The Nyatura militia has once again demonstrated its signature brutality, carrying out a barbaric massacre in Masisi territory, North Kivu. On March 6, local accounts confirmed that more than 40 civilians were burned alive in their homes in the village of Tambi, targeted simply for coexisting with Congolese Tutsis.
Under the command of Generals Ignace Sauli Dunia and Apolo, the attackers showed no mercy. Entire families were incinerated, their charred remains left as grim evidence of the group’s ruthless methods. Witnesses report that those not killed on the spot were abducted, their fate unknown.
This massacre follows a pattern of ethnic purges led by the Nyatura, an FDLR-affiliated militia notorious for its extreme violence. In October 2023, Ignace Dunia Sauli openly declared his goal—to continue fighting “until the last Tutsi is in Rwanda.” His words are now backed by bloodshed, as his forces unleash terror on communities deemed sympathetic to their perceived enemies.
Despite its history of mass killings, Nyatura remains a key player in the Wazalendo coalition, a collection of government-backed militias armed and supplied under the pretext of defending eastern DRC. The Congolese government’s direct support has emboldened these groups, granting them the weapons they now use to carry out ethnic cleansing.
Local sources say the death toll in Tambi will likely rise as more bodies are discovered. A list of victims has been compiled by local residents.
Yet, as with previous atrocities, justice remains a distant hope. The Congolese government has consistently turned a blind eye to the crimes of its proxy forces, while international actors struggle to respond beyond issuing statements of condemnation.
The massacre in Tambi is not an isolated incident—it is a pattern. It is the signature of a militia that thrives on barbaric terror, slaughtering civilians with impunity. And as long as Nyatura continues to operate under state protection, the killing will not stop.