On February 18, 2026, insecurity reached a new level in the Rutshuru territory. A convoy composed of NGO vehicles and civilians was violently ambushed in Mayi ya Moto , an area currently under the control of the AFC/M23.

The course of the attack

Around midday, about ten armed individuals in civilian clothes emerged from the roadside to intercept several vehicles:

1. Doctors Without Borders (MSF): A truck transporting medicines to Kibirizi was stopped. Staff were held at gunpoint (with rifles and machetes) and forced to kneel. The driver was injured during the attack.
2. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC): The organization's vehicle was completely looted. Essential supplies intended for displaced people were taken.
3. Civilians: Motorcyclists and passengers were beaten, robbed of their belongings and, in some cases, stripped naked by the assailants.

An opaque security context

Although the area has passed from the influence of the FDLR to that of the AFC/M23 , the exact identity of the perpetrators of the attack remains uncertain. This confusion illustrates the extreme volatility of this region, where armed groups and militias vie for territorial control.

Humanitarian aid under high pressure

This incident is not isolated, but is part of an alarming trend for international aid in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

Period	Incident statistics (Source: OCHA)
Year 2025	626 incidents recorded against humanitarian workers nationwide.
December 2025	48 incidents in one month, mainly in South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri.

Note: This new attack further restricts access to care and life-saving aid for populations already severely affected by forced displacement and incessant fighting.