In a remote rural area marked by a maze of hills and ongoing conflict, a young woman from Ndondo in Bijombo, part of the Kajembwe groupement, became the talk of the week. The girl, known as Nyamanoro, was arrested on May 28, 2025, suspected of conspiring in a plot to assassinate some leaders of Twirwaneho, a self-defense movement committed to protecting the Banyamulenge population in the hills of Minembwe.
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Reports indicated that Nyamanoro had been given a special assignment: to gather the phone numbers of key Twirwaneho leaders, especially Brigadier General Sematama, widely known in the region as Intare-Batinya.
These numbers, it’s claimed, would then be used by Kinshasa’s security forces to carry out drone strikes, as was the case in February when Rukunda Michel Makanika was killed.
Information from Mikenke, where Nyamanoro was held for two days, suggests she was intercepted while returning from Bijombo, where she had allegedly been in contact with members of Gumino, an armed group with a history of abusing and killing Banyamulenge civilians.
She was found in possession of contact numbers belonging to key Gumino figures, who are believed to have sent her on this mission. This led Twirwaneho intelligence officers to suspect that she was a pawn used by the Congolese government, acting through Gumino rebels.
Since Makanika’s death, intelligence-gathering activities have intensified in the Minembwe highlands. Instead of diplomatic engagement or dialogue, Kinshasa authorities have chosen a military route—gathering intel on rebel hideouts through informants embedded among local civilians.
Nyamanoro, a young woman with no known political or military background, may have sold her trust for a few thousand dollars or undisclosed promises. While she never disclosed the terms of her agreement, sources suggest that the “rewards” she received were enough to convince her to carry out her mission without hesitation.
On Friday, May 30, she was released before completing even three days in custody. Her release is believed to have followed a pardon granted by Twirwaneho leaders, after appeals and written requests from her family elders.
Even though a fragile calm has returned to areas like Rugezi, Mikenke, and the Minembwe center, intelligence reports reveal that Nyamusaraba, the Gumino commander, has moved from Bujumbura, leading a large group of fighters from Burundi.
Alongside him, reportedly, are former fighters of the CNDD-FDD (Burundi’s ruling party), suggesting this force’s advance is not peaceful but meant to launch assaults aimed at dismantling Twirwaneho bases in Bijombo and around Mikenke.
Meanwhile, in the hills of Matanganika, Gitumba, and Kabanju, wildfires continue to ravage forests and mountains.
Some reports confirm that these fires are deliberately set by government forces or their allies, with the goal of destroying suspected hideouts or arms caches belonging to Twirwaneho soldiers.
