Freddy Mukuza

Their life

Name: Freddy Mukuza
Age at Death: 31
Date of Death: Saturday, 22 February 2025 (assumed)
Location of Death: Kasika neighborhood, Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Cause of Death: Gunshot wounds inflicted by M23 rebel fighters
Alleged Responsible Party: M23 rebel group.

Name: Freddy Mukuza
Age at Death: 31
Date of Death: Saturday, 22 February 2025 (assumed)
Location of Death: Kasika neighborhood, Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Cause of Death: Gunshot wounds inflicted by M23 rebel fighters
Alleged Responsible Party: M23 rebel group
Religion: Not publicly known

Freddy Mukuza was a 31-year-old resident of Kasika, a neighborhood in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Friends remember him as a kind and gentle individual, living a quiet life amid the growing instability in the region.

On 22 February 2025, Freddy became one of the many victims of a reported mass killing allegedly carried out by the M23 rebel group. According to eyewitnesses, he was shot in broad daylight and left to die in the street. Friends who rushed to help him were threatened by rebel fighters and forced to watch helplessly as he took his last breath.

His death occurred during a wave of violence following the M23’s takeover of Goma. The massacre in Kasika claimed the lives of at least 17–22 people, primarily young men, according to local sources.

Freddy’s life was tragically cut short in a climate of fear, silence, and impunity—his story now one of many that testify to the suffering endured by civilians in eastern Congo.

How they died

Gunshot wounds inflicted by M23 rebel fighters.

Severe internal bleeding and organ failure due to gunshot injuries.

Additional context

Targeted Operation in a Strategic Area

A plea from the family

Freddy Mukuza’s family has been left devastated by the loss of their son, brother, and loved one—taken in an act of violence for which there has been no accountability. Although they have not spoken publicly, those close to the family say they are calling for justice, demanding answers, and seeking dignity for Freddy’s memory. They want the world to know that he was not just a number, not just a victim, but a human being with dreams, relationships, and a future stolen by war. “We want the world to know our Freddy was innocent,” said a relative, through a neighbor.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Freddy Mukuza, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources