Minembwe: M23/Twirwaneho declares victory, accuses FARDC coalition of significant retreat after week-long combat

Minembwe, June 19, 2026 — For nearly a week, intense fighting engulfed the high plateaus of Fizi and Mwenga territories in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The clashes pitted Twirwaneho combatants, aligned with the AFC-M23 politico-military coalition, against the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), supported by the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB) and Kinshasa-backed Wazalendo militias.

Following the protracted engagements, Twirwaneho/M23 fighters asserted that they had pushed the government coalition back from several strategic positions surrounding Minembwe. Concurrently, local and military accounts corroborate a withdrawal of the allied forces involved in the confrontation.

According to eyewitnesses from the local community, the hostilities escalated dramatically throughout the week, characterized by the deployment of heavy weaponry, drone strikes, and aerial bombardments. Subsequently, the FARDC, FDNB, and their allies reportedly retreated towards the localities of Lwiko, Mutunda, and Miko, relinquishing control of numerous peripheral areas around Minembwe to the Twirwaneho/M23 combatants.

Residents who sought refuge from the violence in Kiziba recounted scenes of widespread panic and massive civilian displacement. Multiple testimonies described bombardments impacting populated zones, though an independent casualty assessment remains unconfirmed.

The FARDC had not issued a comprehensive statement at the time of this report, but local military sources acknowledged a strategic repositioning after particularly fierce clashes in the Ilundu and Bidegu sectors.

Unverified intelligence from the conflict zone also suggested that Burundian soldiers of the FDNB may have abandoned equipment during their retreat towards Kakenge (Miko). Reports indicated human losses within the ranks of the FARDC, FDNB, and Wazalendo, although no official figures have been released.

Victory claims and declarations

From the perspective of the Twirwaneho/M23 combatants, the narrative is one of decisive military success. They declared having driven back government forces and their allies beyond multiple front lines, thereby solidifying their control over positions near Minembwe.

Former Congolese national deputy Moïse Nyarugabo lauded what he termed the “retreat of forces engaged against Minembwe.”

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

Nyarugabo further contended that military operations launched months ago had failed to establish lasting security in the persistently unstable high plateaus.

He also leveled accusations against the coalition, holding it responsible for bombardments that allegedly resulted in civilian casualties and massive population displacements.

Controversy surrounding FDNB presence

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

Certain security sources alleged that Kinshasa had offered Gitega mining exploitation benefits in the Minembwe area and other parts of Fizi territory in exchange for military support. These claims have not been substantiated by either Congolese or Burundian authorities.

However, Presidents Évariste Ndayishimiye and Félix Tshisekedi have publicly confirmed 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 had been deployed in eastern DRC between August 2022 and December 2025.

Against this backdrop of heightened security tensions, the Burundian army recently executed new redeployments in the region. This occurred notably after the AFC-M23 rebels withdrew from the strategic city of Uvira, situated near Goma and vital routes connecting eastern Congo to Burundi. Uvira had been under rebel occupation for nearly a month between December 2025 and January 2026 before their retreat.

More recently, local accounts also reported the withdrawal of AFC-M23 elements from certain positions in the Rusizi plain, reportedly under international pressure, particularly from the United States and other partners engaged in regional de-escalation efforts.

AFC-M23 and Twirwaneho at the heart of the conflict

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

Within the South Kivu highlands, this coalition heavily relies on the Twirwaneho armed movement, predominantly composed of youth from the Banyamulenge community.

Congolese authorities consistently accuse Rwanda of backing the AFC-M23 and its allies, allegations Kigali systematically refutes. 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 vehemently denies these accusations, simultaneously reproaching Gitega for collaboration with the FDLR and other armed groups active in the region.

Amidst these persistent tensions, the M23/AFC, a predominantly Tutsi movement that resumed hostilities in late 2021 citing Kinshasa’s failure to honor reintegration commitments, now controls or influences several strategic areas in North and South Kivu, including key economic arteries and localities.

A region perpetually unstable

Despite numerous regional agreements and diplomatic initiatives aimed at de-escalating the crisis in eastern DRC, ground clashes persist without any immediate prospect of lasting peace.

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

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Photo d’archives: local militiamen attacking M23 in Bashali, while various armed groups clash in Minembwe, amidst high tensions in eastern DRC.