On the evening of April 18, a nurse with the international medical organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was shot dead by a gunman in military uniform in his home in Masisi town, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s North Kivu province.
The staff member was 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, either in the course of their work or as a result of the general violence against civilians.
Earlier in the evening of April 18, two armed men dressed in military fatigues and carrying assault rifles attacked and robbed civilians in Masisi town, before breaking into the MSF nurse’s house to rob its 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 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 several occasions they have been the victims.
On February 20, an MSF radio operator on duty at MSF’s base in central Masisi was killed in crossfire between the armed groups VDP/Wazalendo and M23/AFC. A few days later, another MSF staff member was shot dead in the middle of the night at his home in Goma. In the past few months, other MSF colleagues have been shot and wounded; the most recent victim is currently hospitalized in Goma.
“Even in locations where armed clashes have ceased, insecurity is everywhere,” said Mathilde Guého, MSF head of programs 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.”
Fifteen violent incidents have directly affected MSF teams, ambulances, offices, and the health facilities it supports since January. MSF is calling on the authorities to hold those responsible accountable, take immediate measures to ensure the safety of civilians and humanitarian workers, combat crime, and put an end to the abuses our teams witness daily.
“We remind all parties—M23/AFC, VDP/Wazalendo, FARDC [the Congolese armed forces]—that the protection of civilians and their property in conflict zones is a legal obligation,” said Lampaert. “All relevant authorities must act urgently to uphold this responsibility.”
MSF employs nearly 3,000 locally hired and international staff in DRC. These teams work alongside Ministry of Health staff to provide medical care to vulnerable people across the country amid a resurgence of violence in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu.
