Mikenge : deadly fighting between the FARDC, the FDNB, and rebels – population trapped

SOS Médias Burundi

Mikenge, March 2, 2026 — The town of Mikenge, located in the Itombwe sector of Mwenga territory in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, was retaken on Sunday by the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), supported by the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB) and the Wazalendo militia. This town, which had remained under the control of Twirwaneho fighters from the Banyamulenge minority and M23 rebels for over a year, represents a strategic point for territorial control and supply routes to Minembwe.

This recapture comes after violent clashes that caused massive displacement of civilians and exacerbated the already fragile humanitarian situation in the region.

A confirmed military presence in the city center

According to local sources, the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo), the FDNB (National Democratic Forces of Burundi), and the Wazalendo militia now control strategic points in the center of Mikenge, including the general hospital. However, Twirwaneho elements are reportedly still positioned in the surrounding area, raising concerns about possible counter-offensives or a resurgence of fighting.

Mass displacement of civilians to Minembwe

The recapture of Mikenge has triggered a massive population movement. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were living in the Mikenge camp have fled to Minembwe, taking their belongings and livestock with them. Several witnesses report alarming humanitarian conditions along the route, marked by a lack of shelter, food, and medical care for these families already weakened by years of insecurity.

Fighting reported near Minembwe

While Mikenge has just been recaptured, clashes were also reported on Sunday in several villages in Minembwe, including Bidegu, Ilundu, Rugezi, Kalingi, Kalongi, and Kakenge. The FARDC, the FDNB, and the Wazalendo militia reportedly launched offensives but were repelled by Twirwaneho fighters and the M23. The situation remains volatile in this part of the South Kivu highlands, an area inhabited mainly by the Banyamulenge minority.

Regional context : an increasingly regionalized war

At the regional level, Burundi’s involvement in eastern DRC is massive and controversial. According to an internal report consulted by SOS Médias Burundi, the Burundian army deployed more than 29,000 soldiers in eastern Congo between August 2022 and December 2025. Following setbacks against M23 offensives, a partial withdrawal was initiated, followed by a gradual redeployment, maintaining Burundi’s commitment to an increasingly regionalized conflict.

In Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital, the Kamenge military hospital has received dozens of Burundian soldiers wounded in the fighting around Minembwe-Fizi and Mwenga. The clashes also involve Twirwaneho, a strategic ally of the M23. Drone strikes and ground attacks have resulted in numerous casualties among Burundian and Congolese forces.

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23. Rwanda, for its part, accuses Burundi and the DRC of supporting the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group implicated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. Despite repeated denials from Rwanda, a report by the UN Group of Experts confirmed in December 2025 the presence of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside the M23 rebels. Kigali calls this report a “sham.” The M23 is now affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the CENI (Independent National Electoral Commission). This coalition controls strategic areas, including the Rubaya mining region, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits, essential to the global electronics industry.

Despite the Washington Agreement signed on December 4, 2025, between Kigali and Kinshasa, hostilities continue. Officially silent on the losses, the Burundian authorities have, to date, provided no figures on the number of soldiers killed in action. On the ground, the war continues to claim lives.