Gahuna: FARDC and FDNB arrested five people including two Burundians

The five individuals were arrested this Saturday at the beginning of the afternoon. They are suspected of supplying fallen Colonel Makanika, commander of the Twirwaneho armed group made up of members of the Banyamulenge community. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Those arrested were going to the locality of Nyawaranga in the Bijombo groupment, in the territory of Uvira (South Kivu province in the east of the DRC), according to local sources.

The arrest took place in the village of Kibogeri.

“These are two Burundian shepherds, a Congolese from the Bashi community, the chief of the Gahuna locality and a young man who is in Colonel Makanika’s close guard,” say military sources.

According to sources in Bijombo, fighters from Twirwaneho ordered those in detention to “carry food to Nyawaranga”.

Information provided by military sources confirms that the persons concerned are being held in the town of Uvira.

According to our reporter, in this part of the Congo where local armed groups of Burundian origin are installed, the rebel movements often use civilians to transport food and ammunition, as the area has no roads.

The FDNB (National Defense Force of Burundi) has been present on Congolese soil officially since mid-August 2022, as part of the regional force of the EAC decided by the heads of state of the East African community in June this year. But the Burundian soldiers long accused of making incursions into Congolese territory along with members of the youth league of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, much more target the FNL (National Liberation Forces) the Red-Tabara, an armed group considered as a terrorist movement by the Burundian authorities, two rebel groups of Burundian origin based in South Kivu.

In recent months, intense fighting between the Burundian army and rebels from both armed groups has been reported in this mineral-rich region, with each side claiming victory.