The security situation in Rutshuru territory, located in North Kivu, continues to deteriorate significantly. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, June 24, at least ten individuals were abducted, two lives were tragically lost, and numerous possessions were plundered, according to observations from local humanitarian organizations.

These troubling incidents, documented across a minimum of six localities, encompass a range of violent acts including kidnappings, ambushes on critical roadways, armed intrusions into private residences, and direct confrontations between various armed factions. Humanitarian groups are urgently appealing for the swift re-establishment of security throughout 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 axis near Butindiri, and on the Kibirizi-Kibingu route. Among those targeted were three moto-taxi operators and their passengers. The assailants also made off with at least 18 packages of fish, which had been transported from Vitshumbi. The identities of those responsible for these abductions remained unknown at the time.

The preceding day saw three additional individuals fall victim to kidnappings. Two of these abductions occurred during an armed raid on a home in the Buzito district of Kiwanja, while the third person was captured in the Majengo neighborhood of Kibirizi.

Also on Tuesday, a commercial truck carrying goods for traders came under attack on the Kanyabayonga-Rwindi thoroughfare. Armed individuals opened fire, forcing the driver to halt the vehicle before proceeding to confiscate its cargo. Fortunately, no casualties were reported during this particular assault.

Tragically, on the same day, a 22-year-old woman and her child lost their lives in Kiseguro village. Local accounts indicate they were fatally struck by stray bullets during intense clashes between the AFC-M23 rebels and fighters from the FDLR.

In a separate development, the Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced the deaths of two of its dedicated volunteers. They were killed on June 16 in Walungu territory, South Kivu. The victims were engaged in a mission to oversee crucial potable water supply projects in Kakumba village when they were ambushed.

Edgard Mateso, the national president of the DRC Red Cross, strongly denounced this attack, characterizing it as a grave breach of international humanitarian principles. He underscored that this tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the persistent dangers faced by humanitarian workers operating in the eastern part of the country.