Civilians caught in war of drones in eastern DR Congo

Civilians caught in war of drones in eastern DR Congo. [Courtesy]

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a conflict that drags on despite peace talks has taken a dangerous new turn, with civilians now struck from the air by drones, far from the front line.

The region has been plagued by violence for more than 30 years, but fighting intensified in early 2025 when Rwanda-backed M23 fighters seized the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, overwhelming Congolese forces.

Last week, a drone attack wounded at least 25 civilians in Mushaki, a farming area about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Goma, now under M23 control, according to humanitarian sources.

The injured, who included a two-year-old girl, were taken to Ndosho hospital in the city, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Witnesses told AFP the strike hit a market. Many said they were going about their daily lives, far from any battlefield, before the blast.

"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.

He said he remembered passing out after being hit in the stomach.

Germaine, 21, who was wounded in the thigh, also recalled people running in all directions.

She now fears going back to the market, worried a drone could strike again without warning.

Child wounded

A fragile peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda was reached in December under US mediation, but fighting has continued.

Drones have become increasingly common in recent months.

Congolese forces, long outmatched on the ground, have acquired Turkish and Chinese attack drones to strike M23 positions in the east.

But the M23 anti-governmental group is also using drones.

Its fighters have targeted sites including the airport in the northeastern city of Kisangani, where aircraft used by the government take off.

At Ndosho hospital, surgeon Amadou Soumah Sekou described the injuries from the Mushaki strike.

"Some patients had abdominal wounds, others chest injuries, wounds to the neck, the head and the limbs," he said.

"I heard the explosion of a bomb. When I turned around, I saw my daughter was hurt," said Esperance Amani, whose two-year-old child was hit.

Doctors have not yet been able to remove all the shrapnel from her body.

Civilians at risk

The UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, condemned a "wave of deadly attacks targeting civilians" in the east, including the Mushaki strike.

The United States also denounced the attack, though without naming those responsible.

The M23 has frequently accused the army of carrying out deadly strikes on civilians, but AFP has not been able to independently verify those claims.

UN experts have identified the M23 itself as a leading perpetrator of rights abuses in the region, where dissent is tightly suppressed in areas under the armed group's control.

In March, the M23 announced the death of one of its spokesmen, Willy Ngoma, in a drone strike near the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province.

A French aid worker with UNICEF was also killed in early March in a drone strike in the city of Goma.