Twirwaneho Says It Shot Down Mercenary Helicopter After Attacks on Civilians

South Kivu, DRC - The Twirwaneho armed group has claimed responsibility for the downing of a military helicopter allegedly operated by foreign mercenaries employed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government, saying the action followed repeated attacks on civilians in South Kivu province.

According to local accounts, on December 6, 2025, fishermen on the shores of Lake Tanganyika recovered the body of a white man from the water in the Yumbi area of Fizi Territory, where a helicopter had crashed. Reports said the man and several companions were initially pulled from the lake alive, identified as mercenaries involved in the ongoing conflict in South Kivu.

In a statement released on December 7, 2025, Twirwaneho said the incident occurred amid a humanitarian blockade imposed by the Burundian army, which it claims had cut off civilians from markets and basic supplies. The group said that after the blockade eased briefly, around 100 civilians traveled to the Ndondo and Bijombo markets to buy food and medicine.

According to Twirwaneho spokesperson Colonel Kamasa Ndakize Welcome, those civilians were later ambushed while returning.

“Yesterday morning, as these civilians were coming back, they were ambushed by the Burundian army, killed, and taken hostage-mostly women,” he said, adding that the number of victims remains unknown.

Colonel Kamasa further alleged that women captured during the ambush were subjected to sexual violence and other abuses at the Mikalati military base and other undisclosed locations.

Twirwaneho said its fighters moved to rescue civilians, prompting the Burundian army to request air support. The group claims that three helicopters, piloted by white foreign operators, were then deployed and carried out bombing raids on several localities, including Mikalati, Mikenke, Gahwera, Gisoke, and Rugezi.

“After repeated attacks on these villages, our forces shot down one of the helicopters, which crashed into Lake Tanganyika in Fizi Territory, in the Yumbi area,” the statement said.

Twirwaneho also alleged that on December 6, two battalions of the Burundian army moved from Mwenga Center toward Mikalati via Kipupu, with the aim of reinforcing forces there. The group accused the troops of intending to carry out attacks against the Banyamulenge community.

The armed group called on the Burundian army to withdraw immediately from DRC territory, vowing to continue what it described as defensive measures to protect civilians and their property.

The allegations could not be independently verified. Burundian authorities and the DRC government have not publicly responded to the claims at the time of publication.