FARDC soldiers desert after Minembwe battles

The Congolese army (FARDC) recently announced the arrest of dozens of soldiers who fled combat near Minembwe in South Kivu, escaping toward Kalemie in Tanganyika Province. These troops, alongside Burundian forces, Wazalendo militias, FDLR fighters, and mercenaries, had been engaged in fierce battles against AFC/M23 before abandoning their positions.

When Minembwe fell to AFC/M23, allied forces scattered. Many soldiers who regrouped in Kalemie refused to return to the frontlines, choosing instead to desert. The army later confirmed their arrest, describing them as deserters who had abandoned their duty.

Political analyst Tite Gatabazi explained that the desertion was not about food shortages or lack of logistics, but sheer exhaustion.

“It’s no longer about missing supplies or stolen salaries. This is about deep fatigue physical and psychological. FARDC units deployed since Bunagana are worn out, and even the Wazalendo militias are collapsing. That’s what we’re seeing in Kalemie.”

He added that soldiers now prefer arrest and trial over dying in battle, signaling a shift in morale.

The desertion highlights the strain on Congo’s military coalition in the east. With AFC/M23 advancing, the collapse of morale among FARDC and allied groups raises questions about the sustainability of the current war effort. It also underscores the human toll of prolonged conflict in the Great Lakes region.