News of his death began circulating late at night and was later confirmed by AFC/M23, which said Paluku died at Goma General Hospital, where he had been rushed after being shot in the street. The coalition announced that investigations have begun to identify those behind the attack.

Paluku was a prominent journalist in eastern Congo, known for his work in media, music and poetry. He was also the director of Radio Kivu 1 and had recently ventured into politics, working with the AFC/M23 coalition, considered the political wing of the M23 movement.

In 2024, Paluku and other AFC/M23 leaders, including Corneille Nangaa, were sentenced to death in absentia by the Congolese government, accused of “treason and involvement in terrorist activities.”

The 58-year-old, born in Butembo, had recently released a song about the struggle to defend civilians, in which he declared he would not die before witnessing the results of the war they were fighting.

His death has shocked observers of politics in eastern Congo, raising questions about whether it could further inflame tensions in the conflict-ridden region of the DRC.