In a move that has sparked fierce controversy, the Congolese government has admitted to shooting down a plane in Minembwe, a remote district near the borders of Rwanda and Burundi. Officials insist the aircraft had illegally breached Congolese airspace without clearance or identifiable markings, prompting what they described as a necessary military response.
But rebel groups controlling the area tell a different story. According to fighters affiliated with the M23 alliance, the destroyed plane was carrying urgently needed food rations, medicines, and other life-saving supplies meant for struggling villages in the region.
The Twerwaneho group, which maintains a stronghold in Minembwe, condemned the strike as an “unforgivable act of cruelty,” accusing government forces of deliberately destroying humanitarian aid.
The incident comes just days after a ceasefire was negotiated in Washington, once again underscoring the fragile and volatile reality in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where violence has long overshadowed peace efforts.
The statement published by the wider rebel umbrella Congo River Alliance, which includes both the Twerwaneho and M23, threatened that the militia would hit back at the army in so-called “necessary measures” to keep locals safe.
But daytime images circulating online, whose topography and details match other footage from the scene, appear to show that most of the wreckage was consumed by the fire.
Burundi defence forces and the Congolese army have blocked road access to rebel-held Minembwe, leaving it reliant on air access for all kinds of supplies.
Neither side has said that the plane originated in Rwanda. But all Rwandan civilian and military aircraft have been banned in DR Congo since February over accusations that Rwanda is backing the M23. Despite widespread evidence, Rwanda denies giving financial or military support to the M23 or its allies.
Decades of conflict escalated earlier this year when M23 rebels seized control of large parts of eastern DR Congo including the regional capital, Goma, the city of Bukavu and two airports.
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Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians forced from their homes following the recent rebel offensive.
The downing of the aircraft is just the latest in a series of violent episodes to rattle the region following last week’s widely publicised peace accord.
Although the M23 rebel group remains a major force in this long-running conflict, it was not directly involved in the US-mediated ceasefire. Instead, the group has thrown its support behind ongoing negotiations led by Qatar, arguing that only such talks can address the deeper issues fuelling the crisis.
Both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo pledged last week to withdraw and disarm any forces they back in the region. But the reality on the ground tells a different story, with dozens of armed groups still roaming North and South Kivu provinces. Many appear to be ignoring the ceasefire altogether.
Despite former US President Donald Trump’s stern warning to signatories to “stick to the deal,” violence has continued unabated, dampening hopes of a meaningful breakthrough.
One glaring omission from the Washington agreement was the lack of an immediate verification system to hold parties accountable. Both countries were given a month to establish such a monitoring framework, but analysts warn that without swift implementation, the accord risks being purely symbolic.
Monday’s aircraft strike only deepens scepticism over whether peace is anywhere on the horizon, as tensions remain high and the promise of stability feels as distant as ever.