On January 4, 2022, militiamen from the Twiganeho-Makanika armed group ambushed a convoy of Congolese soldiers in the village of Kagogo, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
| Kagogo ambush | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Kivu conflict | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 FARDC | Twiganeho-Makanika | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
6 killed (per Kivu Security Tracker) 2 killed (per FARDC) 5 injured (per FARDC) |
7 killed (per Kivu Security Tracker) 18 killed (per FARDC) | ||||||
Prelude
editThe Banyamulenge are Tutsi people from South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and of the fifty active rebel groups in the state, two are predominantly Banyamulenge.[1] These are the Twiganeho, backed by Rwanda, and the Ngumino.[1][2] A third group founded by Michel Rukunda merged into the Twiganeho in 2021, becoming a faction referred to as the Twiganeho-Makanika.[3]
The Twiganeho-Makanika primarily operate in the area of Fizi Territory, against Bembe, Fuliro, and Nyindu communities, in communal conflicts.[4] On November 24, 2021, a Twiganeho-Makanika ambush injured two FARDC soldiers in Kagogo.[5] On December 28, 2021, fighting between the Congolese Army (FARDC) and the Twiganeho-Makanika killed a colonel, three Congolese soldiers, and twelve pro-Congolese militants.[4]
Ambush
editWhile traveling through the village of Kagogo, a group of Congolese reinforcements were ambushed by Twiganeho-Makanika on January 4.[6] The ambush sparked a battle, where the Congolese military stated it killed 18 militiamen and lost two soldiers, with five being injured.[6] Another ambush by the Twiganeho-Makanika occurred in the nearby village of Ishenge as well.[7]
Later, ACLED stated that 13 people were killed in the clashes.[1] The Kivu Security Tracker corroborated this, assessing that seven rebels were killed and six FARDC soldiers were killed.[7]
Aftermath
editThe Twiganeho-Makanika ambushed FARDC a second time in Kagogo on January 18, killing five Twiganeho-Makanika fighters and three FARDC soldiers.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Democratic Republic of the Congo: The Situation of the Banyamulenge (2020 to March 2022)" (PDF). Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation. April 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ "Armed group biographies". 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ Newsroom, B. N. N. (2022-12-31). "Congolese Army Kills 10 Twigwaneho-Makanika armed Rebels in South Kivu Province". BNN Breaking. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ a b AfricaNews (2022-01-05). "18 Militiamen killed in DRC-Congo war". Africanews. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ "Kivu Security Tracker | Crisis Mapping in Eastern Congo". Kivu Security Tracker | Crisis Mapping in Eastern Congo. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ a b "DR Congo Army Says 18 Militiamen Killed". VOA. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ a b "Kivu Security Tracker | Crisis Mapping in Eastern Congo". Kivu Security Tracker | Crisis Mapping in Eastern Congo. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ "Kivu Security Tracker | Crisis Mapping in Eastern Congo". Kivu Security Tracker | Crisis Mapping in Eastern Congo. Retrieved 2023-08-27.