontations between various armed factions. There is an urgent call for the rapid re-establishment of security in this volatile region of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Wednesday morning, specifically between 9 and 10 o’clock, a minimum of seven people were seized along the Kibirizi-Rwindi route near Butindiri, and the Kibirizi-Kibingu axis. Among those targeted were three moto-taxi drivers and their passengers. The perpetrators also absconded with at least 18 packages of fish that were being transported from Vitshumbi. The identities of those responsible for these abductions remain unknown at this time.

The preceding day had also seen three other individuals kidnapped. Two of these victims were taken during an armed home invasion in the Buzito neighborhood of Kiwanja, while the third was captured in the Majengo neighborhood, located in Kibirizi.

Also on Tuesday, a commercial truck, laden with goods belonging to local traders, came under attack on the Kanyabayonga-Rwindi thoroughfare. Armed assailants opened fire to compel the driver to stop the vehicle before proceeding to seize its entire cargo. Fortunately, no casualties were reported during this particular assault.

Tragically, on the same day, a 22-year-old woman and her child perished in the village of Kiseguro. They were fatally struck by stray bullets during intense clashes that erupted between AFC-M23 rebels and combatants from the FDLR.

Adding to the region’s woes, the Red Cross of the DRC announced the deaths of two of its dedicated volunteers. They were killed on June 16 in the Walungu territory of Sud-Kivu. The victims were engaged in supervising a crucial potable water supply project in Kakumba village when they were ambushed.

Edgard Mateso, the national president of the Red Cross in the DRC, issued a strong condemnation of this attack. He characterized it as a severe infringement upon international humanitarian principles and emphasized that this tragic event starkly illustrates the persistent dangers confronting humanitarian aid workers across the eastern part of the country.