A prominent Congolese lawyer and community leader, Moise Nyarugabo, held a press briefing on 24 October 2025 in Goma to sound the alarm over an alleged large-scale military presence and severe abuses affecting the Banyamulenge population in the South Kivu high plateaus. Nyarugabo claimed that more than 10,000 Burundian troops, organized into roughly 12 to 15 battalions, are deployed across more than 70 positions in the region and accused a coalition of forces of implementing a campaign of collective punishment against Banyamulenge villages.
Nyarugabo described a systematic pattern of encirclement that effectively isolates entire communities, prevents civilians from accessing markets and essential supplies, and intentionally starves and deprives residents of medicines. He said the strategy appeared aimed at causing deaths by hunger and disease before a final armed assault to eliminate survivors, and he explicitly named a coalition allegedly holding the positions: the Burundian army, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s FARDC, the Wazalendo and the FDLR.
Local sources and earlier reporting show that concerns about mass arrests and abuses affecting Banyamulenge communities have circulated this year, prompting appeals for intervention and documentation from civil society and human rights observers. Footage of Nyarugabo’s conference and a two-and-a-half-page document were circulated alongside his statement to provide further detail and to invite independent verification by journalists and investigators.
Humanitarian implications are immediate and acute if the allegations are confirmed. An encirclement that restricts food, medicines and market access would generate malnutrition, outbreaks of disease and population displacement, increasing pressure on already strained local clinics and humanitarian responders. Nyarugabo urged outside observers, journalists and human rights monitors to read his document, view the briefing video and verify conditions on the ground to establish an evidence base for international attention and response.
The political sensitivity of cross-border deployments is high. Allegations of foreign troop presence and coordinated operations with local armed groups carry major implications for regional diplomacy and security cooperation. Nyarugabo’s claims, if substantiated, would demand urgent clarification from the governments implicated and independent investigation by international bodies and humanitarian agencies.
Journalists and human rights investigators should prioritize on-the-ground verification of the positions named in the attached document and corroboration of witness accounts. Accurate mapping of troop locations, independent interviews with affected civilians, medical assessments of malnutrition and disease, and forensic documentation of human rights violations are essential steps to establish the scale and criminal nature of the abuses alleged.
For now, the claims by Moise Nyarugabo remain serious allegations requiring independent verification. He has made his two-and-a-half-page text and a video of the press briefing available to the public to facilitate scrutiny and follow-up reporting.
Sources: Nyarugabo’s press briefing and summary reporting by regional outlets.
Long-form social post (Twitter / X thread single post style, expanded for length)
I held a press briefing on 24/10/2025 in Goma to expose an urgent crisis: over 10,000 Burundian troops reportedly deployed across the high plateaus in 12–15 battalions holding more than 70 positions that encircle Banyamulenge villages, cut them off from markets, food and medicine, and are causing deaths by hunger and disease before a final assault. I name a coalition of forces allegedly involved: the Burundian army, FARDC, Wazalendo and FDLR. I shared a 2.5‑page document and the briefing video for verification and called on journalists, investigators and humanitarian actors to check these claims on the ground and report back. These are grave allegations that demand independent fact‑finding and urgent humanitarian attention.
https://x.com/MoiseNyarugabo/status/1981947959081083053
