Mikenke, South Kivu — The Banyamulenge internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Mikenke came under a drone attack on Monday, September 29, 2025, at around 8:06 a.m., in what local leaders describe as yet another act of violence by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).
According to eyewitnesses, the drone dropped bombs near the crowded camps, heightening fears among the already vulnerable displaced population. Although the strikes landed on open ground, the attack triggered panic and further instability in the area.
Afrovera.com spoke with CEO Officer Jean de Dieu, Ambassador of Peace for the Banyamulenge community in Australia, who directly blamed Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi for orchestrating and sustaining the violence.
“This is no longer random military action. It is a systematic campaign led under the leadership of President Félix Tshisekedi, targeting innocent Banyamulenge civilians who are only trying to survive in displacement camps,” CEO OFFICER Jean de Dieu told Afrovera.
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“The world cannot continue to watch silently. I call on the United Nations, the African Union, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all international partners to act urgently. If they fail to intervene, history will remember that they allowed another genocide to unfold before their eyes,” he added.
The renewed drone strikes come just two months after similar bombings in Mikenke destroyed homes, schools, and farmland belonging to civilians. Analysts warn that the escalation is part of a broader pattern of violence that could destabilize the entire region.
CEO OFFICER Jean de Dieu stressed that the Banyamulenge people have been marginalized and targeted for decades, but the current wave of drone warfare marks “a dangerous escalation that requires an immediate international response.”
As of now, neither the FARDC nor President Tshisekedi’s government has issued an official statement regarding the latest attack.
