A Banyamulenge advocacy group has accused the government in Kinshasa and its allied forces of carrying out what it describes as a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Banyamulenge community in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, while criticizing the international community and human rights organizations for what it calls their continued silence.
In a strongly worded statement, the group said the intervention of the AFC/M23 movement to reinforce the Twirwaneho armed group came after the latter had been “abandoned by Kinshasa and betrayed by the international community.” It argued that the suffering endured by Banyamulenge civilians remains too profound to be forgotten by survivors.
The statement alleges that the human toll has been devastating, claiming that innocent civilians were killed during bombardments carried out by forces allied to the Congolese government. It further alleges that schools and hospitals were among the facilities struck during the attacks.
According to the statement, the events in Minembwe continue to leave deep scars on the Banyamulenge community, with survivors still grappling with the consequences of the violence. It says the memories of those attacks remain a painful reminder of what it portrays as a failure by the international community to intervene.
The group also criticized international human rights organizations, accusing them of remaining silent despite what it describes as widespread abuses against the Banyamulenge population.
The Congolese government has repeatedly denied allegations that it is pursuing any policy of ethnic persecution, while the conflict in eastern DRC continues to involve multiple armed groups, including AFC/M23, Twirwaneho, pro-government militias, and the Congolese armed forces. Independent verification of specific allegations from conflict zones remains difficult due to insecurity and limited access for investigators.
The statement underscores the deepening tensions in South Kivu, particularly around Minembwe, where the Banyamulenge community has long maintained that it faces targeted violence and displacement amid the broader conflict in eastern DRC.