DRC Minister Urges Banyamulenge to Visit Government-Controlled Areas Amid Tensions

5 February 2026 - Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda, has called on the Banyamulenge community to visit areas controlled by the DRC government to witness the situation firsthand, asserting that their relatives are not being killed. The announcement follows a meeting on 4 February 2025 in Washington D.C., United States, where DRC Government Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya met with Congolese Tutsi, predominantly Banyamulenge. The meeting, widely publicized, aimed to deny reports of atrocities committed in Minembwe since 2017. According to Muyaya, representatives including Me Emile Muhizi stated that the AFC/M23 opposes the DRC government, and that Rwanda allegedly seeks to unite them with other Congolese. They pledged to continue denouncing AFC/M23 actions. Minister Nduhungirehe emphasized that media campaigns alone are insufficient, stating:"The meeting in nice rooms in Washington that was advertised in the media is good, but these people visiting areas controlled by the FARDC, FDLR, Wazalendo and FDNB, unaccompanied, would be better." The Mahoro Peace Association (MPA), representing Banyamulenge in the United States, criticized the meeting, asserting that Muhizi and his colleagues are not elected representatives. The MPA, led by President Douglas G. Kabunda, stated:"These individuals who were selected, not elected, met with Minister Muyaya on their own. What they said has nothing to do with the position of the Banyamulenge Community living in the United States and has nothing to do with our elected institutions." Muhizi and colleagues claimed that allegations of mistreatment of the Banyamulenge are false. However, tensions with Wazalendo groups, led by Gen. William Amuri Yakutumba and John Makanaki, continue, as they regard the Banyamulenge as Rwandans who should leave the DRC. Hatred toward the Banyamulenge has escalated in South Kivu and North Kivu. In September 2025, Wazalendo fighters expelled Brig Gen Olivier Gasita from Uvira, labeling him a Tutsi, Rwandan, and enemy, giving the community 10 days to leave. In January 2026, Habyarimana Mbitse (alias Jules Mulumba), speaking for Wazalendo, attacked Lt Gen Pacifique Masunzu, calling him a traitor despite his service to the DRC government after separating from forces supporting the Banyamulenge. The situation underscores ongoing tensions between the Banyamulenge, Wazalendo, and the DRC government, highlighting deep-rooted mistrust and security concerns in the eastern provinces.