Congo War Security Review

Data Cutoff: July 11, 2025, at 1 P.M. EST

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Read CTP’s latest analysis on the US-brokered peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda in US-DRC-Rwanda Peace Deal—A Beginning, Not an End.

Read CTP’s assessment on former DRC President Joseph Kabila’s return to the DRC here.

Read CTP’s latest analysis on the war in the eastern DRC in the weekly Africa File here.

Key Takeaway: The DRC and M23 convened for a fifth round of Qatari-mediated talks. The latest round of talks have reportedly revolved around key disputes between the two sides. Uganda reopened several border posts to M23-controlled territory in Rutshuru district. M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters south of Bukavu on the RN5 in South Kivu. M23 restarted efforts to reopen the Goma airport.

Kinetic Activity in Rutshuru & Eastern Masisi Districts

M23 repelled pro-Congolese government Wazalendo attacks in the Bwisha chiefdom in Rutshuru district. Congolese media reported that M23 repelled Wazalendo attacks in Nyamilima village in Bwisha on July 9 and July 10.[i] Nyamilima is located about 25 miles northeast of Rutshuru town via road. M23 has controlled Nyamilima since mid-2024.[ii]

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters south of Bukavu on the RN5 in South Kivu. Congolese media reported that M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in a village near Nyangezi in Walungu district on July 10.[iii]  Nyangezi is located about 16 miles south of Bukavu on the RN5. 

M23 repelled a Wazalendo attack north of Bukavu in Kabare district on the RN2. The Congolese news outlet Radio Maendeleo reported that M23 repelled a Wazalendo attack in several villages in the Kasheke locality in Kabare on July 10.[iv] Kasheke is roughly 33 miles north of Bukavu on the RN2.

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters near the Masisi district capital in North Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Actualite.cd reported that M23 clashed with Wazalendos in Shoa and Burora villages, which are about nine miles northwest of Masisi town via a local road, on July 9.^[v]

Wazalendos repelled an M23 attack in a remote area in Walikale district in North Kivu. Actualite.cd reported that Wazalendos repelled the attack in a village in the Kisimba group in Walikale on July 10.[vi] CTP is unable to verify the precise location of the village. Wazalendos have clashed regularly with M23 in the Kisimba group and nearby areas since late May.

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu

Nothing significant to report.

Major Political Developments

The DRC and M23 convened for a fifth round of Qatari-mediated talks. Delegations from the DRC and M23 resumed peace negotiations in Doha, the Qatari capital, on July 10.[vii] The United States is reportedly pushing for the resolution of the talks this week before US President Trump hosts DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame for a formal signing ceremony of the US-brokered peace agreement in Washington, DC, in late July.[viii]

The DRC and M23 sent more senior representatives to the talks than in previous rounds. Several DRC government cabinet officials are reportedly present in Doha, including Jacquemain Shabani, the DRC Deputy Prime Minister and interior minister, and the Congolese trade minister, Julien Paluku.[ix] The French magazine Jeune Afrique reported on July 11 that Shabani will not participate directly in the talks as a negotiator but could sign an agreement on behalf of the DRC if a deal is reached.[x] M23 had demanded repeatedly that the DRC government send a delegation with decision-making authority to Doha since the talks began.

The M23 delegation is led by Benjamin Mbonimpa and also includes René Abandi, M23’s primary negotiator in the talks and a long-time M23 member.[xi] Rwanda sent its interior minister, Vincent Biruta, to participate on the sidelines.[xii] The United States has pushed for senior ministers in the Congolese and Rwandan governments to play a more active role in the Doha talks since the US brokered the peace agreement in late June.[xiii] Qatar invited officials from the United States, the African Union, and Togo to observe the discussions.[xiv]

The latest round of talks have revolved around key disputes. French media reported that Qatar aims to “resolve the remaining issues” related to the “deep-rooted nature” of the security crisis in the eastern DRC.[xv] The French state media outlet Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported that a Qatari-led peace agreement has undergone several iterations since an initial draft circulated in May.[xvi] Congolese and French media reported that the United States and Qatar have pushed the two sides to respect previous commitments, including an unconditional ceasefire and the “release of prisoners.”[xvii] An unnamed diplomatic source close to the talks told Agence France-Presse on July 10 that the talks had already “moved in the right direction.”[xviii]

M23 reportedly demanded de-facto control of the Kivu provinces as part of the talks. Jeune Afrique quoted a senior M23 official who said that M23 demanded that the DRC government recognize M23’s control as a “special ‘disaster zone’ status” in the eastern DRC.[xix] The Congolese news outlet Agence Congolaise Press cited a Congolese government source who said that M23 demanded “exclusive control” of North and South Kivu provinces for a period of eight years.[xx] Independent French journalist Christophe Rigaud previously reported that M23 officials have had internal discussions on how to secure some form of “autonomy… combined with federalist management” from the DRC government.[xxi] A pro-M23 source on social media said on July 10 that M23’s demand for autonomy includes actions from the DRC government to reopen banks in M23 strongholds and allow the integration of Congolese army soldiers and allied militias operating in M23-controlled territory into M23, among other demands.[xxii]

Uganda reopened several border posts to M23-controlled territory in Rutshuru district. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni officially reopened the Bunagana, Busanza, and Ishasha border crossings on the Uganda-DRC border where M23 operates on July 9.^[xxiii] The DRC government had outlawed major cross-border trade at all border posts under M23 control after M23 captured Bunagana in June 2022.[xxiv] The three crossings are situated on key cross-border trade and humanitarian access routes.[xxv] M23 president Bertrand Bisimwa thanked Museveni for reopening the border posts on social media on July 10.[xxvi] The Ugandan army spokesperson said on social media on July 11 that Uganda wanted to reverse the “counterproductive move to block meaningful trade” between cross-border communities.[xxvii] The Congolese media outlet Radio Okapi reported on July 11 that the reopenings occurred “without prior coordination” with the DRC government.[xxviii]

M23 restarted efforts to reopen the Goma airport. Congolese media reported that M23 allowed UN and regional technicians to begin de-mining operations at the Goma airport on July 10.[xxix] Pro-M23 sources said on social media on July 10 that M23 aims to reopen the airport by early August.[xxx]

Data Cutoff: July 9, 2025, at 1 P.M. EST

To receive the Africa File and Congo War Security Review via email, please subscribe here.

Follow CTP on X, LinkedIn, and BlueSky for daily updates.

Read CTP’s latest analysis on the US-brokered peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda in US-DRC-Rwanda Peace Deal—A Beginning, Not an End.

Read CTP’s assessment on former DRC President Joseph Kabila’s return to the DRC here.

Read CTP’s latest analysis on the war in the eastern DRC in the weekly Africa File here.

Key Takeaway: Both M23 and the Congolese army have reportedly fortified their positions in South Kivu in recent days. M23 officials arrived in Qatar for a fifth round of direct peace talks with the DRC government. M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters in northeastern Masisi district in North Kivu.

Kinetic Activity in Rutshuru & Eastern Masisi Districts

M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters in northeastern Masisi district in North Kivu. Congolese media reported that M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in several villages near Kashuga on the RP1030 on July 8 and July 9.[i]

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie

Both M23 and the Congolese army (FARDC) have reportedly fortified their positions in South Kivu in recent days. Videos circulated on social media of several truckloads of M23 reinforcements moving toward a military camp in Bukavu, the M23-controlled South Kivu provincial capital, in early July.[ii] The FARDC flew in at least several hundred troops to Kalemie—the Tanganyika provincial capital—who then deployed to several areas south of Bukavu in South Kivu, including in southern South Kivu in Fizi district, Uvira town on Lake Tanganyika, and about 40 miles north of Uvira in Kamanyola on the RN5 on the front lines with M23.[iii] Uvira is the second second-most-populated city in South Kivu and a transportation hub with access to Lake Tanganyika and Burundi’s economic capital, Bujumbura, roughly 16 miles to the east.[iv] The front line between M23 and pro-Congolese government forces in South Kivu has been frozen at Kamanyola, which is about 30 miles south of Bukavu, since March.

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani

Nothing significant to report.

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu

Nothing significant to report.

Major Political Developments

M23 officials arrived in Qatar for a fifth round of direct peace talks with the DRC government. M23’s lead negotiator in Qatar, Benjamin Mbonimpa, said on social media on July 8 that the M23 delegation had arrived in Doha, the Qatari capital.[v] Congolese journalist Yassin Kombi cited on social media a member of the M23 delegation who said that M23 has been in Doha since July 7.[vi]

Data Cutoff: July 7, 2025, at 1 P.M. EST

To receive the Africa File and Congo War Security Review via email, please subscribe here.

Follow CTP on X, LinkedIn, and BlueSky for daily updates.

Read CTP’s latest analysis on the US-brokered peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda in US-DRC-Rwanda Peace Deal—A Beginning, Not an End.

Read CTP’s assessment on former DRC President Joseph Kabila’s return to the DRC here.

Read CTP’s latest analysis on the war in the eastern DRC in the weekly Africa File here.

Key Takeaway: The DRC and M23 are set to convene for a fifth round of Qatari-mediated peace talks this week. M23 officials denied that a final Qatari-mediated agreement is close, accused the DRC government of undermining the talks, and set several preconditions for future talks. Rwandan President Paul Kagame expressed skepticism that the US-brokered agreement with the DRC will bring peace to the eastern DRC. Pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters clashed with M23 in the Bwito chiefdom in Rutshuru district in North Kivu.

Significant Activity in Rutshuru & Eastern Masisi Districts

Pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters clashed with M23 in the Bwito chiefdom in Rutshuru district. The Congolese media outlet Radio Okapi reported that Wazalendos clashed with M23 using light and heavy weaponry in several groups, including in Kihondo, Bambo, and Bukombo, from July 3 and 6.[i] Radio Okapi reported that Wazalendo fighters are attempting to dislodge M23 from several areas in Bwito.[ii] The outlet reported that locals in Bwito have “completely deserted” several villages on the RP1030, including Nyanzale and Kikuku, due to the fighting in recent weeks.[iii]

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie

Nothing significant to report.

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani

M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government forces in a remote area in Walikale district in North Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Actualite.cd reported that M23 clashed with the Congolese army and Wazalendo fighters in the hills near Katobi in the Kisimba group in Walikale district on July 6.[iv] Katobi is located roughly 8 miles east of Pinga, a military and logistical hub in northern Masisi district, on the RP1030. Actualite.cd reported separately on July 3 that M23 had reinforced its positions in several villages in Kisimba and to the south on the border with Masisi district near Nyabiondo.[v]

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu

Nothing significant to report.

Major Political Developments

The DRC and M23 are set to convene for a fifth round of Qatari-mediated peace talks this week. Massad Boulos, US President Trump’s Africa envoy, told France 24 on July 3 that the two sides would meet again soon in Doha, the Qatari capital, for what he said would be the “last and final round.”[vi] Congolese and M23 officials both confirmed that their respective sides would return to Doha for the talks.[vii] Boulos said that the United States would participate in the latest round of talks.[viii] A pro-M23 source said on social media that the talks would begin early this week.[ix] Boulos told France 24 that the two sides had reached a final agreement, which would be “fine-tuned” in the next round of talks.[x] French media reported in early July that Qatar has continued to try to broker a final agreement but that the talks have stalled over counterproposals and non-starter demands from both sides.[xi]

M23 officials denied that a final Qatari-mediated agreement is close, accused the DRC government of undermining the talks, and set several preconditions for future talks, however. M23 officials—including M23’s lead negotiator in Doha, Benjamin Mbonimpa—held a press conference in Goma where they denied Boulos’ statement that the two sides are nearing a final agreement on July 3.[xii] M23 said that the US-brokered agreement between the DRC and Rwanda was an “important step” but that “our problems are different from what was discussed in Washington.”[xiii] M23 demanded that the DRC government implement eight “confidence-building measures,” which the group said are “essential for facilitating productive talks as initially required.”[xiv] Several of the preconditions are demands that M23 has listed since the Qatari-mediated talks began.[xv] M23 accused the DRC government of obstructing the peace process, delaying the talks, and sending a delegation without decision-making authority to Doha.[xvi] The DRC foreign minister said that the DRC would refer M23’s eight preconditions to the Doha process during a press conference on July 3.[xvii]

Rwandan President Paul Kagame expressed skepticism that the US-brokered agreement will bring peace in the eastern DRC. Kagame said during a press conference on July 4 that Rwanda would implement the US-brokered agreement but that the DRC’s unwillingness to neutralize the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) would “indefinitely prolong the problems” between the DRC and Rwanda.[xviii] Kagame claimed that the FDLR remains a security threat to Rwanda and that Rwanda would continue to take unilateral military action under the pretext of the FDLR threat in the eastern DRC if the DRC “plays tricks.”[xix] Kagame said that Rwanda would implement the US-brokered agreement but that it was not sufficient to address the security crisis in the eastern DRC.[xx] Kagame said that US-brokered agreement and the Qatari-mediated talks between the DRC and M23 must be seen as “two sides of the same coin.”[xxi] Kagame dismissed the UN’s recent report that Rwanda provided substantial military backing to M23 in early 2025.[xxii]