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FNDB\/FARDC\/Merceneries bombing by drones thousands of people and hundreds of villages in Minembwe during several months in 2025 – Photo SosMediasBurundi<\/p>\n
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In the waning months of 2025, the remote highlands of Minembwe, nestled in the troubled South Kivu province, became the stage for a dramatic siege\u2014one that would shape the region\u2019s fate and underscore the devastating human cost of war in eastern Congo. For months, the Burundian National Defence Force (FDNB), fighting alongside the Congolese army (FARDC) and Wazalendo militias, imposed a punishing blockade on the Banyamulenge community.<\/p>\n
The siege was marked by strangling roadblocks, drone bombardments, and a deliberate strategy of starvation that drew condemnation and resistance in equal measure. In December, a sweeping counter-offensive by the M23\/AFC alliance would shatter the blockade, bringing both relief and new uncertainties to the highlands.<\/p>\n
By October 2025, Minembwe was effectively sealed off from the outside world. Burundian troops, entrenched in Mikalati and Bijombo, erected roadblocks that severed vital lifelines, preventing Banyamulenge civilians from accessing markets or receiving desperately needed supplies. The result was swift and brutal: the price of salt soared from $1 to $10, while sugar and soap all but vanished from shelves. Medical deliveries stopped, leaving the sick and wounded with nowhere to turn.<\/p>\n
The humanitarian toll was harrowing. Local sources reported severe shortages and spiraling prices that placed even basic survival out of reach. According to SOS M\u00e9dias Burundi, the blockade created a catastrophic spike in living costs, while Crisis Group\u2019s Crisis Watch (November 2025) estimated that at least 172,000 people were trapped inside the besieged highlands.<\/p>\n