DRC: After second staff member is shot dead in Masisi, MSF urges end to violence against civilians and aid workers

On the evening of 18 April, a health worker from international medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was shot dead in his home in Masisi town, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s North Kivu province, by a gunman in military uniform. A nurse at Masisi general referral hospital, he is the second MSF staff member to be killed in Masisi town 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 the MSF nurse 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's country representative in the 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.”

Since early 2025, MSF teams have witnessed violent incidents on an almost daily basis – and on a number of occasions have been the victims. 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 MSF’s 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 it supports since January, MSF is calling on the competent authorities to hold those carrying weapons accountable and to take immediate measures to ensure the safety of civilians and humanitarian workers, to combat crime and to put an end to the abuses its 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.”