Minembwe, the heart of an endless war in the drc

In the democratic republic of Congo, the security situation remains critical in Minembwe, south kivu province, as both the congolese and rwandan governments reaffirm their commitment to peace.

Meeting this wednesday (24 june) in london, the two sides agreed to implement the peace accord signed in june 2025, enforce the ceasefire, and de-escalate 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.

A war that spares nothing, not even health facilities

Fighting continues in this administrative entity within fizi territory. Nearly daily, there are reports of casualties and material damage, as described by a local resident who speaks of drone bombings. He claims that even the Minembwe general referral hospital and several health centers have been targeted: “The pediatric wing 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 keep happening.”

Civilians trapped in a never-ending war

In recent weeks, intensified clashes around Minembwe have triggered mass displacement of civilians. The collective of civil society organizations in south kivu demands that all signed agreements be respected, starting with the ceasefire.

“We deplore that civilians continue to be preyed upon by belligerents everywhere, says Hypocrate Marume, a member of the south kivu civil society coordination framework. “People keep moving. The crisis is worsening, and it is us, the population, who are being killed. As south kivu civil society, we reiterate our call for both parties to lay down their arms and negotiate for peace.”

The battle for a highly strategic zone

The clashes in Minembwe are rooted in community tensions and rivalries over control of a strategically vital area—important both militarily and symbolically.

Professor Philippe Doudou Kaganda, scientific director of the Center for Research on Conflicts and Peace in the Great Lakes Region, explains: “Minembwe is a vast space that would allow the faction holding it to launch counter-offensives against adversaries, whether in the mid-altitude plateaus or the Ruzizi plain. It is a crossroads connecting to Mwenga territory. Minembwe has also been a conflict zone for decades. When one faction captures it, it signals a victory in a territorial and ethnicized war.”

Peace remains a distant dream for Minembwe’s residents, who now live under the constant threat of drone strikes and gunfire exchanges that are nearly continuous.