At least 30 people were killed after a drone strike hit Mushaki in Masisi Territory, North Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 8, 2026, according to AFC/M23 officials.
The strike reportedly targeted a populated area near Mushaki market, a busy civilian location in the territory. Several other people were injured, but the exact number of wounded and the full extent of damage have not yet been independently confirmed.
AFC/M23 political leader Corneille Nangaa accused the government in Kinshasa of carrying out the strike, alleging that civilian areas were deliberately hit. The group has not provided independently verified evidence to support the claim.
The Congolese government had not released an official statement on the incident at the time of reporting, and responsibility for the strike could not be independently confirmed.
Humanitarian and local administrative sources in North Kivu had also not issued verified casualty figures by publication time.
Mushaki is located in Masisi Territory, a strategically important and contested area in North Kivu that has repeatedly seen clashes between AFC/M23 rebels and Congolese government forces. The area sits along key routes linking to Goma, a major urban and security hub in eastern DR Congo.
The incident comes amid continued fighting in North Kivu, where drone activity has increasingly become part of the conflict between armed groups and government forces.
Regional and international mediation efforts aimed at reducing violence in eastern DR Congo remain ongoing, but field reports continue to indicate active hostilities and competing territorial control.
Authorities have not announced an independent investigation into the Mushaki strike.
