At least 315 people were killed in attacks on Minembwe and surrounding areas in DR Congo’s South Kivu province between February and June 2026, according to an independent report released on Friday by fact-checking organisation Conspiracy Tracker Great Lakes. The report, compiled from information gathered by local civil society organisations, youth groups and community networks, attributes the deaths to military operations carried out by the Congolese government. It says most of the casualties resulted from drone strikes, Sukhoi fighter jets bombings and long-range artillery fire. ALSO READ: DR Congo army blamed for drone attack on Minembwe hospital The Congolese armed forces (FARDC), alongside Burundian forces, the Kinshasa-backed genocidal FDLR militia, foreign mercenaries, Wazalendo, and other local militias, have continuously targeted civilian areas, primarily through aerial attacks, despite existing peace frameworks that have yet to yield tangible results. According to the report, the attacks affected Minembwe and nearby communities, including Kakenge, Ilundu, Bidegu, Kalingi and Kalongi, where residents documented widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and livestock. Casualties occur on a near-daily basis, leading to severe logistical backlogs in humanitarian recovery, the report states, adding that multiple bodies remained unburied due to ongoing kinetic actions by the time the assessment was compiled. Although the assessment covers only the period between February and June 25, it says local records indicate cumulative conflict-related deaths in the wider Minembwe area have exceeded 2,000. Health and education facilities have also been targeted. The report indicates that one referral hospital and seven health centres were destroyed during the reporting period, dealing a major blow to healthcare services in the remote highlands of South Kivu. The affected facilities include Minembwe General Hospital and health centres in Kalingi, Kalongi, Ilundu, Bidegu and Gihanama, among others. Education was similarly disrupted. According to the assessment, 17 schools were destroyed. The report also documents attacks on places of worship. It says 26 churches were destroyed, bombed, looted or heavily damaged across Kakenge, Ilundu, Bidegu, Kalingi and Kalongi. The report documents the deaths of at least 821 cows and 36 sheep, saying the animals were killed in drone strikes carried out mainly between late April and May. The consolidated documentation details a severe, synchronized impact on human lives, critical infrastructure, and economic capital within the Minembwe region, the report says. It said this has deepened humanitarian needs while exposing communities to long-term socio-economic vulnerability.
