Congo War Security Review

Data Cutoff: October 15, 2025, at 1 P.M. EST

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Key Takeaway: The DRC and M23 signed a Qatari-brokered agreement to establish a ceasefire verification mechanism. The Congolese army called on the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) to disarm and surrender as part of the US-brokered peace agreement. M23 launched counterinsurgency operations against pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters and suspected FDLR militants in Rutshuru district in North Kivu. The Congolese army conducted several drone strikes on an M23-controlled industrial gold mine in Mwenga district in South Kivu.

Kinetic Activity in Rutshuru & Eastern Masisi Districts

M23 launched counterinsurgency operations against pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters and suspected Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) militants in Rutshuru district in North Kivu. M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters and suspected FDLR militants in at least three villages near Bambo village in the Tongo group in the Bwito chiefdom in Rutshuru from October 10 to October 12.[i] M23 has also reportedly conducted attacks and clashed with Wazalendo-FDLR fighters in at least a dozen villages near the Bukumbo group capital in Bwito since October 13.[ii] The Congolese media outlet Radio Okapi reported on October 13 that the renewed fighting near Bukombo displaced hundreds of people.[iii]

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie

The Congolese army (FARDC) conducted several drone strikes on an M23-controlled industrial gold mine in Mwenga district in South Kivu. FARDC drones reportedly struck the Twangiza gold mine in the Luhwinja chiefdom in Mwenga in at least three bombing runs on October 15.[iv] The FARDC targeted the mine’s water storage and power generation facilities in the strikes, which reportedly disrupted operations.[v] M23 officials denounced the bombings as a violation of the Qatari-brokered ceasefire on social media on October 15.[vi] The FARDC bombed Twangiza in a previous strike but did not damage the site significantly last week.[vii] M23 seized the Chinese-owned mining site in early May 2025 and had reportedly restarted production in mid-July.[viii]

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in several villages near the RN2 in southern Kalehe district in South Kivu. Congolese media reported that M23 has clashed with Wazalendo fighters in five villages near the RN2 in Kalehe, including Kasheke and Katasomwa—a gold mining village located on the northern tip of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park—since October 12.[ix] M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka claimed that pro-Congolese government forces attacked M23 positions in Katasomwa and Kasheke in violation of the ceasefire in a statement on October 15.[x]

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters near the Kavumu airport on the RN2 in Kabare district in South Kivu. M23 reportedly clashed with Wazalendo fighters in Tshivanga village on the edge of Kahuzi-Biega on October 12.[xi] Tshivanga is about five miles west of the Kavumu airport on the RN2.

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani

Wazalendo fighters recaptured a village north of the RP1030 in Walikale district in North Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Actualite.cd reported that Wazalendo fighters attacked and dislodged M23 from Chanjikiro village in the Kisimba group in Walikale on October 14.[xii] CTP is unable to verify the location of Chanjikiro. The Kisimba group is located near Mpeti village on the RP1030, roughly 12 miles east of Pinga, a military and logistics hub on the RP1030.

M23 repelled a Wazalendo attack on the RP1030 in northern Masisi district in North Kivu. M23 reportedly clashed with Wazalendos who then withdrew from Malemo village on the RP1030 on October 14.[xiii] Malemo is about 16 miles east from Pinga.

Wazalendo fighters repelled M23 attacks in north-central Masisi district. Actualite.cd reported that Wazalendo fighters repelled M23 attacks in Birihi and Ndeko villages in the Bashali Mokoto group in Bashali chiefdom in north-central Masisi on October 13.[xiv] CTP is unable to locate Birihi and Ndeko. The Bashali Mokoto group is roughly 15 miles southeast of Pinga on local roads.

M23 recaptured a village from Wazalendo fighters near Nyabiondo on the RP529 in Walikale district. Congolese media reported that Wazalendo fighters withdrew from Kibati village— about 13 miles west of Nyabiondo on the RP529—on October 13 after clashing with M23 and occupying the village briefly between October 10 and October 12.[xv]

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu

Nothing significant to report.

Major Political Developments

The DRC and M23 signed a Qatari-brokered agreement to establish a ceasefire verification mechanism. Representatives from the two sides resumed a sixth round of Qatari-mediated discussions and signed the agreement in Doha, the Qatari capital, on October 14.[xvi] Massad Boulos, US President Trump’s Africa advisor, hailed the agreement as a “critical step” toward a final peace deal and implementing the US-backed peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda on social media on October 14.[xvii]

The agreement establishes a new body to serve as a forum for the DRC and M23 to report violations of the late-July ceasefire.[xviii] The body will consist of an equal number of representatives from the Congolese government and M23, along with members from the African Union, Qatar, and the United States.[xix] The mechanism will hold its first meeting within seven days of its formation and convene remotely on a monthly or ad hoc basis to coordinate verification.[xx]

The agreement relies on a ceasefire mechanism previously established by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, known as the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM), to monitor and then investigate, verify, and document alleged violations.[xxi] The October 13 agreement adds an equal number of DRC and M23 representatives to the EJVM and UN forces in a logistical capacity to form the “EJVM+.”[xxii] The two sides committed to grant the EJVM+ access to territory under their control and the frontlines to produce a weekly report on the security situation to be shared with all parties.[xxiii]

The FARDC called on the FDLR to disarm and surrender as part of the US-brokered peace agreement. FARDC spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge called on all FDLR factions in the eastern DRC to disarm and surrender peacefully to Congolese government authorities or UN forces for repatriation to Rwanda in a press release on October 10.[xxiv] Ekenge called on local populations to cease contact with the FDLR and help urge its fighters to surrender.[xxv] Ekenge did not include specific conditions or a timetable for the group’s surrender but said that the FARDC would proceed with planned military operations against the group if its fighters resist surrender.[xxvi] Ekenge said that all FARDC military personnel are prohibited from “collaborating in any way” with the FDLR.[xxvii] Massad Boulos welcomed the FARDC’s statement as a “decisive step” in implementing the peace agreement on social media on October 11.[xxviii]

Data Cutoff: October 10, 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 war in the eastern DRC in the weekly Africa File here.   

Key Takeaway: The Congolese government and M23 will reportedly discuss a Qatari-proposed draft peace agreement in the next round of talks next week. The Congolese army bombed and disabled a key M23-controlled bridge on the RP1030 in North Kivu. Pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters repelled M23 attacks in a village on the RP1030 in Walikale district in North Kivu. Wazalendo fighters recaptured a village from M23 near Nyabiondo on the RP529 in Walikale district.

Kinetic Activity in Rutshuru & Eastern Masisi Districts

Nothing significant to report. 

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 

The Congolese army (FARDC) bombed and disabled a key M23-controlled bridge on the RP1030 in North Kivu. The FARDC reportedly bombed and disabled the Minjenje bridge on the RP1030 on the border between Masisi and Walikale districts using attack drones on October 8.[i] The bridge is about three miles southeast of Mpeti, which is M23’s forward operating base on the RP1030. The Congolese media outlet Actualite.cd reported that the FARDC conducted the strike after M23 had nearly repaired the bridge from a previous FARDC attack in late September.[ii] FARDC sources previously told Congolese media that the late September strike on the bridge intended to thwart M23’s advance on Pinga, a key military and logistics hub on the RP1030.[iii]

Pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters repelled M23 attacks in a village on the RP1030 in Walikale district. Actualite.cd reported that Wazalendo fighters repelled the attacks on Katobi village on the RP1030 on October 8.[iv] Katobi is about two miles west of Mpeti and the last significant village before Pinga nine miles further west on the RP1030. Wazalendo fighters had recaptured Katobi from M23 in mid-September.[v]

Wazalendo fighters captured a village north of the RP1030 in Walikale district. Actualite.cd reported that Wazalendo fighters captured Kabalangiriro village in the Kisimba group from M23 and pushed M23 fighters back to the Bwito chiefdom in Rutshuru district on October 8.[vi] CTP is unable to verify the location of Kabalangiriro. The Kisimba group is located near Mpeti, roughly 12 miles east of Pinga on a forested route.

Wazalendo fighters recaptured a village from M23 near Nyabiondo on the RP529 in Walikale district. Wazalendo fighters reportedly attacked and dislodged M23 from four of its five positions in Kibati village on the RP529 on October 10.[vii] Kibati is about 13 miles west of Nyabiondo on the RP529. Actualite.cd reported that Wazalendo fighters launched the attacks in Kibati from about six miles west on the RP529 in Miba village.[viii] M23 has controlled Kibati since April 2025.

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in southern Masisi. Actualite.cd reported that M23 attacked Wazalendos and captured parts of Ndete village in the Katoyi sector on October 9.[ix] CTP is unable to verify the precise location of Ndete. The Katoyi sector is in southern Masisi on the border with South Kivu. M23 has clashed with Wazalendo fighters in the Katoyi sector on several occasions in October, including in Remeka—about 13 miles southwest of Rubaya.[x]

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu 

M23 attacked FARDC and Wazalendo fighter positions north of Nzibira in southern Kabare district in South Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Tazama RDC reported that M23 attacked FARDC-Wazalendo positions near Luhago village in the Nindja chiefdom in southern Kabare on October 8.[xi] Luhago is in a remote area about eight miles north of Nzibira on a local road. M23 had clashed with pro-Congolese government forces in Luhago on October 7.[xii]

Major Political Developments

The Congolese government and M23 will reportedly discuss a Qatari-proposed draft peace agreement in the next round of talks next week. CTP reported previously that the two sides plan to meet in Qatar for the next round of talks on October 13.[xiii] The French state media outlet Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported on October 9 that the two sides will negotiate a draft peace agreement proposed by Qatar.[xiv] The upcoming talks will also reportedly focus on the issue of prisoner exchange, the role of UN forces in M23-controlled areas, and finalizing the structure, implementation, and monitoring of a permanent ceasefire mechanism.[xv] RFI cited an insider source to the talks on October 9 who said that “several international partners”—likely referring to the African Union, the European Union, and the United States—will observe the next round as part of a broader push to reach an agreement.[xvi] The outlet reported that former Malian Foreign Minister Zahabi Ould Sidi Mohamed recently joined Qatar’s mediation team.[xvii]

Data Cutoff: October 8, 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 war in the eastern DRC in the weekly Africa File here.   

Key Takeaway: The sixth round of Qatari-mediated talks between the Congolese government and M23 will reportedly not take place until next week. M23 broke through pro-Congolese government positions and continued its westward advance on the RP503 in Shabunda district in South Kivu. M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government forces south of Nzibira toward Mwenga district in South Kivu. The UN repatriated nearly 400 Rwandan refugees to Rwanda from the eastern DRC as part of the US-backed peace accord.

Kinetic Activity in Rutshuru & Eastern Masisi Districts

Nothing significant to report. 

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 took control of two villages south of the Masisi district capital in North Kivu. Congolese media reported that M23 captured Luke and Mulema villages from pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters on October 6.[i] Luke is about 13 miles south of Masisi town and 14 miles west of Rubaya on local roads. M23 had reportedly reinforced its positions around Luke in early October before launching attacks in the area.[ii]

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in a village southwest of Masisi town. The Congolese media outlet Actualite.cd reported that M23 attacked Wazalendo positions in Kazinga on October 6 after reinforcing its positions near the village.[iii] Kazinga is about 17 miles southwest of Masisi on a local road. M23 last clashed with Wazalendos near Kazinga in early September.[iv]

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in southern Masisi near the border with South Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Kivu Morning Post reported that M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in at least four villages, including Kashovu, in the Ufamandu group in southern Masisi on October 7.[v] Kashovu is roughly 26 miles southwest of the mining town of Rubaya in Masisi.

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu 

M23 broke through pro-Congolese government positions and continued its westward advance on the RP503 in Shabunda district in South Kivu. M23 reportedly broke through Wazalendo and Congolese army (FARDC) and Burundian army (FDNB) positions in Kibandamangobo and Mayimingi villages on the RP503 and advanced about five miles west to Nyalubemba village on October 7.[vi] M23 had captured Lubimbe village and then advanced to Kibandamangobo—the last two villages in Walungu district on the RP503—before clashing with enemy fighters in Mayimingi, the first village in Shabunda, between October 4 and October 6.[vii] FARDC leadership said that M23 could use Kibandamangobo as a staging area to pursue offensives on several lines of advance.[viii]

M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government forces south of Nzibira toward Mwenga district in South Kivu. Congolese media reported that M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government forces in Luntukulu village on October 7.[ix] Luntukulu is about 10 miles south of Nzibira on a local road. M23 fighters had advanced to Luntukulu and the nearby Ndiba village in late September but reportedly did not take full control of the area until around October 3.[x] The Congolese media outlet Radio Maendelelo had reported that the FARDC and FDNB ordered Wazalendo fighters to retreat in the wake of M23’s advance and recently sent reinforcements to northern Mwenga to counter potential M23 attacks.[xi]

M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government forces north of Nzibira in southern Kabare district in South Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Tazama RDC reported that M23 clashed with FARDC and Wazalendo fighters in Luhago, a remote village about eight miles north of Nzibira, in the Nindja chiefdom in southern Kabare on October 7.[xii] M23 had clashed with pro-Congolese government forces in Nindja in late September before launching new attacks in Luhago and other nearby villages on October 4.[xiii]

Major Political Developments 

The sixth round of Qatari-mediated talks between the Congolese government and M23 will reportedly not take place until next week. Congolese and Rwandan media reported on October 8 that the two sides tentatively plan to meet in Qatar for the next round on October 13.[xiv] Oscar Balinda, M23’s deputy spokesperson, told the Rwandan media outlet The New Times on October 7 that M23 would not seek to advance the talks unless there was progress on prisoner exchange and reviving the ceasefire.[xv] The two sides will reportedly try to resolve significant disagreements on the prisoner exchange issue in the next round.[xvi] French state media reported previously that the talks could be delayed if the two sides did not finalize an agreement that establishes a permanent ceasefire mechanism and delineates the role of UN forces in M23-controlled areas ahead of the negotiations.[xvii] Both issues have been key obstacles to opening more substantive discussions around a long-term peace deal.

The UN repatriated nearly 400 Rwandan refugees to Rwanda from the eastern DRC as part of the US-backed peace accord. The UN repatriated between 387 to 403 Rwandan refugees to Rwanda from M23-controlled Goma via the Grande Barrière border post on October 8.[xviii] The Rwandan Minister of Emergency Management said on October 6 that Rwanda has repatriated 3,974 refugees since January with over 1,000 of those refugees returning to Rwanda in August and September.[xix] The DRC, Rwanda, and the UN had signed an agreement in late July that aimed to find solutions to the refugee crisis and expedite refugee repatriations as part of the US-backed peace accord.[xx]