The provincial government of South Kivu has issued a national and international alert following what it describes as a new Rwandan incursion into Congolese territory. In a press release dated September 5, 2025, government spokesperson Didier Kabi announced the deployment of 750 Rwandan soldiers in Idjwi, via the Musoko airstrip.
According to local witnesses, the incursion began during the night of September 3, 2025, when two boats and two speedboats carrying heavily armed soldiers landed in the area. Fishermen and residents who witnessed the arrival were reportedly arrested by the incoming troops.
After landing, the soldiers are said to have moved toward Mugote, where another contingent of Rwandan forces was already stationed. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Rwanda has begun building a police camp in Bwando, directly facing the Rwandan town of Kibuye (Karongi District).
For provincial spokesperson Didier Kabi, this is nothing less than a flagrant violation of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s territorial integrity. He accuses Kigali of preparing an incremental annexation of Congolese land, under the cover of the M23 rebellion, which remains active in North Kivu.
This reported operation in Idjwi does not stand alone. Similar movements involving M23-linked troops have recently been observed in Walungu (South Kivu), Masisi and Walikale (North Kivu), raising fears of a coordinated regional escalation.
The timing of this development raises deeper questions. For years, Rwanda has denied any direct military involvement in eastern Congo, even as mounting evidence, from both local and international sources, points to an expanding footprint. The construction of a police camp at Bwando — across the lake from Rwanda’s Karongi District — suggests not just a military presence, but the potential for administrative entrenchment, signaling long-term ambitions.
The South Kivu government is now calling on the international community, the African Union, the CIRGL, and guarantors of the Washington and Doha peace accords to urgently address what it describes as a disguised occupation strategy.
How can Rwanda continue to deny its involvement in Congo while such large-scale military deployments are being reported?
Is the international community turning a blind eye to what appears to be a gradual annexation of strategic Congolese territories?
The situation in Idjwi, developing since September 3, 2025, highlights once again the fragile balance between sovereignty, regional security, and geopolitical interests. As accusations intensify, the people of eastern Congo remain at the frontline of a conflict that the world has yet to decisively confront.
