Army neutralizes over 35 rebels in eastern DR Congo: Report

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) have neutralized more than 35 rebel fighters in ongoing clashes in the country’s eastern region, according to UN radio.

“The enemy is losing manpower. We have inflicted significant losses, like yesterday when we neutralized more than 35 fighters,” Second Lt. Mbuyi Reagan, a spokesperson for the Sukola Sud operations in South Kivu, told Radio Okapi on Monday.

The five-day battle for control of the strategic locality of Minembwe in South Kivu has pitted the FARDC, backed by the Wazalendo militia, against a coalition of armed groups, including Twirwaneho, AFC/M23, RED Tabara, and Gumino.

The spokesperson said Minembwe is the “final destination,” adding that once it is secured, further operations will be planned.

The fighting comes amid ongoing peace talks in Doha, Qatar, between the Congolese government and AFC/M23, a rebel coalition that includes the M23, which has been at the center of the conflict in eastern Congo.

The rebel group controls significant territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which it seized earlier in 2025.

The UN, Kinshasa, and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23, an allegation Kigali denies.