Nyarugabo Warns Tshisekedi and Ndayishimiye Over Civilian Deaths in Minembwe

February 9, 2026 - Lawyer and former Minister of Economy and Senator Moïse Nyarugabo has issued a stark warning to President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and his Burundian counterpart Evariste Ndayishimiye, declaring that they will be held accountable for the blood of innocent civilians. According to Nyarugabo, since the early hours of February 8, 2026, multiple drones deployed by the DRC and Burundi have targeted villages of the Banyamulenge in the Minembwe commune while residents were asleep, causing deaths and injuries. “These drones have returned repeatedly, firing during both day and night. Their bombs and long-range gunfire have caused casualties in villages including Bicumbi, Mutunda, Ruhemba, and Karongi,” Nyarugabo said. He added that these attacks are part of a series of assaults by the DRC-Burundi military alliance, which have occurred in areas such as Rugezi, Rwitsankuku, Baruta, Point-Zéro, Mukoko, Gakenke, Biziba, and Runundu over the past days. “I condemn these acts of genocide in Minembwe and against the Banyamulenge, carried out by Mr. Tshisekedi and the Kinshasa government, alongside his accomplice Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye and the Burundian government. You will be held accountable for the blood of these innocents, one way or another,” he warned. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AU), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, recently condemned a drone attack by the AFC/M23 alliance on the DRC military base at Bangoka Airport in Kisangani. The AFC/M23 stated that the base was being used by the DRC army to plan drone attacks on their positions and civilian areas. Nyarugabo urged AU Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to remain impartial and to condemn the crimes committed by the DRC government, including the use of mercenaries, which he described as violations of AU principles.