This group of villages located in the territory of Fizi, province of South Kivu in eastern Congo, fell into the hands of fighters of Twirwaneho on Friday. Its capture occurred two days after the death of Colonel Makanika, commander-in-chief of this group composed of members of the Banyamulenge community, in a drone attack.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to witnesses, all the positions of the soldiers of FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) which were in Madegu, Runundu, Kiziba, Ilundu and Kakenge in particular are occupied by the fighters of Twirwaneho.

« We captured Minembwe. Soldiers abandoned several weapons and ammunition that we also recovered, » a fighter from the Twirwaneho armed group told SOS Médias Burundi.

Several residents came out of their homes to express their joy after the capture of Minembwe. Women sang when they went to meet the Twirwaneho fighters.

« We are happy because the FARDC soldiers and the Mai-Mai militias were looting our cows, killing people, stealing from fields and houses and raping our women and girls, » said residents of Minembwe.

We tried to reach an FARDC spokesperson in the region for comment, without success.

On social media, Banyamulenge around the world praised Colonel Makanika’s « heroic work » and described his death as « a seed that will produce multitudes of other heroes. »

Minembwe is a group of villages located in the Fizi territory in the South Kivu province in eastern Congo, populated for the most part by members of the Banyamulenge community, a tribe of pastoralists.

Since 2017, the Banyamulenge of Minembwe have been living in insecurity caused by the FARDC, local militias maintained by Congolese authorities and foreign armed groups.

According to lawyer Bernard Maingain, member of the coalition of lawyers in charge of defending civil parties belonging to the Banyamulenge, Congolese Tutsi and Hema communities, « there is an atrocious situation that takes on the appearance of ethnic cleansing, even genocide ».

« In a few decades, if we continue like this, we will create like in the time of North America with the Indians, we will end up creating Tutsi reserves in eastern Congo », worryingly says lawyer Maingain.

More than 1,500 members of the Banyamulenge community have been killed since 2017, according to a count by activists campaigning for the cause of this tribe, which is mainly made up of pastoralists.

The Twirwaneho armed group, considered by the Banyamulenge as « a self-defense group » is also seen as « a movement fighting for our survival ».

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Residents who came to express their joy and welcome the Twirwaneho fighters in the center of Madegu, DR