Red Cross volunteers killed in DR Congo
Two volunteers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) Red Cross have been killed by unidentified armed men while on a humanitarian mission in South Kivu province, the organization said on Tuesday.
Byamungu Mugisho Kabuha and Mugisho MParanya Romain were attacked on June 16 in Kakumba village, while working on a project to improve access to clean drinking water for vulnerable communities.
“They were wearing the emblem of the Red Cross, a universal symbol of neutrality, impartiality, and humanitarian assistance,” explains Gregoire Mateso Mbuta Way, National President of the Red Cross of the DR Congo.
The DR Congo Red Cross said attacks on humanitarian workers threaten life-saving assistance for civilians. The organization urged all parties to respect and protect aid personnel, stressing that humanitarian workers serve as a vital lifeline for communities affected by the country’s ongoing crisis.
The DR Congo continues to grapple with instability as the M23 rebel group maintains control over parts of the country, fueling clashes and humanitarian emergencies.
The DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by decades of violence, with dozens of armed groups, including M23, fighting Congolese forces for power and control of resources such as gold and coltan. Clashes escalated in early 2025, killing thousands and forcing large-scale displacement, according to UN agencies. The rebels seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in late January and later captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.
Ceasefire efforts have repeatedly faltered, including Qatar-facilitated talks in Doha. Congolese authorities have long accused Rwanda of supporting the militants, allegations backed by a UN panel of experts. Kigali has denied the claims. The accusations have strained Rwanda’s relations with Western partners, including Belgium. In March, Kigali severed diplomatic ties with Brussels, accusing it of harboring “neo-colonial delusions” and interfering in the conflict.
In December, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, ratified a US-brokered agreement committing Kigali to withdraw its forces from the border and end alleged support for M23, while Kinshasa pledged to curb militias hostile to Rwanda. US President Donald Trump has said the pact, which includes calls for a joint security mechanism, gives Washington rights to local mineral wealth. The fighting has continued despite Trump’s claims that he ended the decades-long conflict.
The latest killings are not an isolated incident. On June 1, several Red Cross volunteers were injured in an attack while carrying out burials in Bunia as part of efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak. The DR Congo Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) condemned the assault, warning it puts humanitarian workers, aid operations, and vulnerable communities at greater risk.
Alongside continuing violence in the country, the authorities are battling the nation’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak, which was declared on May 15. It involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and has raised concerns across the region because there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments available.
As of June 24, the outbreak has resulted in 1,155 confirmed cases and 304 deaths, with 326 patients currently in isolation or hospitalized and 138 people reported to have recovered.
