On Tuesday morning, intense fighting resumed in several parts of Minembwe in South Kivu Province, where a coalition of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), backed by Burundian troops, the Wazalendo militia, and the FDLR, is engaged in clashes with the MRDP-Twirwaneho group, which says it is defending communities in the Minembwe area.
Reports from the affected areas indicate that drone strikes began at around 9:00 p.m. and continued into the early hours of Tuesday morning. The attacks primarily targeted the areas of Lundu, Bidegu, Kalongi, Gakenke, as well as other locations near the center of Minembwe.
Residents say the sound of gunfire and explosions echoed throughout the night, forcing some people to flee in search of safety.
By Tuesday morning, the fighting had intensified, with both sides clashing on different fronts around Lundu and Gakenke. Reports from the area indicate that:
- FARDC and its allied forces were seen in the Gakina area of Lundu.
- MRDP-Twirwaneho was reportedly positioned in the Murondanyi area of Lundu and other parts of the locality.
- Some reports also suggest that Twirwaneho controls large portions of Lundu.
Lundu is a large area located on the outskirts of Minembwe Centre in Mwenga Territory and is considered strategically important to the security dynamics of the region.
Meanwhile, in the Gakenke area, heavy fighting continued between Twirwaneho and FARDC, which is backed by Burundian troops and FDLR fighters. Reports indicate that the clashes reached areas near Gakenke Hospital, as both sides sought to gain control of key routes in the area.
In other areas, MRDP-Twirwaneho is reportedly continuing its military operations in an effort to maintain pressure on opposing forces.
Although information from the region remains difficult to verify independently due to the security situation, residents say many people have already fled their homes, while others have sought refuge in nearby forests and hills to escape the effects of the fighting.
The latest clashes follow a series of confrontations that have occurred in recent days in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where armed groups and government forces have continued military operations in various areas, particularly in the Hauts Plateaux (High Plateaus) of Mulenge across the territories of Uvira, Fizi, and Mwenga in South Kivu Province.
As of now, neither side has released an official report on the number of people killed or injured in the latest clashes, while fighting continues in various parts of Minembwe.
