Freddy Mukuza
Gunshot wounds inflicted by M23 rebel fighters.
Severe internal bleeding and organ failure due to gunshot injuries.
Biography
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.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
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.
Sources & References
Freddy Mukuza's final moments were witnessed by a friend, who stood helpless, 50m (160 ft) away. When he heard that Freddy had been shot - by M23 rebels he was told - he and others rushed to the scene in Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. "When we arrived, we found Freddy still breathing, and wanted to take him away, but the M23 did not allow us," says the friend, who we are calling Justin. "When we insisted, they fired bullets into the ground as if to say: 'If you dare cross this perimeter, we will kill you as well.'" So they had to keep their distance, as Freddy, 31, took his last breath. Only then did the M23 allow them to approach and take away his body.1 bbc.com Open source