Minembwe : two dead and several wounded in a bombing reported in Ilundu/Basita

SOS Médias Burundi

Bukavu, June 7, 2026 – Two people were killed and six others wounded in bombings that occurred overnight from Saturday, June 6, to Sunday, June 7, in the village of Ilundu/Basita, located in the Minembwe area of ​​Fizi territory, in the South Kivu province of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This region of the High Plateaus is predominantly inhabited by members of the Banyamulenge minority.

According to a statement released Sunday by the Local Network for the Protection of Civilians in the High Plateaus, a citizens’ collective based in Minembwe, the shelling, attributed to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB), targeted an inhabited area of ​​the village.

According to this organization, the projectiles struck a house belonging to Pastor Ruberanganizi, as well as several school buildings. Two classrooms at Ilundu Primary School reportedly sustained significant material damage.

The official report indicates two deaths : Prince Runezerwa Mahiyaho, 19 years old, who died upon arrival at the general hospital, and Résor Kigeri Mazuru, who reportedly died at the scene of the attack.

Six other people were injured, including Bajeneza Murontsi, 7 years old, a second-grade student, and Nzabakiza Osée, 12 years old, who suffered serious injuries to multiple parts of his body. Other victims, aged 18 years to 58 years, were also reported in varying conditions.

The Local Network for the Protection of Civilians in the Highlands strongly condemns this attack and confirms that the victims are Banyamulenge civilians. The organization refers to acts it describes as serious crimes against civilian populations and calls on the relevant authorities and the international community to address the security situation in the Minembwe Highlands.

At the time of publication, no official response from the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) or the FDNB (National Democratic Forces of Burundi) had been received regarding these allegations. Independent verification of the exact circumstances of the incident was not yet available.

A regional context dominated by tensions between States and armed groups

This incident occurs within the context of a complex regional conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where State rivalries, armed groups, and local alliances are intertwined.

The M23, a former Tutsi-dominated rebellion that resumed hostilities in late 2021, accuses the Congolese authorities of failing to honor their commitments to reintegrate its fighters. The armed group, now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), is active in several areas of eastern Congo.

In South Kivu, and particularly in the Minembwe area, the M23 is regularly presented as having local allies, notably the armed group Twirwaneho, composed mainly of young Banyamulenge fighters.

In this context, accusations between States remain particularly heated. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi regularly accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23 and playing a destabilizing role in the region. Kigali categorically rejects these accusations and asserts, on the contrary, that Kinshasa and Gitega are cooperating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group composed of former Hutu leaders linked to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

Burundi, for its part, maintains that its forces deployed in eastern DRC are operating within the framework of a bilateral agreement with Kinshasa aimed at restoring security. Rwanda, meanwhile, denies any direct or indirect involvement with the M23.

These cross-accusations between Kigali, Kinshasa, and Gitega are fueling significant diplomatic and military tensions in the Great Lakes region. On the ground, the proliferation of armed groups and military operations continues to expose civilian populations to recurring violence, particularly in the Minembwe Highlands and in several areas of South Kivu and North Kivu.