SUMMARY
AFC killed civilians in the Nord and Sud Kivu provinces located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) bordering Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. The violence occurred in the context of the broader insurgency in eastern DR Congo, where the group was engaged in armed confrontation with government forces and allied militias. AFC's attacks on civilians attacks were driven by a combination of political conflict, ethnic divisions, and territorial control in a region marked by long-standing enmities.
Nord Kivu is known for its fertile land and high population density and has historically been home to various ethnic communities, including the Hunde, Nande, Nyanga, Tembo, Kano, Twa, Pere, Hutu, and Tutsi, with the latter two collectively referred to as Banyarwanda. Before colonization, these groups were governed through distinct chiefdoms, but Belgian colonial rule restructured traditional governance, sometimes installing new leaders. The Belgian administration also enforced ethnic divisions, classifying "autochthonous" (indigenous) communities as rightful landowners while denying land ownership to "foreigners", primarily Hutu and Tutsi migrants from Rwanda. Meanwhile, all land technically belonged to the colonial state, which could expropriate and allocate land to plantation owners. During colonial rule, Belgian authorities encouraged labor migration from Rwanda, significantly shifting the region’s ethnic balance. Between 150 000 and 300 000 Hutu and Tutsi settlers arrived in Nord Kivu, deepening tensions between indigenous groups and newcomers. After independence, these demographic changes became a source of conflict, as indigenous communities retained customary land rights, while the Hutu and Tutsi gained numerical and economic influence. A cycle of citizenship laws granting and revoking rights for Hutu and Tutsi communities exacerbated ethnic divisions. Under Mobutu’s Zairianization policy, large plantations were nationalized and redistributed through a patronage system. The Hutu and Tutsi elite acquired land and gained economic power, further fueling resentment among indigenous communities. Against this backdrop we have seen multiple rebellions and ethnic conflicts, and the targeting of civilians. After its formation on 15 December 2023, AFC became the main group fighting in the DR Congo: Government conflict. Furthermore, the group was involved in a non-state conflict with VDP. They controlled large parts of the Nord and Sud Kivu provinces.
The group has justified violence against civilians by accusing them of collaboration with opposing armed actors, particularly FDLR-FOCA and government-aligned forces. Civilians in areas previously under FDLR influence have frequently been labelled as associated with génocidaires, and therefore treated as legitimate targets. Statements and narratives attributed to AFC elements have framed alleged collaborators and local populations perceived as supportive of rival armed groups as security threats.
AFC’s one-sided violence has primarily involved targeted killings and executions of civilians, including village chiefs and individuals accused of criticising AFC abuses, including in urban centres such as Goma. Civilians have also been killed for refusing cooperation, for alleged support to VDP-affiliated actors, or for returning to areas under AFC control after displacement, where they were suspected of aligning with government forces. The violence has been characterised by targeted executions, punitive killings, and intimidation against local populations in contested and controlled territories.
AFC first became active as a one-sided actor in the UCDP data in 2023, when the one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. AFC after its formation the group targeted civilians on the grounds that they were supporting VDP in Rutshuru territory, and during looting in Masisi territory, Nord Kivu province of DR Congo (Zaire).
