South Kivu : Governor Purusi in turmoil, 18 MPs demand his resignation

SOS Médias Burundi

Bukavu, April 26, 2026 – In Uvira, political tensions are rising over the management of South Kivu province. Eighteen provincial deputies have officially initiated a motion of no confidence against Governor Jean Jacques Purusi, whom they accuse of serious misconduct in the performance of his duties.

According to the signatory elected officials, several grievances are leveled against the head of the provincial executive, including suspicions of embezzlement of public funds, non-payment of state employees, and allegations of involvement in the illegal exploitation of minerals in collaboration with foreign operators. The members of parliament also denounced the lack of concrete development initiatives in the territories of Uvira, Fizi, Mwenga, and Shabunda.

The decisive session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the South Kivu Provincial Assembly, where a vote could seal the governor’s political fate. While awaiting this deadline, mobilization is also gaining momentum among the local population.

In the city of Uvira, many residents are expressing their discontent with what they call “remote governance.” They criticize the governor for not residing in the province, claiming that he spends most of his time in Bujumbura, the neighboring Burundian commercial capital.

“We often go to the administrative offices in Kavimvira to look for the authorities, but we find no one. They are all in Bujumbura,” testified one resident.

Criticism also focuses on unfulfilled promises, including job creation, the rehabilitation of urban roads, and the completion of National Route 5, linking Kavimvira to Kalundu and on to downtown Uvira.

Jean Jacques Purusi moved his base to Bujumbura after the fall of Bukavu, a situation that worsened after the M23 rebels seized Uvira in December 2015. They withdrew permanently a month later under pressure from the United States.

As provincial deputies prepare to decide on his political future, the governor has been summoned to Kinshasa by national authorities, a development likely to influence the outcome of this sensitive matter.

An explosive security and regional context

This political crisis is unfolding against a backdrop of particularly unstable security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23), now affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC) led by Corneille Nangaa, continue to exert influence in certain areas of North and South Kivu, in a context of fragmented governance.

Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23, which Kigali denies, despite reports from United Nations experts indicating the presence of Rwandan soldiers alongside the rebels.

For its part, Burundi has deployed troops alongside the Congolese armed forces and the Wazalendo militias in the fight against the M23.

Despite several diplomatic initiatives, including the Washington Agreement signed in December 2025 between the DRC and Rwanda, fighting continues on the ground.

In the region, tensions remain high between Kigali, Gitega, and Kinshasa. Rwanda accuses Burundi and the DRC of supporting the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group whose members are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

In Uvira, the Wazalendo militias are gaining increasing influence, filling the void left by regular forces deemed ineffective against the persistent threat of the M23.

In this climate of institutional fragmentation, persistent regional rivalries, and shifting security alliances, the South Kivu crisis illustrates the weakening of state authority in eastern Congo and the enduring complexity of the political and military challenges in the Great Lakes region.