South Kivu : deadly new clashes between Wazalendo Militiamen and M23 in the Ruzizi plain

SOS Médias Burundi

Bukavu, May 7, 2026 – Violent fighting broke out on Wednesday, May 6, in the town of Kigurwe, in the Uvira territory, leaving several Wazalendo militiamen dead, according to multiple sources. The violence is part of the ongoing clashes between Wazalendo militiamen and M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Violent fighting erupted on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, between Wazalendo militiamen and M23 rebels in Kigurwe, a town located in the Ruzizi Plain, about 7 kilometers from the center of Sange, in the Uvira territory (South Kivu).

According to several concurring sources, these clashes resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen Wazalendo militiamen. Some reports even suggest a death toll exceeding twenty among the Wazalendo militiamen.

The Wazalendo militiamen claim to have launched an offensive against M23 positions and maintain that they succeeded in dislodging them from Kigurwe. However, testimonies gathered from local residents contradict this version. According to them, the M23 retains control of the town after the fighting.

Among the victims are reportedly several influential Wazalendo militiamen, including Colonel David, described as the deputy of the self-proclaimed General Kamama. His death has reportedly been confirmed by the Wazalendo militiamen themselves, who also acknowledge the extent of the losses suffered during these clashes.

The situation remains confused on the ground, and no official independent death toll has yet been released. These new clashes illustrate the persistent insecurity in the Ruzizi plain, where fighting between the Wazalendo militia and the M23 rebels continues to claim civilian and military casualties.

The Wazalendo militia are local armed groups supported by Kinshasa. In this region, they are increasingly engaged alongside government forces against the M23 rebels, while the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) remain in support within a fragmented security context. They also receive military support from Burundi as part of bilateral cooperation between Burundi and the DRC.

Since early 2025, the M23 rebels have recaptured several areas in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, including their respective capitals, Goma and Bukavu, as well as the Rubaya mining site, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits, supplying a significant portion of the global tantalum used in the electronics industry and new technologies.

Reactivated in 2021, the M23 is a former Tutsi rebellion that has taken up arms again, accusing Congolese authorities of failing to honor their commitments to reintegration. It is now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). The coalition advocates for the establishment of a federal state in the DRC.

Congolese authorities accuse Rwanda of supporting the rebels, allegations that Kigali rejects, despite a United Nations expert report mentioning the deployment of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside the M23. For its part, Rwanda accuses Burundi and the DRC of supporting the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group, some of whose members are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

Burundi deployed more than 29,000 soldiers in eastern Congo between August 2022 and December 2025, according to an internal report from the Congolese Ministry of the Interior and Security consulted by SOS Médias Burundi in December 2025.

On the ground, hostilities continue despite several signed agreements, including the Washington Agreement of December 4, 2025, between Rwanda and the DRC, where Burundi was represented by President Évariste Ndayishimiye as an observer.

In this context, several thousand civilians continue to flee to neighboring countries, while others remain trapped in areas where humanitarian aid struggles to reach.