In the quiet village of Rusayo, near the bustling city of Goma, tragedy struck on the night of Sunday into Monday, January 6. Ayishakiye Daniel, a dedicated nurse at the Rusayo health center, was brutally shot by armed men in military attire as he rushed to save lives. The incident took place around 6:30 pm, a mere 100 meters from the health center, where Daniel was on his way to attend to his patients. Despite his pleas and explanations about his urgent medical duties, the armed assailants demanded his phone. One of them callously opened fire, inflicting fatal wounds on Daniel—a gunshot to the chest and another to the hand holding his phone.
Witnesses recount the harrowing event with disbelief and sorrow, highlighting the senseless violence that snatched away a compassionate caregiver. “It was at 6:30 pm yesterday, Daniel was rushing to care for his patients, two soldiers asked him for his phone, he explained that he was a nurse and needed to save the sick, one of the men shot at him. He was hit in the chest and hand holding the phone. They took the phone and left him on the ground. We rushed to try and save him, but it was too late. His body now rests at CBCA Ndosho hospital. If we nurses are hunted like prey without protection, how can we care for the displaced fleeing conflict?” expressed a colleague anonymously.
The Nyiragongo civil society has unequivocally condemned the heinous murder of Nurse Daniel Ayishakiye, urging security services to launch a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. “The murder of Nurse Ayishakiye Daniel is a grave violation of human rights that should compel the government to fulfill its duty of protecting the populace. We wonder, in what province are we, supposedly under a state of siege, yet denied basic security. A doctor who is meant to heal both militants and civilians is gunned down,” lamented Mambo Kawaya, the president of the Nyiragongo civil society.
Married and a father of three, Daniel was more than just a nurse to the displaced individuals he cared for—he was their hero in times of sickness and war-related accidents. His selfless dedication and kindness left a lasting impact on those he treated, earning him the admiration and respect of many.