Lubero: Multiple AFC/M23 fighters surrender to loyalist forces

Several fighters from the AFC/M23 rebel group have surrendered to loyalist forces and self-defense groups in the Lubero territory of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

According to the Synergie VDP-Wazalendo Front Grand-Nord, two fighters surrendered in Kiribata on September 29, equipped with two AK-47 rifles. They were handed over to local security services after arriving at a position held by the Movement for the Defense of Civilians (MADPC).

In a separate report, five additional fighters surrendered to security services in Kasugho. These individuals, who claim to be former soldiers forcibly recruited by the rebellion during the fall of Goma, fled a rebel camp on September 28. They were also found in possession of two AK-47 rifles. The Wazalendo group has used these incidents to call on other rebels to desert the movement and rejoin the national cause under the FARDC.

Despite these surrenders, the security situation in Lubero remains volatile, with ongoing clashes reported between M23 forces and self-defense fighters, leading to further population displacements.