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The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has taken a more dangerous turn, with civilians increasingly caught in drone attacks far from active battle zones, despite ongoing peace efforts between the Congolese government and neighbouring Rwanda.
Violence in the mineral-rich eastern region has persisted for more than three decades, but tensions escalated sharply in early 2025 after Rwanda-backed M23 fighters captured the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu, overpowering Congolese troops and tightening their grip on parts of North and South Kivu provinces.
Last week, at least 25 civilians were wounded in a drone strike in Mushaki, a farming community located roughly 40 kilometres from Goma, according to humanitarian sources.
Among the victims was a two-year-old girl who suffered severe injuries from shrapnel. Witnesses said the explosion tore through a busy market area where residents had gathered for daily trade activities.
“I was coming back from my field on my way to the market when I heard an explosion,” said Jean-Claude Tusenge, a father of six who sustained stomach injuries during the blast. He recalled losing consciousness moments after the strike.
Another survivor, 21-year-old Germaine, said panic spread instantly after the explosion.
“People were running in all directions,” she said, adding that she now fears returning to the market because another drone attack could happen without warning.
At Ndosho Hospital in Goma, surgeon Amadou Soumah Sekou described the injuries as severe, involving wounds to the chest, abdomen, neck, limbs and head. Esperance Amani, whose toddler was injured, said she turned around after hearing the blast only to find her daughter bleeding. Doctors have reportedly been unable to remove all the fragments lodged in the child’s body.
Although a fragile peace agreement was brokered in December under United States mediation, fighting has continued across eastern Congo.
Drone warfare has become increasingly common as Congolese forces deploy Turkish and Chinese-made attack drones against rebel positions, while M23 fighters have also carried out aerial strikes targeting strategic sites, including Kisangani airport.
The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo condemned what it described as a “wave of deadly attacks targeting civilians” in the region. The United States also criticised the Mushaki strike, though officials stopped short of identifying those responsible.
The M23 has repeatedly accused the Congolese army of carrying out indiscriminate strikes against civilians, claims AFP said could not be independently verified. However, United Nations experts have previously identified the rebel group itself as a major perpetrator of human rights abuses in areas under its control.
The worsening violence has already claimed the lives of both civilians and aid workers. In March, M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma was reportedly killed in a drone strike near Rubaya mine, while a French aid worker with UNICEF died in a separate drone attack in Goma earlier the same month.
