FARDC and FDLR accused of plotting genocide against Banyamulenge

The Twirwaneho group, a militia operating in South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has accused the country’s army (FARDC) and the terrorist group FDLR of orchestrating a plan to exterminate the Banyamulenge people.

Twirwaneho, a militia formed by Banyamulenge to protect their community from ethnic persecution, revealed that the plan to target their people has already begun to take shape in the Rurambo area.

Kamasa Ndakize Welcome, the coordinator of Twirwaneho, made the serious allegations on November 14, 2024, stating that the FARDC, FDLR, CNRD, and the Wazalendo group have established military bases in Kitoga, Nyamurambi, Mulenge, Remera, and Masango as part of their campaign to implement the alleged genocide.

"Last week, a high-level meeting took place at the Hôtel Résidence in Bukavu, bringing together senior officers from FARDC, FDLR, CNRD, and Wazalendo, they discussed strategies for launching attacks aimed at ensuring that not a single Banyamulenge in the Rurambo region will survive," Kamasa revealed.

He further called on the international community to condemn the collaboration between the Congolese government and the FDLR, urging swift action to protect the Banyamulenge people from what he described as an impending genocide.

"We ask the international community to stop remaining silent and to strongly condemn the illegal cooperation between the Congolese government and FDLR, we demand urgent action to protect the Banyamulenge civilians and prevent a new genocide," Kamasa said.

Earlier in November 2024, reports emerged that the FARDC had sent equipment to Kitoga to establish a base for the armed groups aligned with anti-Tutsi ideology, including the FDLR. This base is said to be used to coordinate attacks against the Banyamulenge, as well as plan further military actions targeting Rwanda.

It is also alleged that the groups in Kitoga are preparing for an attack on Rwanda, with plans to cross into the Kibira forest in Burundi and then advance through Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda once the attack is launched.

Kamasa’s statement highlights growing fears within the Banyamulenge community that these military groups, with the support of the FARDC, are working together to eliminate them, echoing the dark history of violence in the region.

The accusations have sparked alarm among human rights groups and raised concerns about escalating ethnic violence in the eastern DRC, as the international community watches closely for signs of worsening conflict.