Minembwe: a soldier and a pastor killed in two days

A FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) soldier was killed on Wednesday morning in Minembwe. The area lies in the territory of Fizi, province of South Kivu in eastern Congo. A pastor lost life on Monday in the same area, allegedly by the elements of the FARDC. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The soldier killed belonged to the 12th brigade whose troops are posted in Minembwe. Military sources say the gunmen who shot him are the Twirwaneho armed group fighters, made up of members of the Banyamulenge community.

“They shot him when he was going to fetch water in the Runundu valley,” say his colleagues.

The death of the soldier has caused tension in this region dominated by Congolese from the Banyamulenge community, associated with Rwandans by several other tribes.

“Soldiers’ wives improvised a march. They said they wanted to expel Rwandans from Congo. They threw stones at Banyamulenge stores and shops in the center of Madegu,” said witnesses.

Earlier, a similar incident occured and involved a pastor from Banyamulenge community who was killed on Monday.

Muzima Rugamba was in a group of people when he was shot.

“Several residents were in the same house in the center of Madegu. They were taking shelter from the rain. Soldiers came and took everything they had on them – mobile phones, money…before leaving, they shot Pastor Muzima who died on the spot,” witnesses said.

The Congolese army said it had opened an investigation into the case. According to our sources, three soldiers who assassinated the man of God belong to the 12th brigade.

“The suspects have been arrested,” security sources say.

At least 20 civilians have been killed in Minembwe since 2020, with ten murdered by soldiers, according to local civil society.

The case which provoked much indignation is that of a young pupil murdered with a machete by a soldier, at the beginning of last October.

In this same region, at least 300,000 cows have been looted by armed groups and the FARDC since 2017, according to a representative of livestock farmers in the area.

A spokesman for the Twirwaneho armed group was unavailable to comment on the allegations.