Minembwe: the Congolese army and the Twirwaneho armed group have lost 11 elements

The FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and the Twirwaneho armed group clashed on Thursday. Hostilities took place in different localities of Minembwe, an area populated by members of the Banyamulenge community composed of pastoralists. It is located in the territory of Fizi in the province of South Kivu in the east of the DRC. The army lost seven soldiers while four fighters from the rebel group made up of young Banyamulenge were killed. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Fighting was reported in Kabingo, Masha and Runundu.

Local sources indicate that the Congolese army attacked Twirwaneho’s posts, planning to dislodge them.

“Young fighters from Twirwaneho put up fierce resistance to the conquest of their encampments”, say local sources.

Military sources told SOS Médias Burundi that “we lost seven soldiers in Minembwe during the fighting on Thursday”.

Officials from Twirwaneho testified that “four of our fighters were killed when we clashed with the FARDC”.

According to parents, there are several children under the age of eight who were injured in the locality of Runundu following these clashes.

“Hundreds of people have fled their households.”

Burundian soldiers stationed in South Kivu as part of the EAC regional force had to intervene to support the FARDC, administration sources reported.

Localities recovered

Meanwhile, the Congolese army confirms having recovered several localities that had fallen into the hands of Twirwaneho combatants in Bijabo and other areas, still in Fizi territory.

The armed group had very strategic posts, especially in Bijabo.

General Ramazani Fundi, commander of the Sokola 2 operational sector, asked notables and representatives of the local civil society to “raise awareness among the population” in order to “collaborate with the loyalist army” to restore peace and security.