Clashes Between Two Wazalendo Factions Claim Eight Lives

(MENAFN) Two rival factions of the Wazalendo militia, commanded by self-styled generals Malaika and Nyakiliba, have been locked in violent conflict since September 17 for control of the strategically vital town of Mwenga in South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

“At least eight people, including three civilians and five militiamen, were killed and several others wounded in clashes over pay-to-pass roadblocks, whose fees, deemed excessive, ranged from 20,000 - 100,000 Congolese francs ($7 - $36) per crossing. Tensions escalated when the order was given to dismantle them,” Julius Byemba Kika, a civil society member, told media. The unrest subsided only after Nyakiliba’s forces retreated to Kigogo.

Attempts to reach government officials in Mwenga have been unsuccessful, though Foka Mike, leader of the Wazalendo militia group, confirmed the fatalities.

The two-day conflict has caused widespread property damage and significantly worsened security in Mwenga. Locals are burdened further amid soaring food prices driven by the blocked RN2 road and ongoing hostilities with the M23 rebel group. Roadblocks, seen as an added strain, exacerbate hardships in a territory frequently plagued by armed clashes, such as recent deadly confrontations in Muhuzi.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting erupted Friday in North Kivu’s Osso Banyungu sector of Masisi territory, where Wazalendo forces engaged AFC/M23 rebels. The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) bolstered efforts with airstrikes near Bibwe. Witnesses reported intense gunfire causing chaos and panic along the Nyabiondo-Kashebere route.

Both the M23 rebels and FARDC accuse each other of breaching the Doha framework agreement, underscoring the fragile and volatile security situation.

This latest surge in violence highlights the persistent instability rocking eastern Congo, threatening civilian lives and regional peace efforts.

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