Following the withdrawal of the AFC/M23 forces from Uvira, the Banyamulenge community has been subjected to systemic persecution and targeted violence. What unfolded after their departure reveals a grim reality: insecurity, ethnic targeting, and the collapse of civilian protection under the Kinshasa-backed coalition.
Since Sunday, after the total withdrawal of the AFC/M23 from the city, the Banyamulenge civilians became direct targets. As soon as Kinshasa-backed armed groups, Wazalendo militias, and the FDLR entered the city, looting began.
Properties belonging to Banyamulenge families were ransacked, including homes, shops, and churches. Armed men openly threatened Byamyamulenge, ordering them to leave the city and “follow their soldiers,” referring to AFC/M23.
These acts were not isolated incidents. They were systematic, coordinated, and accompanied by intimidation and hate-driven rhetoric. Civilians were hunted down, beaten, humiliated, and forced to flee their own neighborhoods.
Videos circulating from Uvira show this reality clearly: Banyamulenge civilians being attacked and displaced by Wazalendo armed groups, supported by Kinshasa authorities and mobilized civilians.
Numerous Banyamulenge testimonies describe a stark contrast between the two periods. According to residents, when AFC/M23 forces were present in Uvira, civilians were not harmed. There were no assaults, no looting, and no harassment. Security was ensured for all communities.
Everything changed immediately after their departure.
Looting began. Homes were destroyed. Residents were hunted. Fear took hold of the city.
One testimony captures the heartbreak felt by many: “We are beaten, humiliated, and mistreated by our own compatriots, by our neighbors!”
On the very day Wazalendo and FDLR forces entered Uvira more than five Congolese Tutsi were reportedly killed.
What makes this situation even more outrageous is the role of the authorities. Hatred is not only tolerated it is encouraged and instrumentalized. The regime openly supports the Wazalendo and their allied forces, even as civilians are being killed, looted, and terrorized.
The Tshisekedi regime bears heavy responsibility. FARDC soldiers and Wazalendo fighters patrol
the streets, while civilians are murdered and displaced. This violence was predictable. It is the result of deliberate political choices and represents a total failure of governance and protection.
The international community especially MONUSCO Absent when protection is needed. Silent in the face of civilian deaths. Never present when communities are under attack. Armed militias roam freely, civilians are killed, and the UN stands by as a spectator. This is not just a national failure it is an international disgrace.
What is unfolding in Uvira isn’t anything like “armed conflict.”
The alliance of FARDC, Wazalendo, FDLR, and affiliated forces has crossed into systematic extermination. The evidence of crimes against humanity is undeniable.
Let the world see for itself.
What’s happening in Uvira isn’t an accident. It is the result of impunity, ethnic hatred, and political negligence paid for with civilian lives – as government policy.
ellenkampire