The situation remains tense this Wednesday, November 4, across several villages in the Nyamaboko and Ufamandu groupings (groupements), located in the Masisi territory of North Kivu. This follows violent clashes between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC)—supported by Wazalendo fighters—and the FRN/M23 rebels. According to local sources, at least four civilians were killed and several others wounded during the fighting.
The clashes erupted early Tuesday morning, November 3, in the localities of Mirindano (Nyamaboko 1st groupement) as well as Kazinga, Mahanga, and Buhimba (Nyamaboko 2nd groupement). Multiple local sources report that the FARDC and their Wazalendo allies launched simultaneous offensives against positions held by the FRN/M23, who had been established in these areas for several months.
Following several hours of heavy gunfire and artillery shelling, civilian and security sources report a heavy toll on the local population. A provisional casualty count indicates at least four civilians killed and about ten others injured in the villages of Nyamaboko 2.
According to the same sources, the FARDC and Wazalendo regained control of Mirindano at the conclusion of the clashes. However, the majority of the locality’s residents fled to seek refuge from the fighting.
As of Wednesday, the situation on the ground remains volatile. The front lines have reportedly stabilized between Mirindano and Kazinga, where opposing forces remain positioned face-to-face, raising fears of a resumption of hostilities.
Located more than 70 kilometers northwest of Goma, the Nyamaboko and Ufamandu groupings are among the areas hardest hit by recurring clashes between armed groups and government forces in the Masisi territory—a region plagued for years by persistent insecurity and massive population displacement.
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