SOS Médias Burundi
Uvira, May 19, 2026 – The security situation continues to deteriorate in the highlands of South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, amid intensified military operations involving Burundian forces, the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), and the Kinshasa-backed Wazalendo militias, against the M23 and Twirwaneho armed groups. These developments are taking place within a regional context marked by military offensives, mass displacement of civilians, and persistent diplomatic tensions in the Great Lakes region.
Since the beginning of 2026, Burundi has conducted a new military redeployment via Lake Tanganyika, with boats landing in the Baraka and Mboko areas before gradually reaching the highlands of South Kivu.
Joint operations in the highlands
Burundian forces are engaged in joint operations with the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and the Kinshasa-backed Wazalendo militias in several strategic locations, including Point Zero, Mulima, Mikenge, Kakenge, Kalingi, and Bidegu.
These operations aim to regain or consolidate control of areas influenced or occupied by armed groups active in the highlands.
Uvira, a strategic city at the heart of security issues
The M23 briefly seized the strategic city of Uvira before withdrawing in January 2026, after approximately one month of occupation. Located in the immediate vicinity of Bujumbura, Burundi's economic capital and home to UN agencies and the central administration, this city remains a highly strategic point in the Great Lakes region.
This withdrawal was reportedly carried out under international diplomatic pressure, particularly from the United States, according to several regional sources.
Military deployments and ongoing operations
On May 15, 2026, several boats carrying Burundian soldiers landed in Ruzizi, near the port of Kalundu in Uvira, before deploying troops to Bijombo (Uvira territory) and Itombwe (Mwenga territory).
These forces are reinforcing ongoing operations against the M23 and Twirwaneho in the highlands. The deployment is estimated at approximately two battalions, aiming to rebalance the power dynamics in the Minembwe area and control movement between Rurambo, Bijombo, and Minembwe.
These operations are in addition to those already conducted in April 2026 in several strategic locations, including Point Zero, Mulima, Mikenge, Kakenge, Kalingi, and Bidegu, as part of joint operations with the FARDC and the Wazalendo militias supported by Kinshasa.
Offensives without a decisive breakthrough and a humanitarian crisis
Since December 2025, Burundian forces, supported by the FARDC and the Wazalendo militias, have launched several offensives to try to retake Minembwe, without managing to dislodge the M23 and Twirwaneho fighters.
The fighting has caused a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation. Thousands of civilians have fled the villages of Kalingi, Kakenge, Bidegu, Ilundu, Mikenge, and Kalongi to Kiliba, Runingu, and Uvira, while others have crossed the border into Burundi.
According to the United Nations, the war in eastern DRC has already displaced more than 7 million people over several decades and caused thousands of civilian deaths.
Accusations against the FDNB and political tensions
The Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB) is accused by several local and international organizations of human rights violations in the Minembwe area, including cases of road blockades, destruction of property, and looting targeting civilians.
FDNB spokesperson Brigadier General Gaspard Baratuza acknowledged that movement restrictions could be imposed on individuals considered “collaborators with the enemy,†particularly in areas where trade with local markets is observed.
Armed actors and political realignment
The M23 operates alongside the AFC (Congo River Alliance) coalition, led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the DRC's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). This coalition advocates for the establishment of a federal state in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The cross-accusations between Kigali, Kinshasa, and Gitega continue to fuel tensions in the Great Lakes region. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23, a group largely composed of Congolese Tutsis who took up arms again in late 2021, criticizing Congolese authorities for failing to honor their reintegration commitments. Meanwhile, Kigali accuses Burundi and the DRC of supporting the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group, some of whose members are accused of having participated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. Despite repeated denials from Rwanda, a report by the UN Group of Experts confirmed in December 2025 the presence of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside the M23 rebels.
The armed group Twirwaneho, composed of young men from the Banyamulenge minority, is a strategic and powerful ally of the M23 in South Kivu.
