Congo War Security Review

Data Cutoff: August 28, 2026, at 10 A.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 convened for another round of peace talks in Switzerland and discussed ways to jumpstart progress on the November 2025 framework agreement. Significant fighting between M23-allied fighters and pro-Congolese government forces continued in the Fizi and Uvira highlands in South Kivu. DRC coalition forces reportedly shot down an aircraft over Minembwe town. The Congolese government severed ties with higher education and academic institutions under M23 control.

Kinetic Activity in Rutshuru & Eastern Masisi Districts

Armed actors attacked M23 in eastern Rutshuru district in North Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Radio Okapi reported that armed men conducted several attacks on civilians in the Kisigari and Binza groups in the Bwisha chiefdom in eastern Rutshuru on August 23.[1] The outlet reported that the armed men also attacked M23 positions in Nkwenda and Kinyandoni villages in the Binza group.[2] Nkwenda and Kinyandoni are about eight and six miles north of Rutshuru town, respectively.

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie

Clashes between M23-allied fighters and pro-Congolese government forces continued in the South Kivu highlands. CTP reported previously that pro-Congolese government forces launched an offensive against M23-allied Twirwaneho fighters and possible Red–Tabara militants around Minembwe in mid-August.[3] Fighting reportedly continued between Wazalendo fighters and Twirwaneho and Red–Tabara in two villages east of Minembwe, Abwale and Mbukuma, on August 22.[4] Abwale is about 10 miles south of Point Zéro, an operationally significant hilltop northeast of Minembwe, on the RP527. M23’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, claimed on social media that DRC coalition forces conducted airstrikes and drone attacks on Mukoko and Nyamabuguma villages near Minembwe on August 22.[5] Congolese government-aligned sources claimed on social media that a Congolese army (FARDC) drone conducted attacks on Twirwaneho-Red–Tabara positions at Mukoko and Nyamabuguma on August 22.[6] An M23 colonel posted a video on August 22 showing Kanyuka purportedly on the ground in Ruhinamavi, a village near Point Zéro.[7] Kanyuka and Twirwaneho’s spokesperson, Fidèle Rugabo, claimed in a statement on social media that DRC coalition forces attacked Nyaruhinga village near Minembwe and conducted a heavy artillery attack on another remote village on August 24.[8] Congolese government aligned sources reported that fighting continued near Alénge in the Mutambala sector on August 25.[9] Rugabo claimed that DRC coalition forces conducted an attack on Point Zéro on August 25.[10] The FARDC claimed on August 26 that 13 M23-Twirwaneho-Red–Tabara surrendered to the FARDC at Abala, Mulima, and Kimete.[11] Kimete is about 21 miles south of Minembwe. Rugabo posted a picture of Charles Sematama, Twirwaneho’s military commander, on August 26 and claimed that he had arrived in Minembwe.[12] Kanyuka claimed in two statements on social media that DRC coalition forces conducted attacks using heavy artillery and attack drones on Point Zéro, Nyaruhinga, and Mukoko on August 27.[13] Heavy fighting reportedly continued around Point Zéro on August 28, and Kanyuka claimed on social media that DRC coalition forces conducted ground and air attacks using heavy weaponry and attack drones on Point Zéro.[14]

DRC coalition forces reportedly shot down an aircraft over Minembwe. DRC coalition forces reportedly downed a Russian-made Antonov-model cargo plane that was coming from Bukavu using a ground-to-air missile over Gahwela near Minembwe on August 27.[15] M23 and Twirwaneho claimed that the aircraft was transporting medicine and food supplies to Minembwe.[16] The Congolese government’s Fizi administrator and Congolese government-aligned sources claimed that the plane was transporting military supplies and food.[17] Congolese government-aligned sources had previously claimed that an Antonov-model plane had supplied rebel forces in Minembwe in June.[18]

Clashes also took place in the Uvira midlands as Twirwaneho continued capturing additional operationally significant positions. CTP reported previously that Twirwaneho captured Bijobo village near Lemera in the midlands in Uvira district—northeast of Minembwe—near the RN5 after clashes with pro-Congolese government forces on August 18.[19] Congolese government-aligned sources claimed that rebel coalition forces attacked three FARDC-Wazalendo positions near Malimba on the Masango axis on August 23.[20] CTP is unable to verify the precise location of Malimba. The Masango area is roughly 20 miles west of Uvira town. Rugabo and another Twiraneho source claimed on social media on August 23 that the FARDC-Wazalendo and Burundian army (FDNB) troops clashed with two local around groups on the Masango axis.[21] Twirwaneho released a statement on August 23 denouncing DRC coalition attacks on Ruhuha, Rubarati and Marimba in the Bijombo group.[22] Rubarati is roughly 13 miles west of Uvira town. The group also claimed that the FARDC and FDNB reinforced their positions from Fizi toward Mukela village, which may be near Point Zéro.[23] Twirwaneho fighters reportedly regained control of Ruhuha, Rubarati and Marimba after reported clashes with DRC coalition forces on August 23.[24] Independent Burundian media outlet SOS Médias Burundi cited local sources in Masango on August 24 who said that some Twirwaneho fighters who had captured the villages in Bijombo came from several villages south of Masango toward Bijombo-center, including Muranvya.[25] FARDC and Wazalendo fighters reportedly retained control of Masango-center.[26] Rugabo also claimed in his August 23 post that Twirwaneho repelled a Wazalendo attack on Kipupu, which is the capital of Itombwe sector about nine miles north of Mikenge on the RP527.[27] FARDC fighters in Malimba had then reportedly retreated and caused security concerns in Uvira after firing their weapons indiscriminately.[28] Congolese government-aligned sources claimed on August 25 that rebel coalition forces conducted an attack on a Wazalendo position in Nabuzuke and was seeking to advance north toward Katobo in the Bafuliro chiefdom in Uvira.[29] M23-aligned sources claimed on social media that Twirwaneho then captured Masongo-center on August 26, bringing most of Bijombo under rebel control.[30] Twirwaneho released a statement on August 27 claiming that DRC coalition forces deployed additional forces to the Uvira highlands.[31]

New reporting adds detail to a recent drone strike by M23 and Rwanda in South Kivu. CTP reported previously M23 and Rwanda reportedly conducted a targeted airstrike on a hotel using a Turkish-made medium-altitude long-endurance attack drone after pro-Congolese government forces were setting conditions and had launched another offensive on Minembwe town in Fizi district.[32] SOS Médias Burundi confirmed in a report on August 23 that the strike had likely targeted several Congolese and Burundian military officials, namely the deputy commander of the FDNB land forces, the FDNB’s operations officer, and an FARDC regional commander, who were staying at the hotel to prepare new military operations with private military contractors but left the area before the attack.[33] The report also said that authorities arrested several FDNB and FARDC officers as part of an investigation into a possible intelligence leak.[34]

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani

M23 continued to consolidate control over southern Masisi district in North Kivu following a pro-Congolese government offensive in mid-August. CTP reportedly previously that M23 captured several towns after clashes with Wazalendo fighters in southern Masisi.[35] This included the capture of Remeka, which is around 13 miles southwest of the mining town of Rubaya on a local road, on August 20.[36] Rwandan media outlets claimed that M23 captured two additional and likely remote villages in Masisi after clashes with pro-Congolese government forces on August 20.[37] Congolese-government aligned sources confirmed on social media on August 22 that M23 had taken control of Remeka.[38] Radio Okapi reported on August 24 that numerous civilians and their families fled from at least three villages in the Ufamandu 1st group in the Katoyi sector in southern Masisi on August 22 following several days of clashes between M23 and Wazalendo fighters.[39] Congolese government-aligned sources claimed on social media that M23 conducted several attacks on Wazalendo fighters with heavy artillery and drones in Muhayirwa, Bukumbiriri, Nkokwe, and Mulema villages in Katoyi on August 25.[40] Nkokwe is about 12 miles southwest of Rubaya. Kanyuka claimed that DRC coalition forces launched an attack in Gasenyi and Murambi villages in southern Masisi on August 25.[41] M23-aligned sources claimed on social media on August 25 and 26 that M23 administrators had arrived in Remeka.[42] M23 then reportedly captured Katoyi-center on August 25 as clashes continued in the area into August 26.[43] Kanyuka claimed in a statement on social media that DRC coalition forces attacked their positions in Katoyi on August 27.[44] Two Congolese government-aligned media sources claimed that clashes between M23 and Wazalendo fighters continued near Mbaru on August 27.[45]

Wazalendo fighters clashed with M23 north of the RP1030 in Walikale district in North Kivu. CTP reported previously that an M23-aligned self-defense group reportedly repelled a Wazalendo attack on positions near Kanune on August 19.[46] Kanune is around 15 miles northeast of Mpeti in a remote forested area in the Ikobo group in Walikale. Several Congolese-aligned media sources claimed on social media that Wazalendo captured Kanune after clashes with M23 on August 21.[47] The Congolese media outlet Actualite.cd reported that M23 then attacked and clashed with Wazalendo fighters in Rushihe village, which is reportedly near Katobo village—two miles northeast of Ihula village—in the Kisimba group on August 27.[48] Wazalendo fighters had previously repelled an M23 attack on Rushihe in early August.[49]

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu

Wazalendo fighters continued their offensive against M23 in the Walungu highlands in South Kivu. CTP reported previously that heavy fighting broke out in Walungu and Mwenga districts for the first time since May 2026, with pro-Congolese government forces likely initiating the engagements.[50] Congolese government-aligned media sources claimed on social media on August 21 and 23 that Congolese army (FARDC) special forces were reinforcing their ranks and advancing toward Nzibira and Luntukulu.[51] Nzibira is a major M23-controlled mineral trading hub roughly 20 miles southwest of Walungu town, whereas Luntukulu is about 10 miles south of Nzibira in the Luindi chiefdom in northern Mwenga. The Congolese government-aligned media outlet Tazama RDC claimed on August 23 that M23 attacked Wazalendo positions in Luhago and Chulwe villages in the Luhago group in the Ninjda chiefdom in southern Kabare district.[52] The Luhago group is in a remote area roughly eight miles north of Nzibira in Walungu on a local road. The last reported clash in Luhago was in December 2025.[53] Heavy fighting reportedly continued in Nzibira, Luntukulu, and Luhago on August 27, as Wazalendo fighters continued efforts to try to retake the town from M23.[54] Kanyuka claimed in a statement on social media that DRC coalition forces conducted attacks on M23 positions in Nzibira, Kishadu, and Chulwe on August 27.[55] Kishadu is about six miles west of Nzibira on the RP503.

Major Political Developments

The Congolese government and M23 convened for another round of talks in Switzerland and discussed ways to jumpstart progress on the November 2025 framework agreement. Delegations from the two sides, alongside the African Union (AU) Commission, Qatar, Switzerland, Togo as the AU mediator, and the United States, met in Geneva, Switzerland, from August 17 to 21.[56] French state media reported on August 22 that a new senior US diplomat had replaced the previous representative and was taking part in the talks for the first time.[57] The readout said the parties discussed how to move forward with existing commitments and obligations and how to negotiate the remaining pillars under the framework agreement.[58] French state media reported that the parties also addressed the issues of recent sanctions on M23 and prisoner exchange.[59] The parties agreed to establish a mechanism to review progress and address challenges in implementing the framework agreement.[60] The meetings did not result in any new agreement, but the readout said that the parties developed another roadmap with “sequences and timelines” for talks under the agreement and committed to “flexibility and creativity” within the process.[61] The parties agreed that the sequence in which they will negotiate the pillars does not determine the sequence in which they will be implemented.[62]

The UN facilitated the transfer of Congolese civilians to government-controlled Beni town under the Doha framework. Radio Okapi reported that the UN transferred sixteen civilians to Beni from Goma on August 26.[63] The chief of staff to North Kivu’s military governor said that the transfer was part of commitments made under the Doha framework.[64]

The parties in Genva also welcomed and discussed further steps toward operationalizing the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+), which carried out its first reconnaissance mission on August 20 ahead of its first verification mission, deployed to Minembwe on August 24.[65] The DRC, Rwanda, and observer nations had discussed deploying the first mission to Minembwe during the sixth Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM) meeting under the Washington Peace Accords (WPA) in Geneva on August 12 and 13.[66] The French investigative outlet Africa Intelligence reported on August 24 that the EJVM+ could extend its scope to help monitor the WPA.[67] The outlet reported that the parties had discussed Rwanda’s recent withdrawal of 2,500 troops from the eastern DRC at the JSCM meeting.[68] The outlet reported that the parties had first discussed the possibility of expanding the mechanism’ mandate, aided by increased support from the UN, at the sixth Joint Oversight Committee meeting in London, England, in late June.[69]

The Congolese government severed ties with higher education and academic institutions under M23 control. The DRC’s education ministry suspended indefinitely the academic activities of 11 public universities and institutions in Goma and Bukavu in a decree on August 20.[70] The ministry then suspended the salaries of 48 professors, construction managers, assistants, and others in a decree signed on August 21.[71] The Congolese communications ministry issued a press release on August 27 that reaffirmed the measures.[72] The academic year was about to start in early September. Several M23 officials denounced the decrees, and the group said that it would cover the costs and salaries related to the staff and institutions and that classes would continue normally.[73] The University of Goma suspended institutions criticized the decisions on social media on August 26.[74] A youth organization in Bukavu said on August 26 that the decision would affect more than 25,000 students.[75] Several Congolese opposition leaders and other political actors also denounced the decrees.[76]

Angolan President João Loão Lourenço visited Kinshasa, the Congolese capital, and met with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi. Tshisekedi received Lourenço in Kinshasa on August 26.[77] Tshisekedi’s office said that the two met privately and then with their delegations to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional security, and joint projects in the hydrocarbons and electricity sectors.[78]

The head of MONUSCO met with Burundian President in Évariste Ndayishimiye in Gitega, Burundi’s capital. MONUSCO head James Swan and the UN’s Great Lakes envoy, Huang Xia, met with Ndayishimiye in Gitega on August 26.[79] The meeting focused on MONUSCO’s mandate and activities, particularly its support for the International Conference on the Great Lakes-led joint expanded verification mechanisms monitoring the ceasefire in eastern DRC.[80] Swan also met with the Burundian foreign minister.[81]

Significant US-Backed Economic Activity

The Congolese government signed a new major deal to improve the Lobito Corridor. Congolese government officials signed a 30-year, $1.8 billion concession agreement with a Portuguese construction company to upgrade and manage a key railway section between a town on the DRC-Angola border and another town on the DRC-Zambia border during Lourenço’s visit to Kinshasa.[82] The Lobito Corridor links major mining centers in the DRC with Angola’s Atlantic coast to facilitate the export of critical minerals to Western markets. The US Embassy in Kinshasa and the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs welcomed the signing of the agreement in statements on social media.[83] The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) had signed a letter of intent with the Portuguese company that could include up to $1 billion in DFC financing in December 2025.[84]

A US mining company is reportedly seeking additional financing to develop several copper deposits in North Kivu. Africa Intelligence reported on August 26 that US mining company Copper Intelligence has been seeking funding from Gulf states and across Asia since gaining control of several exploration licenses for copper in North Kivu in February 2026.[85] Reuters reported in April that the company had planned to start drilling on deposits around Butembo town in Beni district.[86] Andrew Groves, Copper Intelligence’s chairperson, had told Reuters that Copper Intelligence ⁠intends to sell copper exclusively to the United States.[87] Groves also said that the Congolese and Ugandan armies were helping to coordinate security around Butembo.[88] Africa Intelligence reported that Copper Intelligence is also expanding its copper portfolio into Haut-Katanga, where it is pursuing several exploration and development opportunities.[89]