Minembwe: M23/Twirwaneho claims victory and accuses FARDC–FDNB–Wazalendo coalition of retreat after a week of fighting

Minembwe, Democratic Republic of Congo—A week of brutal clashes recently engulfed the high plateaus of Fizi and Mwenga territories in South Kivu, pitting Twirwaneho fighters, allied with the AFC-M23 politico-military coalition, against the Congolese armed forces (FARDC). The FARDC received support from the Burundi National Defence Force (FDNB) and Kinshasa-backed Wazalendo militias.

Following the intense engagements, Twirwaneho/M23 combatants announced they had successfully pushed the government coalition back from numerous positions surrounding Minembwe. Concurrently, local and military sources corroborated a withdrawal of the engaged forces.

Local accounts detailed the fighting reaching its peak intensity over the past week, characterized by the deployment of heavy weaponry, drones, and sustained bombardments. The FARDC, FDNB, and their allies subsequently repositioned towards the localities of Lwiko, Mutunda, and Miko, leaving several peripheral positions near Minembwe under the control of Twirwaneho/M23 combatants.

Residents who sought refuge in Kiziba described scenes of widespread panic and massive civilian displacement. Multiple testimonies reported bombardments impacting inhabited areas, though an independent assessment of casualties remains unconfirmed.

While the FARDC had not issued a detailed statement at the time of this report, local military sources confirmed a strategic repositioning after particularly fierce confrontations in the Ilundu and Bidegu areas.

Unverified intelligence from the conflict zone also indicated that Burundian FDNB personnel might have abandoned equipment during their withdrawal towards Kakenge (Miko). Reports of human losses within the ranks of the FARDC, FDNB, and Wazalendo have emerged, though no official casualty figures are available.

Victory claims and declarations

From the Twirwaneho/M23 perspective, the mood is one of military triumph. They assert having repelled government forces and their allies beyond several front lines, thereby solidifying their control around Minembwe.

Former Congolese national deputy Moïse Nyarugabo commended what he described as a “retreat of forces engaged against Minembwe.”

“The threat to Minembwe has been averted. Despite bombardments from Sukhoi jets, drones, and heavy artillery, the engaged forces were pushed back beyond the Lwiko River,” he affirmed.

He added that military operations launched months prior had failed to secure the perennially unstable high plateaus in the long term.

Nyarugabo further accused the coalition of responsibility for bombardments that resulted in civilian casualties and massive population displacements.

Controversy surrounding FDNB presence

The involvement of the Burundi National Defence Force (FDNB) alongside the FARDC continues to fuel regional controversy.

Certain security sources allege that Kinshasa offered Gitega mining concessions in the Minembwe area and other parts of Fizi territory in exchange for military assistance. Neither Congolese nor Burundian authorities have confirmed these allegations.

However, Presidents Évariste Ndayishimiye and Félix Tshisekedi have acknowledged a bilateral security cooperation agreement permitting Burundian forces to operate on Congolese soil. A Congolese Ministry of Interior and Security report indicated that over 29,000 Burundian soldiers were deployed in eastern DRC between August 2022 and December 2025.

Amid escalating security tensions, the Burundian army recently conducted new redeployments in the region. This occurred notably after AFC-M23 rebels withdrew from the strategic city of Uvira, located near Goma and vital axes connecting eastern Congo to Burundi. Uvira had been under rebel occupation for nearly a month between December 2025 and January 2026 before their pullout.

More recently, local accounts also suggest that elements of the AFC-M23 retreated from certain positions in the Rusizi plain, reportedly due to international pressure, particularly from the United States and other partners involved in regional de-escalation efforts.

AFC-M23 and Twirwaneho at the conflict’s heart

The March 23 Movement (M23) currently stands as a primary component of the Alliance Fleuve Congo–M23 (AFC-M23) politico-military coalition, led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

In the South Kivu highlands, this coalition draws significant support from the armed Twirwaneho movement, predominantly composed of young individuals from the Banyamulenge community.

Congolese authorities consistently accuse Rwanda of backing the AFC-M23 and its allies, allegations Kigali systematically denies. Rwanda, in turn, accuses Kinshasa of collaborating with the FDLR, an armed group comprising former Hutu officials implicated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

Burundi also accuses Rwanda of supporting armed groups operating against its territory and harboring ambitions for influence in eastern DRC. Kigali refutes these accusations, while simultaneously reproaching Gitega for alleged collaboration with the FDLR and other armed groups active in the region.

Within this climate of persistent tensions, the M23/AFC, a predominantly Tutsi movement that resumed hostilities in late 2021 after accusing Kinshasa of failing to honor reintegration commitments, now controls or influences several strategic areas across North and South Kivu, including key economic routes and localities.

A persistently unstable region

Despite various regional agreements and diplomatic initiatives aimed at de-escalating the crisis in eastern DRC, fighting continues on the ground with no immediate prospect of lasting peace.

The Fizi highlands thus remain one of the Great Lakes region’s most volatile hotspots, where local rivalries are intricately woven into broader tensions between Kigali, Kinshasa, and Gitega.

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Photo d’archives : miliciens locaux à l’attaque du M23 à Bashali, tandis que des combats opposent divers groupes armés à Minembwe, dans un contexte de fortes tensions dans l’est de la RDC.