Democratic Republic of the Congo faces civilian killings and calls for justice

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, human rights advocates and civil society groups are calling for justice and increased security following recent violence and unresolved historical crimes.

In the Ituri province, the civil society group Force Vive reported that 16 civilians were killed between August 21 and August 24, 2026, in the Mambasa territory. The attacks, occurring in the Babila-Babombi chiefdom near the Kalunga, Sissio, and Gombari forests, are attributed to suspected ADF rebels. Local leaders are urging the Congolese army (FARDC) to intensify operations against both the ADF and other local armed groups active in the region to protect civilian populations.

Separately, the family of human rights defender Fidèle Bazana is demanding a new trial regarding his 2010 assassination alongside Floribert Chebeya. Sixteen years after the incident, which occurred at the headquarters of the Congolese National Police, Bazana’s body remains missing. Guylain Bazana, representing the family, has called for a new investigation into what is described as a ‘state crime,’ noting that the killings took place in a location intended to be secure.