In recent days, security has begun to return to the hills of Rurambo, located in the Uvira Territory, following the retreat of Wazalendo fighters from three key areas that had long served as their strongholds.
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This development came after the death of their top commander in the region, General Rukemata, who was shot during clashes on Majaga Hill at the end of May.
According to local residents in Rurambo, the Wazalendo fighters—who had frequently harassed and assaulted them, abandoned their bases and fled far away after their leader succumbed to serious injuries at Mundegu Hospital, where he had been taken after being badly wounded.
One local resident told KIVUPRIDE: “We now have full security. The enemy has fled and gone far away.”
The areas of Majaga, Amasi, and Nyankware have been effectively reclaimed and restored to safety, after having been major operational bases for the Wazalendo group, where repeated attacks were launched against the Banyamulenge civilian population and the Twirwaneho group, which has been providing them with protection.
The same resident added: “The Wazalendo fighters in Majaga have fled. Those in Amasi have also gone, and the ones in Nyankware haven’t been seen in a long time.”
These changes in security conditions follow intense fighting between Wazalendo and Twirwaneho, during which General Rukemata himself appeared on the battlefield, reportedly using a machine gun during the assault on Majaga Hill.
After sustaining serious injuries, he was taken to Mundegu Hospital, where he later died, according to eyewitnesses.
One witness said:
“He was evacuated from the battlefield by Colonel Tabana, his close deputy. But Rukemata didn’t survive.”
Before Rukemata’s death, the Wazalendo coalition had launched major attacks on Twirwaneho positions in Kageregere and Gahororo over three consecutive days. However, these offensives were repelled, forcing the fighters to retreat.
The Wazalendo fighters’ withdrawal is being seen as the beginning of renewed hope among Rurambo residents, who had been living in fear and insecurity for a long time.
However, despite the return of some hope, many remain cautious, stressing the need for strong and lasting measures to preserve peace in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
