The Unsettled People of Rutshuru Territory. Ph. ACTUALITE.CD/Moses Sawasawa
Security
Sunday, May 25, 2025 – 1:33 PM
Intense clashes have been reported since early this Sunday morning in Lushebere, a locality located between Kishishe and Bambo, in the chiefdom of Bwito, in the Rutshuru territory (North Kivu). Multiple reliable sources in the region indicate that it is the M23 elements who have attacked various positions of the FARDC supported by the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), commonly known as Wazalendo. The sound of heavy and light weapons can still be heard until early afternoon, causing widespread panic among the displaced populations. Testimony from Chirac Mafula, president of the Parliament of Youth in the chiefdom of Bwito but currently traveling in the neighboring territory of Lubero: “Since this morning, Sunday, May 25, 2025, the M23-AFC terrorists, supported by the RDF, have launched attacks on different positions of the VDP-Wazalendo and the FARDC, specifically in Lushebere. Lushebere is a locality located between Kishishe and Kirima in the chiefdom of Bwito, in the Rutshuru territory. It is worth noting that the M23 had just advanced on the Lushebere-Kishishe-Bambo axis. Gunshots from heavy and light weapons were heard until the afternoon of this Sunday in all directions. The exact casualty count remains to be verified. We urge the population to remain vigilant. There is a risk that stray bullets may reach peaceful populations,” Chirac Mafula testifies.
Calls for Action
Various actors in the area remind the Congolese government of the urgent need to take all necessary measures to restore peace and security in the eastern part of the DRC. An urgent appeal is also made to both the regional and international community to accelerate efforts towards de-escalating conflicts between the DRC and Rwanda. “We urge the government of the DRC to address the security concerns in the East and to eliminate the activities of armed groups and rebellions such as the M23 and the ADF, thus pacifying the entities to allow the return of displaced persons who are going through extremely difficult times due to these wars. May the regional and international community also get involved so that we can have lasting security and peace in the East of the DRC,” states a notable figure from Bwito who prefers to remain anonymous.
Humanitarian Crisis
For the past three weeks, over 900 families from the chiefdom of Bwito in the Rutshuru territory have been forced to flee their villages due to clashes between the AFC/M23 rebels and the Wazalendo militia of the CMC group. These displaced people have sought refuge in Bambo-Centre, a town in the Rutshuru territory, where living conditions are becoming increasingly precarious. The deputy mission chief of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Goma, Matilde Gueho, stated on Thursday, May 22, that nearly 500 households are currently housed in schools, churches, and informal sites, while around 4,000 other individuals have been taken in by already vulnerable resident families.
Political Commentary
In his address on Friday, May 23, 2025, breaking his silence after six years, former President of the DRC, Joseph Kabila, proposed a national recovery program centered around twelve objectives, including ending dictatorship, stopping the war, restoring state authority, democratic governance, national reconciliation, development revival, and the withdrawal of foreign troops from Congolese territory. He also praised the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decision to withdraw the SAMIDRC troops from the East of the country. The senator for life further called for the consideration of local peace initiatives, particularly those led by the Catholic and Protestant Churches. He criticized the government’s stance of engaging in dialogue with the AFC/M23 in Doha while criminalizing other forms of dialogue among Congolese.
