Minembwe: civilians trapped in endless war in eastern DRC

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the security situation in Minembwe, South Kivu Province, remains dire despite renewed commitments to peace by the Congolese and Rwandan governments. Meeting in London on Wednesday, both sides agreed to implement the June 2025 peace deal, enforce a ceasefire, and reduce tensions in Minembwe.

This strategic area is fiercely contested between the Congolese army and AFC-M23 rebels, each backed by allied militias—the Wazalendo and Twirwaneho.

War spares nothing, not even health facilities

Fighting continues daily in this administrative entity of Fizi territory, causing casualties and material damage. A local resident describes relentless drone bombardments: “The pediatric ward was bombed yesterday. The Ilundu health center near the airstrip was also hit. War is a daily reality, and drones terrorize the population. People have fled. The situation is dire—these drone attacks never stop.” The Minembwe General Referral Hospital and other clinics have been targeted repeatedly.

Civilians caught in a never-ending conflict

The recent escalation in clashes around Minembwe has triggered massive civilian displacement. The South Kivu civil society coalition demands strict adherence to all signed agreements, starting with the ceasefire. Hypocrate Marume, a member of the coalition, states: “We condemn that civilians continue to be preyed upon by belligerents everywhere. People keep fleeing. The crisis deepens, and it is our people who are being killed. As civil society, we urge both sides to lay down arms and negotiate for peace.”

The battle for a highly strategic zone

The Minembwe clashes are rooted in communal tensions and rivalry for control of a militarily and symbolically important area. Professor Philippe Doudou Kaganda, scientific director of the Great Lakes Region Centre for Research on Conflict and Peace, explains: “Minembwe is a vast space that allows whichever faction occupies it to launch counter-offensives against adversaries, both in the mid-altitude plateaus and the Ruzizi plain. It is a crossroads linking to Mwenga territory. Minembwe has been a conflict zone for decades. Its capture by any faction signifies a victory in a territorial and ethnicized war.”

For Minembwe’s residents, peace remains a distant dream. They now live under the constant threat of drone strikes and crossfire, with no respite in sight.