The M23 rebel group held a symbolic burial Thursday for 22 people killed in a recent drone strike.
The attack, which struck their military positions in Masisi on January 2, was claimed by M23 to be conducted by FARDC.
M23 insists all victims were civilians, although experts suggest some could have been combatants killed during clashes.
The Congolese government has not officially commented on the attack, but spokesperson Patrick Muyaya condemned the funeral as “inhuman and indecent.”
He said mass graves, abandoned bodies, and emptied villages cannot be erased by staged ceremonies or fabricated narratives.
The burial occurred amid ongoing negotiations between M23 and the government to end decades of conflict in the region.
Unity Stadium in Goma hosted the ceremony, attended by M23 officials, religious leaders, and hundreds of grieving family members.
Bodies had been transported from Masisi to Goma the day before, while some victims were reportedly buried at bombed sites.
M23 claims the deaths were caused by kamikaze drones striking multiple localities, leaving dozens injured alongside the 22 fatalities.
Masisi General Hospital reported receiving 47 wounded, with 14 still hospitalised and receiving medical care following the explosions.
Promesse Hagenimana, a survivor, described standing near a house before it exploded, killing a child and severely injuring her arm.
Masisi administrator Emmanuel Ndizeye said many areas remain inaccessible, preventing evacuation of victims, who were buried locally in some cases.
North Kivu’s M23-appointed governor, Erasto Musanga, blamed President Félix Tshisekedi for the violence and threatened legal action through rebel courts.
Family members approached coffins in tears during the ceremony, though none spoke to the media about their loss or grief.
Researcher Stewart Muhindo suggested the number of civilian deaths may be exaggerated to attract international sympathy, possibly including combatants among the dead.
The conflict in eastern Congo involves over 100 armed groups, with M23 growing to approximately 6,500 fighters since 2021, according to the U.N.
Congo, the U.S., and U.N. accuse Rwanda of backing M23, intensifying clashes near mineral-rich areas along the Rwanda border.
More than seven million people have been displaced by the fighting, creating one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises.
Despite U.S.-brokered agreements between Congo and Rwanda, violence continues across multiple fronts, claiming civilian and military lives in ongoing clashes.
