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M23 Rebels Admit to Carrying Out Airport Strike in DRC
(MENAFN) The Congo River Alliance (AFC), a rebel coalition incorporating M23 fighters, claimed responsibility Wednesday for last week's brazen assault on Kisangani Bangoka International Airport in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
"The AFC/M23 informs the public that between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 it carried out the destruction of a military command center located at Kisangani Airport," rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement.
"The center served as the primary hub for the planning, coordination and execution of deadly operations targeting civilian populations as well as AFC/M23 positions in the liberated areas, notably Masisi, Walikale, Rutshuru, Lubero, Kalehe, Mwenga, Minembwe."
Kisangani Bangoka International Airport, situated 17 km (10 miles) from Kisangani city, the capital of Tshopo province, reportedly houses the government's General Staff of the Third Defense Zone headquarters.
Monday saw the Congolese army announce it had intercepted eight kamikaze drones targeting the airport, successfully averting potential catastrophic damage to the strategic facility.
Provincial authorities in Tshopo swiftly condemned Rwanda and the AFC/M23 rebel coalition following the strike, characterizing it as a "barbaric, unjust, and persistent aggression."
DR Congo and the AFC/M23 rebel group signed an agreement Monday establishing terms of reference for ceasefire monitoring following negotiations in Doha as part of Qatar's mediation initiative to resolve the protracted conflict plaguing eastern DR Congo.
The Congolese government, the United Nations, and multiple international stakeholders accuse neighboring Rwanda of providing military backing to M23—an allegation Kigali categorically denies.
The rebel faction, a dominant force in eastern DR Congo's conflict, commands substantial territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, both captured earlier in 2025.
"The AFC/M23 informs the public that between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 it carried out the destruction of a military command center located at Kisangani Airport," rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement.
"The center served as the primary hub for the planning, coordination and execution of deadly operations targeting civilian populations as well as AFC/M23 positions in the liberated areas, notably Masisi, Walikale, Rutshuru, Lubero, Kalehe, Mwenga, Minembwe."
Kisangani Bangoka International Airport, situated 17 km (10 miles) from Kisangani city, the capital of Tshopo province, reportedly houses the government's General Staff of the Third Defense Zone headquarters.
Monday saw the Congolese army announce it had intercepted eight kamikaze drones targeting the airport, successfully averting potential catastrophic damage to the strategic facility.
Provincial authorities in Tshopo swiftly condemned Rwanda and the AFC/M23 rebel coalition following the strike, characterizing it as a "barbaric, unjust, and persistent aggression."
DR Congo and the AFC/M23 rebel group signed an agreement Monday establishing terms of reference for ceasefire monitoring following negotiations in Doha as part of Qatar's mediation initiative to resolve the protracted conflict plaguing eastern DR Congo.
The Congolese government, the United Nations, and multiple international stakeholders accuse neighboring Rwanda of providing military backing to M23—an allegation Kigali categorically denies.
The rebel faction, a dominant force in eastern DR Congo's conflict, commands substantial territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, both captured earlier in 2025.
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