The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officially recorded 3,198 victims of antipersonnel mines and explosive remnants of war between 2002 and 2025.
More than 10,000 other casualties remain unrecorded due to funding shortages and field access constraints.
The vast majority of those affected are civilians, particularly in the east of the country (such as in North Kivu), where armed conflicts persist.
A Terrorist Tactic Adopted by the FARDC and Their Allies
Since 2021, with the resurgence of the conflict in the east between the AFC/M23 and the Congolese army (FARDC) coalition-allied with Burundian forces, the FDLR, white mercenaries, and the Wazalendo the FARDC and their allies have chosen to deploy antipersonnel mines in agricultural holdings and near villages, directly targeting innocent civilians.
Several dozen casualties have been reported, with the latest incident occurring on Saturday, 12 September 2026, in the Jomba groupement, Gikoro locality, Rugunga village, within Rutshuru territory.
An explosive device rigged by the FARDC killed seven people, severely injured three, and left one person with minor injuries.
A child who discovered the unexploded ordnance in a field began unconsciously handling the device until the explosion occurred. The victims were rapidly evacuated and transferred to the Rutshuru General Referral Hospital to receive appropriate medical care, according to a statement issued by the AFC/M23.
Public opinion is questioning how an army that claims to be republican can stoop to dirty, terrorist tactics aimed at innocent civilians.
It must also be noted that beyond antipersonnel mines, the civilian populations of Kivu are regularly targeted by indiscriminate bombings carried out by this same army (the FARDC) and its allies.
The reality is clear: the Kinshasa regime is waging a war not against any purported Rwandan aggression as argued by their narrative, but rather an ideological campaign aimed at exterminating the Swahili-speaking and Congolese Tutsi populations in eastern the DRC.
The public is urged never to handle, move, or attempt to neutralise any suspicious object or explosive device discovered in a field, dwelling, or public thoroughfare. Any such discovery must be reported immediately to the competent authorities to prevent further tragedy.
“This terrorist strategy is a deliberate choice by the FARDC to inflict more civilian casualties in order to compensate for their setbacks on the battlefield”
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