KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo
Two factions of Wazalendo militiamen, led by self-proclaimed generals known only as Malaika and Nyakiliba, in Mwenga in South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, have been fighting since Sept. 17 for control of the strategic town.
“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 Anadolu. Calm returned only after Nyakiliba withdrew to Kigogo.
It has been difficult to obtain government representatives in Mwenga, but Foka Mike, the leader of the Wazalendo militia group, confirmed the deaths.
The fighting for two days in Mwenga has caused significant property damage and heightened insecurity,
The population in Mwenga laments another ordeal. Already suffering from soaring food prices due to the impassable RN2 road and the consequences of the war by the M23 rebels, residents see the roadblocks as an additional burden. The territory has frequently seen armed rivalries, including in Muhuzi, where recent clashes claimed several lives.
Meanwhile, in North Kivu, heavy fighting has pitted Wazalendo forces against AFC/M23 rebels since Friday in the Osso Banyungu sector of Masisi territory.
The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) has supported operations with airstrikes around Bibwe. Witnesses reported heavy gunfire disrupting traffic between Nyabiondo and Kashebere and spreading panic.
The M23 rebel group and the FARDC accuse each other of violating the Doha framework agreement.
The fighting highlights the scale of security instability that continues to shake eastern Congo.
