Congo War Security Review, May 15, 2026

* CTP will pause the Congo War Security Review for the week of May 22. CTP will publish the next review as usual on May 29. *

Data Cutoff: May 15, 2026, at 1 P.M. EST

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Key Takeaway: M23 withdrew unilaterally from the Ruzizi Plain in South Kivu. DRC coalition forces clashed with M23-aligned militia fighters in the South Kivu highlands. A US-based firm signed an agreement with a Congolese state-owned cobalt company and a Swiss commodities trader to establish a cobalt supply chain from the DRC to the United States. The UN repatriated over 350 refugees to Rwanda from the eastern DRC.

Kinetic Activity in M23-Controlled Areas    

M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters in eastern Rutshuru district in North Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Kivu Morning Post reported that M23 attacked Wazalendo fighters in a village near Nyamilima in the Binza group in Bwisha chiefdom in Rutshuru on May 13.[1] Nyamilima is about 25 miles north of Rutshuru town.

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia  

Nothing significant to report.  

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie

M23 withdrew unilaterally from the Ruzizi Plain in South Kivu. Thousands of M23 troops reportedly began withdrawing northward from at least a dozen localities on a roughly 20-mile stretch of the RN5 road in the Ruzizi Plain and the hills to the west of the RN5 in South Kivu on May 9.[2] Wazalendo fighters and Congolese army (FARDC) units began retaking control of Sange village, which had been M23’s main forward position on the RN5 since it withdrew from Uvira following a December 2025 offensive, and other localities that M23 vacated on May 11.[3] M23 reportedly repositioned its forces to Katogota village in Uvira district, about four miles south of the DRC-Rwanda border town of Kamanyola and 40 miles south of Bukavu.[4]

DRC coalition forces clashed with M23-aligned militia fighters in the South Kivu highlands. Kivu Morning Post reported on social media that the FARDC conducted drone attacks on several villages around Minembwe town in Fizi district, including Kakenge and Ilundu, from May 7 to 9.[5] Kivu Morning Post reported on social media on May 12 that the FARDC and Wazalendo fighters recently deployed reinforcements to Mikenge and Kipupu, which are two villages about 15 and 30 miles north of Minembwe, respectively.[6] Lawrence Kanyuka, M23’s political spokesperson, claimed that DRC coalition forces bombed Kakenge and Bidegu, two villages near Minembwe, using one-way attack (OWA) drones on May 12.[7] Pro-Congolese government journalist Byobe Malenga reported on social media that M23-aligned Twirwaneho fighters attacked several Wazalendo positions in Kalingi, Kakenge, and Bidegu near Minembwe on May 13.[8] Kanyuka and Congolese media sources reported that DRC coalition forces conducted ground and air attacks on Kalingi and Bidegu using OWA drones and other air assets on May 13.[9] Kanyuka and two other senior M23 officials claimed that DRC coalition forces conducted attacks on at least four villages around Minembwe using air assets as fighting continued on May 14.[10] Kanyuka then claimed that the FARDC deployed combat helicopters from Kalemie in Tanganyika province to support its offensive on May 15.[11]

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani 

Wazalendo fighters clashed with M23 near the R529 in Walikale district in North Kivu. Wazalendo fighters reportedly attacked M23 in a village near Kashebere on the RP529 in Walikale on May 15.[12] Kashebere is about eight miles west of Nyabiondo on the RP529.

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu  

Nothing significant to report.  

Major Political Developments  

The UN repatriated over 350 refugees to Rwanda from the eastern DRC. The UN reportedly repatriated 359 people to Rwanda via through M23-controlled Goma on May 10.[13] The last reported repatriations were in February.[14] The UN has repatriated thousands of Rwandans since Rwanda and the DRC signed an agreement with the UN to expedite refugee repatriations in line with the US-backed peace accord in late July 2025.[15]

Significant US-Backed Regional Economic Activity

A US-based firm signed an agreement with a Congolese state-owned cobalt company and a Swiss commodities trader to establish a cobalt supply chain from the DRC to the United States. US-based firm EVelution Energy announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 13 with Congolese state-owned Entreprise Generale du Cobalt (ECG) and Swiss commodity trading giant Trafigura to establish a “a framework for the long-term supply of Congolese cobalt hydroxide.”[16] The trio said that EVelution will refine Congolese cobalt hydroxide sourced from ECG at a facility it is building in the United States.[17] The MOU said that the trio also agreed to discuss opportunities in the coming months for ECG to take a minority equity stake in EVelution and develop local processing capacity in the DRC.[18]