Twirwaneho spokesperson Kamasa Ndakize Welcome announced on Tuesday, 5 August, that joint attacks involving the FDLR, FARDC, and a faction of the Mai Mai Ngomanzito militia had begun in the villages of Irumba and Rugezi, located in southern Minembwe.
'Since the early hours of August 5, joint offensives by government forces, including FARDC, FDLR genocidaires, and Mai Mai Ngomanzito, have been carried out on Banyamulenge villages in Irumba and Rugezi,' he stated.
The reports come just days after the community raised concerns that FDLR fighters were undergoing training in Burundi, ahead of being deployed to join FARDC, Burundian forces, and Wazalendo militias in operations targeting the Banyamulenge.
'Military training, which constitutes a criminal act, is being provided to FDLR fighters in Burundi before they are deployed to the DRC. We continue to condemn this. Approximately 20,000 are currently in training, and more than 3,000 have already crossed into the DRC,' the group stated earlier.
Twirwaneho also indicated that credible intelligence showed each FDLR combatant receives $50 prior to leaving Burundi and is then dispatched to areas such as Luvungi, Lubarika, and Lemera, where they reportedly establish temporary bases.
However, in his latest statement, the Twirwaneho spokesperson clarified that Burundian forces were not involved in the August 5 attacks and called for their complete and public withdrawal from what the movement described as a wider campaign to annihilate the Banyamulenge.
'We affirm that Burundian troops did not take part in today's attacks. We hope they will completely and publicly distance themselves from such operations. Withdrawing from this genocidal war would mark a major step toward peace,' he said.
Twirwaneho reiterated its commitment to peace but stressed its right to defend civilians under threat using all means permitted by law.
The attacks continue despite prior commitments to a ceasefire and an end to violence in eastern DRC, as ongoing talks between the DRC government and the AFC/M23 rebel group proceed.
In recent weeks, the rebel group has accused FARDC and its allied militias of carrying out coordinated attacks, urging the international community to condemn the violence and support a peaceful resolution to the conflict, one they say is rooted in the marginalisation and persecution of Banyamulenge communities in eastern DRC.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/fdlr-and-fardc-accused-of-attacks-on-banyamulenge-in-south-kivu
