AFC/M23 Denies FARDC Claims of Capturing Minembwe Centre

The AFC/M23 movement has dismissed claims by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) that government troops have captured Minembwe Centre, a strategic locality in the highlands of Fizi Territory in South Kivu Province.

On June 17, FARDC, through its spokesperson for military operations in South Kivu, Lt. Reagan Mbuyi Kalonji, announced that government forces had taken control of Minembwe after allegedly driving out Twirwaneho fighters and AFC/M23 forces.

However, AFC/M23 officials have strongly rejected the statement. Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Dr. Freddy Kaniki, the movement’s Deputy Coordinator for Economy and Finance, said Minembwe remains outside government control.

“They may wish they had captured Minembwe, but they have not taken it and they will never take it,” Kaniki said.

Kaniki argued that the ongoing conflict in Minembwe differs from fighting elsewhere in eastern Congo, which is often linked to competition over mineral resources. According to him, the violence in Minembwe is rooted in long-standing tensions surrounding the Banyamulenge community.

“The only reason there is fighting there is because there are people living in the area who are not wanted, who are rejected, and whom some want erased from the map,” he stated.

The AFC/M23 official further claimed that the conflict has deep historical roots dating back years, including disputes over citizenship and the status of the Banyamulenge community.

Kaniki accused the government in Kinshasa of pursuing what he described as a campaign targeting the Banyamulenge population, allegations that the Congolese government has consistently denied.

He added that the Banyamulenge community would not remain passive in the face of threats, insisting that they would continue to resist efforts aimed at their displacement or destruction.