Two people were killed and seven others injured following overnight bombings that occurred between Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, in Ilundu/Basita village, Minembwe area, Fizi Territory, South Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The bombings, which have been attributed by the M23 rebel movement to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and Burundi’s National Defence Force (FDNB), reportedly targeted an inhabited area in the predominantly Banyamulenge community of the Minembwe Highlands.
According to an official report cited by local sources, the deceased were identified as 19-year-old Prince Runezerwa Mahiyaho, who reportedly died upon arrival at a general hospital, and Resor Kigeri Mazuru, who is said to have died at the scene of the attack.
Seven others sustained injuries of varying severity. They include Bajeneza Murontsi, a seven-year-old second-year primary school pupil who suffered a hand injury; 12-year-old Nzabakiza Osée, son of Rukema Alexis and Nabisabo Mutoni, who sustained serious injuries to the throat, both hands, and one leg; and Nyasafari Chantal, 29, who suffered head injuries and wounds to other parts of the body.
Other injured victims were identified as Nyamahoro Nyankamirwa, 54, who suffered injuries to both legs; Cubahiro Fataki, 18, reported to be in critical condition after being struck by multiple shrapnel fragments; Tito Murengera, 58, who was also injured; and another unidentified victim said to be in critical condition.
In a statement issued on Monday, Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson of the M23 rebel movement, said the bombings also destroyed civilian infrastructure, including two classrooms at Ilundu Primary School.
Kanyuka further claimed that several people remain missing, adding that ongoing search and rescue efforts have been repeatedly disrupted by drones allegedly flying over the affected area.
“Silence in the face of these crimes becomes a form of complicity. The tragedy of Minembwe can no longer be ignored, minimized, or relegated to the background,” Kanyuka said.
The incident comes amid an increasingly complex conflict in eastern DRC, where state rivalries, armed groups, and shifting local alliances continue to fuel instability.
The M23, a predominantly Tutsi-led rebel group that resumed fighting in late 2021, accuses the Congolese government of failing to fulfill commitments to reintegrate its fighters. The group is now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC) and remains active in several parts of eastern Congo.
In South Kivu, particularly the Minembwe area, M23 has frequently been linked to local allies, including the Twirwaneho armed group, largely composed of young Banyamulenge fighters.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high among regional actors. The DRC and Burundi have repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing M23 and destabilizing eastern Congo—claims Kigali strongly denies. Rwanda, in turn, accuses Kinshasa and Gitega of collaborating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group linked to perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Burundi maintains that its military presence in eastern DRC is based on a bilateral security agreement with Kinshasa aimed at restoring stability. Rwanda has consistently denied any direct or indirect involvement with the M23 rebel movement.
The continued exchange of accusations among Kigali, Kinshasa, and Gitega has heightened diplomatic and military tensions across the Great Lakes region, while civilians in South Kivu, North Kivu, and particularly the Minembwe Highlands continue to bear the brunt of recurring violence.
