M23 fighters moved into Mwenga on the evening of March 3, 2025, following clashes with the Wazalendo armed coalition.
A local resident reported, 'Since the evening, AFC/M23 fighters have been seen in Kilungutwe. The Wazalendo fighters who were stationed there have retreated. Fighting started in Bwahungu earlier in the day and extended to an area called 'Mise en Garde' before reaching the Tibimbi groupement.'
According to the resident, M23 rebels continued their advance toward the Mufa area before crossing the Kadubo River, which separates Mwenga from Walungu Territory. They then entered the villages of Muduwe, Kilungutwe, and Kalama.
On March 3, M23's political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, claimed that villages inhabited by the Banyamulenge community in Mwenga, Fizi, and Itombwe had come under attack by Congolese government forces and allied militias.
'Refugee camps have been burned, civilians are being killed, and villages are being destroyed. These acts must stop,' Kanyuka stated.
M23 has previously warned that it would intervene to protect the Banyamulenge communities, who have reportedly been targeted by government forces and militias in territories such as Fizi, Uvira, and Mwenga.
The Twirwaneho militia, which defends the Banyamulenge in South Kivu, recently announced its willingness to ally with M23 to safeguard civilians facing continued violence.
Currently, M23 fighters are present in six of South Kivu's eight territories: Kalehe, Kabare, Walungu, Fizi, Uvira, and Mwenga.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/m23-rebels-advance-into-mwenga-territory-in-south-kivu
