clashes

Scores of locals were uprooted from their households following clashes between the Wazalendo militia and the Twirwaneho group in several villages of the Fizi and Mwenga territories in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Fizi Civil Society, a coalition of human rights organisations in the DRC, on Wednesday, November 12, reported that the displaced individuals mainly come from the villages of Tuwetuwe, Kitasha, Ngezi, Bilalo-Mbili, and Point Zero.

The group noted that these areas have been the hardest hit by the ongoing fighting, which has worsened the humanitarian crisis in the region. Many fled between November 4 and 7, 2025. At least 552 households, comprising approximately 3,452 people, have been forced to leave their villages, according to Fizi Civil Society. 

“These clashes have today brought about negative consequences on the material and humanitarian lives of the population, such as the massive displacement of the population, theft of cattle, burning and destruction of houses of the population,” said Alimasi Jacques, the leader of the Fizi Civil Society. “The village of Ngezi has been completely devastated by the belligerents. The health centre in the village of Tuwetuwe, in the Itombwe health zone within the Mikenge health area, was completely dispossessed of its important materials, including drugs and beds.”

While the Twirwaneho, a deadly militia group linked to M23 rebels, claims to be defending its community in South Kivu, the Wazalendo group, a government-backed coalition of local militias, opposes them. Their clashes, rooted in ethnic and political tensions, have displaced thousands and worsened insecurity in eastern DRC.

Since November 4, 2025, fighting in the region has intensified, with armed groups escalating assaults against one another. The civil society group said it has called for a ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor.

“It is a pressing necessity and indispensable for saving human lives and upholding human rights and international humanitarian law. The parties concerned in the armed conflict in the region have a big role to play in facilitating this procedure so that humanitarian organisations can access all these zones conveniently,” Alimasi said.

Many displaced persons were found in and around the villages of Bikyaka Forest, Anunga River Forest, as well as in Kanguli, Bilende, Mulima, Abala, and other villages in Point Zero and Itombwe. Local officials said displaced persons are currently being sheltered by families, in schools, and in churches across Busumba, Mpati, Rugogwe, Kalengera, and Kibarizo. These civilians face extremely difficult conditions, having fled with only what they could carry.

The village of Kivuye, located in the Bashali area of Masisi territory in North Kivu, has been completely deserted. One section of the village is under rebel control, while the other is held by Wazalendo forces. Since Thursday, clashes between M23/AFC rebels and Wazalendo militias have paralysed socio-economic activities, forcing villagers to abandon their homes.

The Fizi Civil Society had previously highlighted a troubling humanitarian situation, including malnutrition among pregnant women and children, alongside widespread violence and human rights abuses, all of which continue to affect civilians.

Afghan official says four Afghan civilians were killed and five others wounded in border clashes.

Talks in Istanbul between Pakistan and Afghanistan are at a deadlock, Islamabad said, a day after both sides accused each other of mounting border clashes that risked breaching a ceasefire brokered by Qatar.

The update on the talks by Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Friday came after an Afghan official said four Afghan civilians were killed and five others wounded in clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces along their shared border despite the joint negotiations.

There was no immediate comment from Kabul about the Pakistani claim.

In a statement thanking Turkiye and Qatar for mediating the talks, Tarar maintained that the Afghan Taliban has failed to meet pledges it made with the international community about curbing “terrorism” under a 2021 Doha peace accord.

Tarar said that Pakistan “will not support any steps by the Taliban government that are not in the interest of the Afghan people or neighboring countries.” He did not elaborate further, but added that Islamabad continues to seek peace and goodwill for Afghans but will take “all necessary measures” to protect its own people and sovereignty.

Ali Mohammad Haqmal, head of the Information and Culture Department in Spin Boldak, blamed Pakistan for initiating the shooting. However, he said Afghan forces did not respond amid ongoing peace talks between the two sides in Istanbul.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Afghanistan initiated the shooting.

“Pakistan remains committed to ongoing dialogue and expects reciprocity from Afghan authorities”, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said.

The ministry said the ceasefire remained intact.

Andrabi said Pakistan’s national security adviser, Asim Malik, is leading the Pakistani delegation in the talks with Afghanistan. The Afghan side is being led by Abdul Haq Wasiq, director of general intelligence, according to Mujahid.

He said that Pakistan had handed over its demands to mediators “with a singular aim to put an end to cross-border terrorism,” and that “mediators are discussing Pakistan’s demands with the Afghan Taliban delegation, point by point.”

Strained ties

Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring armed groups, particularly the Pakistan Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP), which regularly claims deadly attacks in Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban deny sheltering the group.

Many Pakistan Taliban leaders and fighters are believed to have taken refuge in Afghanistan since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in 2021, further straining ties between the two countries.

Turkiye said at the conclusion of last week’s talks that the parties had agreed to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to maintain peace and penalise violators.

Fifty civilians were killed and 447 others wounded on the Afghan side of the border during clashes that began on October 9, according to the United Nations. At least five people died in explosions in Kabul that the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan.

The Pakistani army reported 23 of its soldiers were killed and 29 others wounded, without mentioning civilian casualties.