Mystery Surrounds the Detention of Two Banyamulenge Men in Bunia as They Remain Uninformed of Any Charges After One Month
Two Banyamulenge men remain detained at Bunia Central Prison in Ituri Province, raising growing concern and numerous questions, as the authorities have yet to publicly disclose the exact reasons for their detention or the specific charges against them.
The two are among a group of eight Banyamulenge who were arrested at the beginning of June 2026. All of them worked as mobile money agents, providing M-Pesa money transfer services in the city of Bunia.
At the time of their arrest, security authorities alleged that they were suspected of supporting the M23 rebel movement through their money transfer activities. However, sources close to the detainees maintain that the accusations are unsupported by credible evidence and insist that the men had no affiliation with the armed group.
Following their arrest, all eight individuals were detained at the facilities of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) in Bunia. In the days that followed, six of them were released, while only two remained in custody. They have since been transferred to Bunia Central Prison, where they continue to be held.
The situation has raised further questions because all eight individuals were arrested under the same circumstances. While six were released, the remaining two continue to be detained without any publicly announced specific charges or evidence presented against them.
The continued detention has sparked concern, particularly within the Banyamulenge community, whose members argue that it reinforces longstanding concerns over what they describe as arrests and other forms of discrimination based on their ethnic identity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Some observers also argue that this case adds to the broader security challenges that Banyamulenge communities say they have faced for years, particularly in Minembwe and the Ndondo area of Bijombo Groupement in Uvira Territory. According to these claims, the communities continue to face attacks allegedly carried out by FARDC forces alongside Burundian troops, Wazalendo militias, and FDLR fighters.
According to residents from the affected areas, these attacks have destroyed numerous homes, displaced large numbers of civilians, and resulted in the reported looting of thousands of cattle.
Members of the Banyamulenge community continue to call for an independent investigation into the detention of the two men. They urge the authorities either to bring them before a competent court if there is sufficient evidence against them or to release them if no credible evidence exists.
Some community members also argue that the perceived lack of justice has been one of the factors contributing to the emergence of the MRDP–Twirwaneho movement, which they say was established to protect civilians who claim to have endured years of violence and injustice.
This report is based on information provided by those directly concerned, along with other independently gathered information. At the time of publication, none of the parties implicated in the allegations had publicly responded to the claims.
