Hidden war in Congo : dozens of Burundian soldiers wounded, bodies secretly repatriated to Rumonge

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, February 28, 2026 – The fishing port of the port city of Rumonge, located in Burunga province in the south of the small east African nation, has for several days become a discreet transit point for seriously wounded Burundian soldiers and their remains from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to local and military sources, boats from South Kivu regularly dock at the Burundian naval position. On board : seriously wounded soldiers and lifeless bodies.

At the Kamenge military hospital, in the north of the commercial capital Bujumbura, several dozen wounded soldiers have been admitted in recent days, according to multiple sources. These soldiers were evacuated from the areas of intense fighting around Minembwe, Fizi, and Mwenga, where clashes have escalated dramatically.

Residents near the port reported seeing a boat carrying several bodies on Thursday. Shortly after it docked, military ambulances arrived to discreetly remove the remains.

Heavy losses on the Minembwe front

On the ground, the fighting pits the M23 against the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), supported by the Wazalendo militias and units of the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB).

In the Minembwe region, the clashes also involve Twirwaneho, a strategic ally of the M23. Witnesses report that several Burundian soldiers were killed in drone attacks targeting their positions in Ilundu, Kalongi, Bichumbi, and at “Point Zero.” Others were reportedly attacked in Mulima and Nyaluhinga.

The wounded are being transported by helicopter, motorcycle, and vehicle to hospitals in Fizi, Baraka, and Bujumbura, which are now overwhelmed, according to medical sources.

A massive and controversial commitment

According to an internal Congolese report consulted by SOS Médias Burundi in December 2025, the Burundian army deployed more than 29,000 soldiers in eastern Congo between August 2022 and December 2025. Following setbacks against M23 offensives, a massive withdrawal had begun. A few weeks later, a partial redeployment took place, reigniting Burundi’s involvement in an increasingly regionalized conflict.

During a meeting with the Imbonerakure, members of the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party, President Évariste Ndayishimiye publicly praised the bravery of Burundian soldiers, stating that “without them, the Rwandans would have already invaded Congo.”

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23. Rwanda, for its part, denounces the alleged support of the DRC and Burundi for the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group, some of whose members are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

The M23 is now affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Congolese Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). The coalition controls several strategic areas in North and South Kivu, including the Rubaya mining region, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits, supplying a significant portion of the global tantalum used in the electronics industry and new technologies.

On February 24, the high-profile Colonel Willy Ngoma, military spokesperson for the M23, was killed in clashes, according to a statement released to SOS Médias Burundi by Lawrence Kanyuka, head of communications for the AFC, on Saturday.

Despite the Washington Agreement signed on December 4, 2025, between Kigali and Kinshasa, hostilities continue. Officially silent on casualties, Burundian authorities have not yet released any figures on the number of soldiers killed in action.

On the ground, the war continues to claim lives—and Rumonge is now witnessing the evidence.