Rutaremara Calls on Banyamulenge Youth to Support Twirwaneho

Kigali, 14 August 2026 - Experience Consulting Network Director General Tito Rutaremara has called on Banyamulenge youth to take a more active role in addressing the security challenges facing their community in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, urging them to support MRDP-Twirwaneho.

Rutaremara made the remarks on 13 August at Camp Kigali during a commemoration for 166 Banyamulenge killed in the 2004 Gatumba refugee camp attack in Burundi. The gathering brought together Banyamulenge, mainly from Rwanda, to remember the victims and discuss the situation of their relatives in Minembwe.

He urged young Banyamulenge to move beyond discussions about self-defence and contribute to what he described as a broader struggle for the liberation of the DRC. Rutaremara argued that the Banyamulenge’s concerns extend beyond Mulenge and Minembwe, stressing that they should view the DRC as their wider homeland.

The remarks come amid continued fighting in and around Minembwe, where armed groups have been active for years. Since early 2025, Burundian forces have also been involved in the conflict, while MRDP-Twirwaneho has operated alongside the AFC/M23 coalition.

Twirwaneho was initially formed to defend the Banyamulenge community but has increasingly presented its activities as part of a broader political and military struggle over the future of the DRC.