In an exclusive interview with AfroVera.com, CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu, the Ambassador of Peace for the Banyamulenge Community in Australia, expressed deep concern over what he described as “a worsening humanitarian and security crisis” facing the Banyamulenge people in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Speaking from Australia, CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu said recent developments including reports of a tightened siege by Burundian troops and pro-government militias show “a systematic plan of isolation and persecution” against the Banyamulenge, an ethnic minority long targeted in the DRC’s highlands.
“What we are witnessing in South Kivu today is not an ordinary conflict,” CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu told AfroVera.com. “It is a well-coordinated operation designed to suffocate and eliminate an entire community through hunger, siege, and terror. The world cannot afford to stay silent again.”
He emphasized that this crisis has been escalating for years, but the situation took a dangerous turn in mid-October 2025, when Banyamulenge civilians traveling between Minembwe and Ndondo were blocked by armed groups identified as Burundian National Defense Forces (FDNB) and local Wazalendo militias loyal to a commander known as Kakobanya.
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According to reports confirmed by local monitors and civil society groups, barricades were set up in Mikalati, cutting off Banyamulenge villages from markets, farmlands, and humanitarian access while neighboring communities were allowed to move freely.
“This selective siege amounts to ethnic persecution,” Jean de Dieu said. “It is one of the recognizable stages of genocide weakening, starving, and isolating a community before extermination. We must not wait for mass graves to acknowledge it.”
CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu’s remarks come shortly after the Mahoro Peace Association (MPA) issued a public declaration condemning what it described as an “escalating siege” coordinated by the Burundian army and Congolese militias, warning that the pattern fits the early stages of a genocidal process.
AfroVera.com has reviewed the statement, in which MPA accuses both governments of violating international law and regional charters, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Geneva Conventions, and the founding principles of the East African Community (EAC).
“The DRC has a constitutional duty to protect all its citizens,” Jean de Dieu said. “But instead, it is collaborating with foreign forces that are persecuting its own people. This is unacceptable and it’s happening in full view of the international community.”
CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu urged the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to issue an immediate declaration of condemnation and deploy humanitarian observers in South Kivu, warning that failure to act could pave the way for a large-scale humanitarian disaster.
“We call upon the African Union, the East African Community, and the United Nations to act now,” he insisted. “Every day of silence strengthens impunity. The siege must end, and civilians must be protected.” He further appealed to regional leaders to demonstrate moral courage and act in the spirit of Pan-African unity and human rights.
“The Banyamulenge are not asking for privilege they are asking for protection,” CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu said. “We have seen this before in Rwanda, in Darfur, and elsewhere. Africa must not allow another tragedy to unfold under its watch.”
CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu also confirmed that his office is in contact with humanitarian agencies and advocacy networks working to mobilize emergency relief for isolated Banyamulenge families in the High Plateaux.
“We are asking for humanitarian corridors, food access, and international monitoring,” he said. “But most importantly, we are asking for truth, accountability, and justice.”
As the situation remains tense, AfroVera.com continues to follow the developments closely and calls on both the Burundi and DRC governments to respect international law and the rights of all citizens under their jurisdiction.
“This is a time for action, not diplomacy,” CEO-Officer Jean de Dieu concluded. “History will judge our silence.” AfroVera.com will continue to monitor the situation in South Kivu and provide updates as new information emerges.
