South Kivu: Congolese Army Seeks Stability Amid Armed Groups Around Minembwe

In a region marked by decades of conflict, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) recently announced that they have regained control of several localities around Minembwe, in the Fizi territory of South Kivu. This military advance follows intense clashes with the armed group Twirwaheno, which took place on Thursday, June 18, 2026. According to a military communiqué relayed by Congolese authorities, the army successfully seized four key localities, including Kitavi.

The FARDC spokesperson in Uvira, Captain Dieudonné Kasereka, specified that these military operations also aimed to recover the strategic airstrip of Minembwe. "The recovery of this airstrip is crucial for our future operations and to ensure security in this unstable region," he stated during a conference call with local journalists.

The airstrip of Minembwe represents a major stake for all factions present in the region. Located in a mountainous area that is difficult to access by land, it serves not only as an essential logistical point for the supply of food and ammunition but also as a potential base for rapid military interventions. Its recovery by the FARDC could significantly alter the balance of power on the ground.

Recent clashes reflect a continuing escalation in this part of South Kivu. Local sources indicate that fighting began early in the morning and continued until late afternoon. Residents report hearing heavy and light gunfire echoing throughout the valley surrounding Minembwe Centre.

The security situation in Minembwe is emblematic of the challenges faced in eastern Congo for several decades. The region is a microcosm where ancient ethnic rivalries, struggles for control of natural resources, and complex regional political influences intertwine. Armed groups like Twirwaheno exploit these tensions to maintain their grip on certain areas while regularly defying state authority.

Historically, this part of South Kivu has been marked by an uninterrupted succession of military and civilian occupations since the First Congo War at the end of the 1990s. These conflicts have led to massive displacement of local populations to safer areas or to neighboring countries such as Rwanda or Uganda.

One of the main drivers behind these conflicts remains the economic control over the abundant natural resources in this mountainous region. South Kivu is rich in precious minerals such as gold and coltan, which regularly attract both national and international interests. However, despite these potential riches, the local population continues to suffer from endemic poverty exacerbated by chronic insecurity that hinders any sustainable development.

Some non-governmental organizations operating in the area also emphasize that without increased international engagement to peacefully resolve these latent conflicts, particularly regarding the equitable sharing of mining resources among rival local communities, as well as significant strengthening of the protective role currently played by MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo), it will be difficult, if not impossible, to establish the desired long-term socio-economic peace and stability, according to experts consulted recently during a regional forum held in Bukavu, the neighboring provincial capital, at the end of May.

As soldiers continue to progress slowly but surely towards their objectives set by the high command in Kinshasa, the national capital located several thousand kilometers away from the southeastern front of this vast Central African country, there are growing concerns about the immediate and long-term humanitarian impact resulting from recent violent clashes involving innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of relentless and often blind belligerents, leaving vulnerable compatriots already traumatized by the heavy toll of previous generations of collateral victims of endless internal wars.

International humanitarian agencies such as UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) regularly alert the international community to the urgent needs for increased food, medical, and psychosocial assistance to adequately respond to the extreme distress experienced daily in internally displaced persons camps scattered around the main urban and rural areas of the stricken province.

In conclusion, while recent military advances may seem promising on the surface, the reality remains complex and volatile, requiring an integrated, multi-level approach that brings together concerted efforts from national governments, international partners, and local civil society to promote inclusive dialogue and durable reconciliation, preventing the resurgence of destructive cycles of violence in the foreseeable medium-term horizon.