DRC News Monitor #17

News Monitor #17
8 January 2026

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DRC NEWS ROUNDUP

The Congolese military (FARDC) supported by Wazalendo militias, has recovered some ground in both South Kivu (where it retook the towns of Makobola, Lwenga, and Kigongo, in Uvira territory) and North Kivu (where it recaptured Katoyi in Masisi territory), though M23 is attempting to retake these locations.
On 27 December, FARDC spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge warned Congolese men on national radio (RTNC) against marrying Tutsi women, whom he described as instruments of “infiltration.” He was subsequently suspended and President Tshisekedi denounced the remarks as “inappropriate language that does not reflect republican values.” International partners condemned the statements as “hate speech.”
Ministers of Defense and military chiefs of staff of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) are expected in Livingstone (Zambia) from 8-10 January, to discuss the ‘deterioration of the security situation in eastern DRC.’
At least 105 Congolese have died in refugee camps in Burundi during the last two weeks of December, due to inadequate resources, including limited access to food, essential items and shelter, as well as a cholera outbreak amid overstretched health services.
The DRC has begun a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, returning after 35 years. Kinshasa will sit alongside Liberia and Somalia, as part of the African three, or “A3”, and aims to keep the Congolese agenda on the Security Council’s table.
The latest report of the United Nations Group of Experts on the DRC, dated 30 December 2025, has been made publicly available. The report underscores that M23 is seeking to govern an autonomous region in eastern DRC.

DRC UPDATES

HUMAN RIGHTS

The editor in chief of La Prunelle, Honneur David Safari, was abducted on 28 December in Bukavu and was found alive three days later showing signs of torture. Some sources reported that he was being held by M23, which the group denied.
On 5 January, Nathanaël Onokomba, leader of the citizens' movement, Le Congo Qui Inspire (Congo that Inspires), was arrested in Kinshasa. Authorities have not issued a statement on the arrest, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
On 28 December, M23 abducted 42 women in Bwito chiefdom (Rutshuru territory), accusing them of being spouses of Wazalendo fighters. Although some were released the following day, most remain missing.
On 29 December, FARDC and Wazalendo committed several abuses against civilians in Makobola (Tanganyika, South Kivu), including rapes and looting.
On 1 January, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels killed 15 people (13 civilians and 2 FARDC), near Manguredjpa (Lubero, North Kivu).
On 2 January, FARDC carried out drone strikes in Masisi that killed at least 4 civilians and injured 42 others.

ARMED CONFLICT

South Kivu

Despite the announced withdrawal from Uvira on 17 December (see our Special Focus in the previous monitor), clashes between M23 and Wazalendo have continued within Uvira, where M23 has installed armed ‘civilian security officers’.
On 26 December, FARDC bombed two speedboats at Kalundu harbor in Uvira town, stating that they were used by M23 and contained military equipment from Rwanda. The following day, FARDC announced they regained control of Makobola, 30 kilometers south of Uvira.
On 29 December, FARDC regained control of Lwanga and Kigongo, and stated that it had captured Rwandan soldiers.
Clashes around Uvira were reported on 3 January.
On 4 and 5 January, clashes between M23 and Wazalendo in Walungu territory killed at least 4 civilians.

North Kivu

On 23 December, M23 rebels established a new position in Ndurumo village, Luberike groupement (Walikale).
FARDC reconquered Katoyi on 29 December, which M23 had seized in mid-November. On 2 January, M23 unsuccessfully attempted to retake the town.
On 5 January, M23 clashed with Wazalendo in Kashebere (Walikale).

Ituri

Between 29 and 30 December, FARDC and the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) destroyed an ADF stronghold in Babila Bakwanza (Mambasa territory). The Islamic State subsequently claimed responsibility for an ADF attack on a FARDC base in Mambasa, stating that 13 soldiers were killed.
FARDC repeatedly clashed with Thomas Lubanga’s Convention pour la Révolution Populaire (CRP) between 20 and 30 December in Bule (Djugu territory). At least 25 civilians died as a result of the fighting, including 17 due to harsh living conditions, lack of medical care, and hunger. Forty-five civilians were wounded, and 28 sought shelter at a MONUSCO base.

The Mobondo rebellion in western DRC

On 21 December, clashes near Bolingo (Kwamouth) killed 12 Mobondo and 2 FARDC soldiers. FARDC reported that it killed three Mobondo leaders near Bolingo on 22 December.
Clashes with Mobondo in Kikwit (Kwilu province) on 29 December resulted in the deaths of at least 15 Mobondo fighters and five FARDC soldiers.
The FARDC spokesperson for operations against Mobondo stated that the military is investigating possible links between the militia and individuals close to the presidency and that the army now refers to Mobondo as a rebellion rather than a militia.

HUMANITARIAN AND DISPLACEMENT UPDATES

At least 105 Congolese have died in refugee camps in Burundi during the last two weeks of December, due to inadequate resources, including limited access to food, essential items and shelter, as well as a cholera outbreak amid overstretched health services.
Burundian Tutsi refugees in Mulongwe camp (Fizi, South Kivu), have appealed to UNHCR to be evacuated to a safer area, citing targeting, threats and arrests from Wazalendo militants due to their ethnicity.
More than 1,000 people have fled clashes between CRP and FARDC in Bule (see Armed conflict section above) and are living in precarious conditions in makeshift camps.
More than 450 cases of measles were registered in Kasai-Oriental province since 15 December.

REPORTING AND ANALYSIS

The International Crisis Group has published its latest report on M23, underscoring the need for continued diplomatic engagements.
The UN Group of Experts released its midterm report highlighting the deteriorating security situation and finding that M23 is working “to position itself as an alternative governance authority to the Congolese state, establishing administrative, judicial, fiscal and security structures and assuming core state functions.”

PEACE PROCESSES

President Felix Tshisekedi was on a state visit to Luanda on 5 January, where he met with his Angolan counterpart, Joao Lourenço. Some observers believe Tshisekedi is seeking to revive the Luanda process and return mediation efforts to a regional framework.
The Barometer of Peace Agreements in Africa (Baromètre des Accords de Paix en Afrique), an independent initiative dedicated to monitoring the implementation of the Washington Accord, has published their latest report which shows that most key commitments remain stalled, with an overall implementation rate of 23%.

DOMESTIC POLITICS

Civil servants in Grand Equateur province are struggling to receive their wages, with some in Gbadolite reporting that they haven’t been paid for 3 months.
A high-profile member of opposition party PPRD was arrested in Kinshasa on 30 December, two weeks after the similar arrest of the party’s Secretary General, Emmanuel Shadary, (see Monitor #16).

BUSINESS, MINERALS & INFRASTRUCTURE

There has been sharp tensions between artisanal miners and state forces in Lualaba province following a decree issued by the Minister of Mines suspending all processing units for minerals extracted from artisanal mining in the copper-cobalt sector. Riots took place on 28 December and 5 January when the Ministry lifted the suspension.
On 19 December, ten months after an embargo was imposed by Congolese authorities, cobalt exports resumed under the new quotas established in October.

GREAT LAKES

Tensions are mounting along the Rwanda-Burundi border, where men under the age of 60 have been compelled to participate in night patrols on the Burundian side.

U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY

The DRC has begun a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, returning after 35 years. Kinshasa will sit alongside Liberia and Somalia as part of the African Three (“A3”) and aims to keep Congolese priorities on the Council’s agenda.
At the first Security Council meeting of the year, the DRC mission joined the other A3 members in a statement calling for restraint, dialogue, and respect for international law regarding the situation in Venezuela, emphasizing that “a sustainable and peaceful resolution can only be achieved through constructive dialogue among Venezuelans, with full respect for the aspirations and rights of the Venezuelan people.”

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Version francophone

EN BREF

Les Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC), appuyées par les milices Wazalendo, ont repris du terrain tant au Sud-Kivu (où elles ont reconquis les localités de Makobola, Lwenga et Kigongo dans le territoire d’Uvira), qu’au Nord-Kivu (où elles ont repris Katoyi dans le territoire de Masisi). Le M23 tente toutefois de reprendre ces positions.
Le 27 décembre, le porte-parole des FARDC, Sylvain Ekenge, a mis en garde les hommes congolais sur la radio nationale (RTNC) contre le fait d’épouser des femmes tutsies, qu’il a qualifiées d’instruments « d’infiltration ». Il a ensuite été suspendu et le président Tshisekedi a déploré des propos “méprisants” et comme étant « une dérive de langage qui ne reflète pas les valeurs républicaines ». Les partenaires internationaux ont condamné ces déclarations en les qualifiant de « discours de haine ».
Les ministres de la Défense et les chefs d’état-major des pays membres de la Conférence internationale sur la région des Grands Lacs (CIRGL) sont attendus à Livingstone, en Zambie, du 8 au 10 janvier, afin de discuter de la « détérioration de la situation sécuritaire dans l’est de la RDC ».
Au moins 105 Congolais sont décédés dans des camps de réfugiés au Burundi au cours des deux dernières semaines de décembre, en raison du manque de ressources, notamment l’accès limité à la nourriture, aux biens essentiels et aux abris, ainsi que d’une épidémie de choléra dans un contexte de services de santé saturés.
La RDC a entamé un mandat de deux ans en tant que membre non permanent du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies, y revenant après 35 ans. Kinshasa siègera aux côtés du Libéria et de la Somalie au sein du groupe des « A3 » africains et entend maintenir les priorités congolaises à l’ordre du jour du Conseil.
Le Groupe d’experts des Nations unies a publié son rapport de mi-parcours, qui met en évidence la détérioration de la situation sécuritaire et conclut que le M23 cherche à « se positionner comme une autorité de gouvernance alternative à l’État congolais, en mettant en place des structures administratives, judiciaires, fiscales et sécuritaires et en assumant des fonctions régaliennes essentielles ».

ACTUALITÉS

DROITS HUMAINS

Le rédacteur en chef du média La Prunelle, Honneur David Safari, a été enlevé le 28 décembre à Bukavu. Il a été retrouvé vivant trois jours plus tard, présentant des signes de torture. Selon certaines sources, il aurait été détenu par le M23, ce que le mouvement a démenti.
Le 5 janvier, Nathanaël Onokomba, leader du mouvement citoyen “ Le Congo Qui Inspire”, a été arrêté à Kinshasa. Les autorités n’ont publié aucun communiqué concernant cette arrestation et son lieu de détention demeure inconnu.
Le 28 décembre, le M23 a enlevé 42 femmes dans la chefferie de Bwito (territoire de Rutshuru), les accusant d’être les épouses de combattants Wazalendo. Certaines ont été libérées le lendemain, mais la majorité demeure portée disparue.
Le 29 décembre, les FARDC et les Wazalendo ont commis plusieurs exactions contre des civils à Makobola (Tanganyika, Sud-Kivu), notamment des viols et des pillages.
Le 1er janvier, des combattants des Forces démocratiques alliées (ADF) ont tué 15 personnes, 13 civils et deux soldats des FARDC, près de Manguredjpa (Lubero, Nord-Kivu).
Le 2 janvier, les FARDC ont mené des frappes de drones à Masisi, qui ont fait au moins quatre morts civils et 42 blessés.

CONFLITS ARMÉS

Sud-Kivu

Malgré l’annonce de leur retrait d’Uvira le 17 décembre (voir notre dossier spécial dans le bulletin précédent), des affrontements entre le M23 et les Wazalendo se poursuivent dans certains coins de la ville d’Uvira, où le M23 a mis en place des « agents de sécurité civils » armés.
Le 26 décembre, les FARDC ont bombardé deux vedettes rapides au port de Kalundu, dans la ville d’Uvira, affirmant qu’elles étaient utilisées par le M23 et qu’elles transportaient du matériel militaire en provenance du Rwanda. Le lendemain, les FARDC ont annoncé avoir repris le contrôle de Makobola, à 30 kilomètres au sud d’Uvira.
Le 29 décembre, les FARDC ont repris le contrôle de Lwanga et de Kigongo et ont affirmé avoir capturé des soldats rwandais.
Des affrontements autour d’Uvira ont été signalés le 3 janvier.
Les 4 et 5 janvier, des combats entre le M23 et les Wazalendo dans le territoire de Walungu ont fait au moins quatre morts parmi les civils.

Nord-Kivu

Le 23 décembre, les rebelles du M23 ont installé une nouvelle base dans le village de Ndurumo, situé dans groupement de Luberike (territoire de Walikale).
Les FARDC ont repris Katoyi le 29 décembre, une localité du territoire de Masisi que le M23 avait conquise en mi-novembre. Le 2 janvier, le M23 a tenté, en vain, de reprendre la cité.
Le 5 janvier, des affrontements ont opposé le M23 aux forces Wazalendo à Kashebere (Walikale).