The aid workers were attacked while on a mission to improve access to drinking water
Two volunteers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) Red Cross have been killed by unknown gunmen while on a humanitarian mission in South Kivu province, the organization said on Tuesday.
Byamungu Mugisho Kabuha and Mugisho MParanya Romain were attacked on June 16 in Kakumba village, while they were working on a project to improve access to clean drinking water for vulnerable communities.
“They were wearing the emblem of the Red Cross, the universal symbol of neutrality, impartiality, and humanitarian aid,” explains Gregoire Mateso Mbuta Way, National President of the DR Congo Red Cross.
The DR Congo Red Cross has said that attacks against humanitarian workers threaten life-saving assistance to civilians. The organization has asked all parties to respect and protect aid workers, and emphasized that humanitarian workers are used as an important way of life for communities affected by the ongoing crisis in the country.
The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to face instability as the M23 rebel group continues to control some areas of the country, fueling conflicts and humanitarian emergencies.
The mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued by decades of violence, with dozens of armed groups, including the M23, battling Congolese forces for power and control of resources such as gold and coltan. Fighting escalated in early 2025, killing thousands and forcing many people to flee their homes, according to UN agencies. Rebels captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in late January and later captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.
Cease-fire efforts have repeatedly stalled, including Qatar-facilitated talks in Doha. The Congolese authorities have long been accusing Rwanda of supporting the militants, accusations supported by a panel of United Nations experts. Kigali has denied the allegations. The accusations have weakened Rwanda’s relations with Western allies, including Belgium. In March, Kigali cut diplomatic ties with Brussels, accusing it of hoarding “The illusion of neo-colonialism” and conflict intervention.
In December, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, approved a US agreement that authorized Kigali to withdraw its forces from the border and end alleged support for M23, while Kinshasa promised to control the militants attacking Rwanda. US President Donald Trump has said that the agreement, which includes a call for a common security system, gives Washington the right to domestic mineral wealth. The fighting has continued despite Trump’s claims that he has ended the decades-long conflict.
The latest killing is not an isolated incident. On June 1, several Red Cross volunteers were injured in an attack during a funeral in Bunia as part of efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak. The DR Congo Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) condemned the attack, warning that it puts humanitarian workers, aid operations, and vulnerable communities at greater risk.
As violence continues in the country, authorities are battling the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the country, which was announced on May 15. It involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and has raised concerns across the region because there is currently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment.
As of June 24, the outbreak has resulted in 1,155 confirmed cases and 304 deaths, with 326 patients currently isolated or hospitalized and 138 people reported to have recovered.
You can share this story on social networks:
Follow RT on
