- An MSF nurse was shot dead in his home in Masisi, North Kivu province, DRC, the second staff member to be killed in the town in two months.
- Civilians and aid workers are victims of and witnesses to the horrific levels of violence in the province.
- MSF reminds warring parties that civilians, their property and aid workers are protected, and calls for relevant authorities to hold parties accountable.
Goma, North Kivu – On 18 April, a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) health worker was shot dead in his home by a gunman in military uniform in Masisi, North Kivu province, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A nurse at Masisi general referral hospital, he is the second MSF staff member to be killed in Masisi in the past two months and the third to be fatally shot in North Kivu this year.
Earlier in the evening of 18 April, two armed men dressed in military fatigues and carrying assault rifles attacked and robbed civilians in Masisi town, before breaking into the house of the MSF nurse to rob residents. During the incident, the attackers opened fire, fatally wounding our colleague with two shots to the chest.
“We strongly condemn this terrible act, which cost our colleague his life, and which reflects the severely deteriorating security situation we have witnessed in North and South Kivu since the beginning of the year,” said Emmanuel Lampaert, MSF country representative in DRC. “Week after week, our teams are not only witnesses but also victims of violent incidents targeting civilians, humanitarian workers and medical facilities. This must stop immediately.”
Our teams are not only witnesses but also victims of violent incidents... This must stop immediately.Emmanuel Lampaert, MSF country representative in DRC
Since early 2025, MSF teams have witnessed violent incidents on an almost daily basis – and have been the victims on a number of occasions. In the space of four months, three MSF staff have been shot dead in North Kivu, either in the course of their work or as a result of violence against civilians.
On 20 February, an MSF radio operator on duty at our base in central Masisi was killed in crossfire between VDP/Wazalendo and M23/AFC fighters. A few days later, another MSF worker was shot dead in the middle of the night at his home in Goma. In the past few months, other colleagues have been shot and wounded, the most recent of whom is currently hospitalised in Goma.
“Even in locations where armed clashes have ceased, insecurity is everywhere,” says Mathilde Guého, MSF head of programmes in North Kivu. “In addition to armed violence that directly affects our hospitals and bases, on a daily basis we are witnessing persistently high levels of crime and repeated violent incidents affecting civilians, especially at night: murders, sexual violence, gunshot wounds, extortion, home invasions, intimidation and more.”
In response to this series of violent incidents, some 15 of which have directly affected MSF teams, ambulances, offices, and the health facilities we support since January, MSF is calling on the competent authorities to hold those carrying weapons accountable. They must take immediate measures to ensure the safety of civilians and humanitarian workers, to combat crime and to put an end to the abuse our teams witness daily.
“We remind all parties – M23/AFC, VDP/Wazalendo, FARDC – that the protection of civilians and their property in conflict zones is a legal obligation,” says Lampaert. “All relevant authorities must act urgently to uphold this responsibility.”
In DRC, nearly 3,000 locally-hired and international staff work directly for MSF, alongside Ministry of Health staff, to provide medical care to people across the country.