Heavy Fighting Erupts Between Pro-Government Militias (Wazalendo) in South Kivu
Armed groups belonging to the pro-government Wazalendo coalition in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have once again turned their weapons against each other, this time in Mwenga, a territory in South Kivu Province.
According to local civil society organizations, the clashes erupted on the evening of Wednesday, September 17, between fighters loyal to self-proclaimed “General Malaika” and those commanded by “General Nyakiliba.” The two factions have since engaged in heavy fighting using various weapons, with violence spilling into Thursday morning.
“Since yesterday evening, intense fighting has been raging between the two Wazalendo groups in Mwenga’s administrative center,” a civil society leader told reporters. “Malaika’s fighters are facing off against Nyakiliba’s men over control of the town.”
Witnesses in Mwenga reported that gunfire continued throughout Thursday morning, with Nyakiliba’s headquarters set ablaze during the clashes. “Since early morning, loud sounds of heavy weapons have been echoing across Mwenga,” one resident said. “Panic has spread among civilians, and both economic and educational activities have come to a halt.”
The fighting reportedly began after fighters aligned with Malaika and Foka Mike dismantled a roadblock erected by Nyakiliba’s men along a main highway through Mwenga, sparking a violent confrontation.
While the Congolese government has supported Wazalendo factions as auxiliaries in its ongoing war against the M23 rebel group, it has repeatedly failed to rein in their conduct. In many cases, Wazalendo groups have turned on each other or committed abuses against civilians, including killings, looting, and sexual violence.
At times, their clashes even pit them directly against the Congolese army (FARDC) in disputes over territory. Earlier this month, Wazalendo fighters blocked a key road in Uvira, demanding the removal of Brig. Gen. Olivier Gasita, a government officer stationed in the area.
The latest outbreak of violence in Mwenga underscores the growing challenge facing Kinshasa: armed groups nominally allied with the state remain fragmented, unpredictable, and increasingly hostile to one another—threatening both civilian safety and government authority in eastern DRC.
