Minembwe : several thousand residents celebrate the New Year far from their villages, in desolate conditions

Several thousand residents composed of members of the Banyamulenge community who fled hostilities between the FARDC, the Congolese army and the Twirwaneho armed group have been living in deplorable conditions since December 25. Some were welcomed in schools, others in churches and live without any assistance. And several families have found refuge in forests where they sleep under the stars during this rainy season. Several children were separated from their parents when the fighting broke out while the majority of Christians were in church on Christmas Day.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to local sources, several residents were injured when they fled and several cows were looted by Congolese army soldiers and Mai-Mai militiamen stationed in the region. A significant number of children have also been separated from their parents.

Entire families have been welcomed in schools, churches, others have headed to the forests of villages deemed safer or were received in households.

“These people have not received any assistance from the Congolese government or from humanitarian NGOs”, regrets a local activist.

Displaced persons come mostly from the villages of Runundu, Mutanoga, Ilundu, Kiziba, Madegu. They have found refuge in the villages of Kisoke, Kakenge, Mishashu, Kitavi, Kishigo, Bidegu and Muliza.

Jean. M is a father from Runundu. He fled to Muliza since December 25.

“We are five families who have been received by a single household where we currently live. Life is very complicated because there is no market or shop here. In Madegu where we can go shopping, the FARDC can kill us or rape our daughters and wives,” he laments.

Marie is also a resident of Runundu. She is now living in Kisoke.

“We content ourselves with potatoes that the host families give us. There are so many people, which makes the quantities available insignificant,” she complains.

Displaced people say they are exposed to diseases because they have neither blankets nor soap.

Justification of the attacks

On December 27, the Congolese army announced that it had repelled attacks by Twirwaneho who wanted to retake the Minembwe airfield to connect this part of the country to Rwanda.

Women from the Banyamulenge community rest in a village deemed safe next to shepherds to feed their children after several hours of walking, December 2024 (SOS Médias Burundi)

An FARDC spokesman said that Burundian rebels of Red-Tabara and fighters of Twirwaneho had the objective of “taking possession and control of the airfield of Kiziba in Minembwe”, in order to “connect this part of the DRC to Rwanda to facilitate the supply of arms, ammunition and the movement of fighters”. Congolese authorities affirm that the main objective is to “better open an AFC-M23 front in South Kivu”.

The Alliance Congo River (AFC) is a political-military alliance to which is affiliated the M23, a rebel group that controls a large part of the neighboring province of North Kivu, including the city of Bunagana, which borders with Uganda.

Local organizations say that the attacks took place 25 kilometers from this airfield. “There have never been clashes around the airfield of Minembwe”.

According to Dr Delphin Ntanyoma, a researcher on conflicts in the Great Lakes region, this pretext aims to “conquer the hearts of the Congolese and prevent the international community from advocating for the Banyamulenge community of Minembwe”.

Even if there is a slight lull, witnesses speak of new gatherings of Congolese soldiers and Mai-Mai militiamen with the intention of attacking Minembwe and Rurambo.

Since 2017, the Banyamulenge of Minembwe have been living in insecurity caused by the FARDC, local militias maintained by Congolese authorities and foreign armed groups.

According to lawyer Bernard Maingain, member of the coalition of lawyers in charge of defending civil parties belonging to the Banyamulenge, Congolese Tutsi and Hema communities, “there is an atrocious situation that is taking on the appearance of ethnic cleansing, even genocide”.

“In a few decades, if we continue like this, we will create like in the time of North America with the Indians, we will end up creating Tutsi reserves in the east of the Congo”, says worryingly lawyer Maingain.

More than 1,500 members of the Banyamulenge community have been killed since 2017, according to a count by activists campaigning for the cause of this tribe mainly made up of shepherds.

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Women and children from the Banyamulenge community fleeing, December 2024 (SOS Médias Burundi)