On Tuesday, May 20, intense fighting broke out in the Rugezi area, located in the southwestern part of Minembwe commune, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The heavy and violent clashes involved a coalition of DRC government forces and the Twirwaneho militia, allied with the M23 rebel group.
The hostilities began around 6:00 AM on Tuesday and were reported in former Sabune and surrounding areas such as Didas and Nyakirango in Rugezi.
One resident from the area said:
“Here in Rugezi, the enemy has attacked and is pushing hard to take control. By evening, they had returned with renewed strength and captured parts of Sabune.”
According to the same source, as of Tuesday evening, fierce fighting was still ongoing, with the government side appearing to be retreating.
This new escalation follows similar clashes on Monday, particularly around Nyakirango Hill and the zones separating Gasiro and Rugezi.
Earlier on Monday, Twirwaneho and M23 forces had managed to push back a coalition of government-aligned troops, including the Congolese army (FARDC), Burundian forces, and armed groups such as Wazalendo and the FDLR.
Latest reports indicate that the Twirwaneho and M23 fighters received reinforcements from Minembwe, including well-armed and equipped soldiers.
This resurgence of violence comes amid reports that the Congolese government intends to retake control of Minembwe and its airport, as well as the Mikenke airstrip.
It is also reported that government forces deployed in Rugezi are largely Kinyarwanda-speaking and that a special sniper unit has arrived from Kalemie in Tanganyika province.
Others have reportedly been deployed to Point Zero, from where attacks are planned near the Minembwe airstrip located in Kiziba.
Meanwhile, government forces appear to be losing ground rapidly, having recently lost territory they had captured, and are now fleeing toward Gasiro and Matanganika.
