Heavy fighting broke out early Friday morning in Lugezi, a locality in Basimukuma-South Groupement, Fizi Territory, South Kivu Province, between Wazalendo militias and Twirwaneho fighters, leading to the displacement of many civilians.
The clashes reportedly began around 5:00 a.m., with some casualties confirmed, though the exact number of those killed or displaced remains unclear.
Local journalists confirm that the fighting in Rugezi involved Wazalendo fighters from the Biloze Bishambuke group, who are battling Twirwaneho rebels—now reportedly allied with the M23 movement. Wazalendo militias are known to collaborate with the Congolese national army (FARDC).
This violence follows Thursday’s capture of Katogota, a locality about 80 kilometers north of Uvira, by M23 rebels.
So far, the M23 has neither confirmed nor denied its presence in Katogota, but videos shared on social media Thursday show armed men claiming to be M23 fighters inside the area.
Fighting in South Kivu this week—and in parts of North Kivu late last week—comes despite ongoing peace negotiations between M23 and the Congolese government in Doha, and separate efforts between Kinshasa and Kigali being facilitated in Washington.
The peace mediation, led by Qatar and the United States, has been praised by both conflicting sides and had yielded a noticeable reduction in intense fighting since last month.
However, sporadic clashes continue across both North and South Kivu regions to this day.
