A Starlink satellite internet facility used by residents to communicate with the outside world, has been bombed
MINEMBWE – For nearly a month, residents of Minembwe in the mountains of South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been struggling to survive under a renewed military siege that has cut off essential supplies, restricted movement and left the sick and wounded with diminishing access to medical care.
Food shortages are worsening, medicines are running out, and traders face dangerous journeys through difficult terrain to bring basic commodities into the isolated highlands of South Kivu. Some families are reportedly struggling to obtain even the most ordinary household necessities.
The scale of the crisis is reflected in the soaring price of basic goods. A kilogram of salt, according to one resident quoted by local media, can cost as much as $30 (about Rwf 40,000) in some circumstances, according to people able to communicate with the outside world.
Ordinarily, salt is the cheapest essential item anywhere. It shouldn’t be more than US$3. Not in Minembwe.
The deteriorating situation was highlighted on November 3 by Bertrand Bisimwa, Vice-President of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), during a meeting in Goma with James Swan, head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in DRC, MONUSCO.
Bisimwa said the blockade had lasted nearly a month, leaving civilians without reliable access to food, humanitarian assistance and medicine.
He accused the government in Kinshasa of intensifying military operations in South Kivu and opening new fronts, in violation of commitments under the Doha peace process.
Forces enforcing the blockade included the Congolese army (FARDC), Burundian troops, Rwandan FDLR militia, foreign mercenaries and Wazalendo militia.
In this graphic video, a Wazalendo militia member is tomenting a group of Banyamulenge civilians. The speak in video makes several frightening statements against the victims. At one stage he points camera at a child, saying: “This one will also soon fight me”.
The humanitarian consequences are also described in detail in Whatsapp groups of Banyamulenge diaspora. Those in Minembwe report to their families that Minembwe’s hospital was struggling to treat the growing number of sick and wounded people because of limited resources.
Traders supplying the area are reportedly forced to use difficult routes through Uvira, Bijombo and Kamombo – all far away. Some carry goods over long distances on foot, exposing themselves to insecurity along the way.
The current crisis follows an earlier, prolonged blockade that began in October 2025.
In July 2026, Twirwaneho fighters allied to the AFC/M23 took control of Minembwe, ending that period of encirclement and allowing some residents to return.
But renewed military pressure has raised fears of another siege. By September, reports were already warning that government-aligned forces were preparing to re-establish restrictions around the highlands.
The latest escalation has also involved reported aerial attacks. Bisimwa said bombardments on November 2 and 3 caused deaths and injuries, while wounded residents could not reach medical supplies or treatment.
Some of the damage from latest government bombardments in Minembwe
On November 4, the FRN’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, again accused government forces of using drones against Minembwe. He said two strikes had hit Minembwe Centre on the evening of November 3.
The diaspora association Mahoro Peace also reported attacks affecting Madegu, Ilundu and Gakenke, alleging that CH-4 drones were involved. The claims and reported casualty figures have not been independently verified.
Meanwhile, reports circulating on social media say a Starlink satellite internet facility used by residents to communicate with the outside world, has been bombed. It was established by members of the Banyamulenge diaspora.
The situation has revived concerns about the vulnerability of civilians caught between armed forces and competing military objectives. A resident quoted by Congolese media also criticised Twirwaneho fighters, accusing them of failing to ensure residents’ security or facilitate humanitarian assistance.
The resident called for the demilitarisation of the area, a neutral force to protect civilians, and safe passage for food, medicine and medical evacuations.
For Minembwe’s residents, the immediate issue is survival: access to food, healthcare and safe movement.
Without humanitarian corridors and an end to attacks on civilian areas, the renewed blockade risks deepening an already severe crisis.
